Each year, the YLD selects a Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteer from nominations made by Tennessee's local CASA agencies. The award recognizes a volunteer who goes the extra mile in his or her work with children in the state. The winner is honored at a dinner in January and presented with a cash award. The volunteer's local agency also receives a cash award.
The YLD, through its Diversity and Membership & Law School Outreach Committees, exposes law students in Tennessee to various career fields and practice areas. Through networking events, free seminars and free section membership, students can interact with lawyers practicing in a wide range of settings and areas of law. The YLD also hosts a leadership program for minority law students, and an internship program to pair law students with the state's trial judges. Learn more on the TBA's law student page
The YLD, through its Diversity Committee, is dedicated to increasing racial, ethnic, geographic, demographic and practice area diversity within the division's leadership and membership. The committee is responsible for undertaking programs that encourage people from all walks of life to consider a career in the law. Learn more about its activities in the YLD's Diversity Plan
iCivics prepares young Americans to become knowledgeable, engaged 21st century citizens by providing free and innovative educational materials. The program, founded by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, offers 16 educational video games as well as teaching materials that have been used in classrooms in all 50 states. It is the nation's most comprehensive, standards-aligned civics curriculum available for free on the web. In Tennessee, the YLD has partnered with program leadership to provide awareness and training about iCivics to teachers in the state. Learn more about the program at www.icivics.org
The YLD -- in conjunction with local bar young lawyer groups across the state -- provides CASA agencies in the state with coloring books that explain the role of CASA and the courts in language that children can understand. The CASA Speaks for Polly book, the brainchild of CASA volunteer Daniel Rowland of Johnson City, tells the story of Cassie Bear, a CASA advocate that helps Polly the Possum through a scary time. Since the program began in 2011, young lawyer groups in the state have provided 12,000 coloring books and 5,000 crayon packets to Tennessee children. Groups contributing to the effort include the Chattanooga Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Jackson Madison Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Knoxville Bar Association Barristers, Memphis Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Nashville Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, LexisNexis, LexisNexis Cares, Ruby Tuesday and the law firm of Lewis, King, Kreig & Waldrop PC. Download a copy of the coloring book
The YLD recruits lawyers willing to volunteer their time to help Tennesseans affected by natural disasters. It also provides resources, including CLE programs, to help volunteers handle such cases. The division published the first-ever Tennessee Disaster Assistance Manual to guide attorneys through common issues that arise following a disaster. When the state faces a disaster, the YLD, in cooperation with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also recruits lawyers to staff a hotline for victims and handle cases pro bono. Learn more about the TBA's disaster relief efforts
The YLD plans and executes a major one-day volunteer effort among lawyers in Tennessee each May in conjunction with Law Day. District Representatives identify projects that benefit individuals, neighborhoods or non-profit organizations. Projects in the past have included building a wheel chair ramp for a disabled woman, cleaning and providing landscaping at an inner-city recreation center, painting a facility that provides rehabilitative services to mothers with addiction issues and conducting a free legal advice workshop. Watch for details about projects in your area!
The YLD hosts Wills for Heroes clinics around the state to provide free wills, powers of attorney and advance directives for Tennessee's firefighters and law enforcement officers. The Wills for Heroes program started shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks as a way to give back to first responders in need of estate planning services. Since its inception in Tennessee, Wills for Heroes has served nearly 1,500 heroes and their families.
If you would like to have a Wills for Heroes clinic in your community contact the TBA. The Wills for Heroes program also is in need of donated laptops (either new or used). It also is in need of technical assistance to fix two laptops that currently are not operational. If you or your firm is interested in contributing computers or donating the services of an IT professional, please contact the TBA.
The Tennessee High School Mock Trial Competition provides high school students an opportunity to learn about the law, court procedures, and legal system. Each year the YLD develops a fictional case in which students play the roles of attorneys and witnesses. The case and competition rules are distributed in November. In February, local competitions take place in 13 districts across the state. The winners of those contests advance to the state competition, which is held each March in Nashville. YLD members organize, host and score the state competition. Learn more about mock trial
Each May, in conjunction with the national Law Day celebration, the TBA YLD hosts an art and essay contest for students in the state. The contests are designed to give young people the opportunity to express their ideas about living in a society that is governed by the rule of law, and achieve statewide recognition for their work. The theme each year is set by the American Bar Association. The art contest is open to students in Kindergarten through 8th grade, while the essay contest is open to students in 9th through 12th grades. Learn more and see past winners
Whether you are new to the practice of law in Tennessee, trying to choose an area of concentration or just in need of career advice, the YLD can help you make the most of your professional life through its Mentoring Program. Open to all TBA members, the program can be designed to meet individual needs. Download an application and waiver form here.
Willing to serve as a mentor?
If you would be willing to mentor a colleague, please complete this application and waiver form.
The Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division's (TBA YLD) Judicial Internship Program matches law students in Tennessee with appellate and trial court judges in the state who have agreed to accept summer clerks. Students will be placed with judges for either six or 12-week assignments. No compensation will be available, but we hope the experience gained through the program will provide participants with meaningful and practical benefits.
The application process for Summer 2013 assignments is now underway. Learn more below.
The Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division's Diversity Leadership Instititute (DLI) is a six-month leadership and mentoring program for Tennessee law students in their second, third or fourth years of study. Now in its third year, the program is designed to:
Develop skills to succeed as a law student and attorney;
Empower students to contribute more to the legal community;
Match students to mentors in a diverse variety of practice areas; and
Build relationships among students of diverse backgrounds
