Legal Aid/Legal Services
There are eight Legal Aid or Legal Services organizations in Tennessee. These are not-for-profit law offices that give certain types of free legal help to people who cannot afford to pay a lawyer. The map below shows the geographic areas covered by each organization. Click on your region of the map or the name of the organization for information on how to contact them for help.
What is Legal Aid? Can it help you?
Legal Aid cannot help everyone with every legal problem. There are some types of cases Legal Aid does not handle including criminal cases and fee-generating cases, like car accidents in which you want to make the other person pay for your injuries or the damage to your car.
Legal Aid does help with many civil law cases. They may be able to help you if you are having a problem with your landlord, food stamps, Families First (welfare), TennCare, Medicare; health care or family problems, especially domestic violence. Even if Legal Aid cannot represent you directly in a case, they may be able to tell you where to get help or give you advice that will help you handle the case yourself.
The Legal Services organizations also have "Pro Bono" programs. Many private attorneys have agreed to help provide free legal help to low income persons through this program. Your case may be referred to a volunteer attorney who will represent you free of charge through the Pro Bono program.
People who are in low-income households can get free legal help from Legal Aid offices. When you call the office, you will be asked about your income and the income of others in your home. Your income must be under the current poverty guidelines to make you eligible. If you are within the guidelines, you will be asked about the type of legal problem that you have. If it is the type of problem they can handle, you can then talk to one of the lawyers or to a paralegal.
Community groups may also get help from Legal Aid. If the members of your group are from low-income households, Legal Aid may be able to help you with a specific legal problem. Also, Legal Aid may be able to provide educational talks or programs to tell you about your legal rights.
The Legal Aid offices do not charge for the legal help that is given. You may have to pay court costs to take a case to court. You may also have to pay for some other expenses, such as, copies of records, court reporters, and so forth. However, you will not be charged for the attorney's or paralegal's time or advice.
If you think you have a legal problem, contact the Legal Aid office immediately. If at all possible, please call before you go to the Legal Aid office. Legal Aid can get most of the information they need on the phone. You are encouraged to call at 9:00 a.m. when Legal Aid intake opens or as soon thereafter as possible. If a meeting is needed, Legal Aid will arrange one, which will save you both time and money. Due to very limited resources, Legal Aid cannot assist everyone who calls.
|
Regional Legal Aid/Legal Services offices
|
Memphis Area Legal Services
Harrison McIver, executive director
109 North Main Street
2nd Floor, Claridge House
Memphis, TN 38103
Telephone: (901) 523-8822
Fax: (901) 578-8566
Web site: http://www.malsi.org
Email: mals@malsi.org
Tipton County office in Covington
Phone: (901) 476-1808
Fax: (901) 475-6330
Toll free: (888) 207-6386
(for Fayette and Lauderdale counties)
Return to top
|
Southeast Tennessee Legal Services
Whitney Durand, executive director
29 Patten Parkway
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 756-0128 or (800) 836-0128
Fax: (423) 756-0181
Email: wdurand@selegal.orgt
Web site: http://www.selegal.org
Return to top |
West Tennessee Legal Services
Steven Xanthopoulos, executive director
P.O. Box 2066
Jackson, TN 38302
Telephone: (731) 423-0616 or (800) 372-8346
Fax: (731) 423-2600
Email: wtls@wtls.org
Web site: www.wtls.org
Dyer County office in Dyersburg: (731) 285-8181
Fax: (731) 285-8184
Carroll County office in Huntingdon: (731) 986-8975
Fax: (731) 986-8977
McNairy County office in Selmer: (731) 645-7961
Fax: (731) 645-7963
Toll free for 731 area code: (800) 499-1602
Return to top
|
Legal Aid of East Tennessee
Dave Yoder, executive director
502 South Gay Street, Suite 404
Knoxville, TN 37902
Phone: (865) 637-0484
Fax: (865) 525-1162
Email: dyoder@laet.org
Web page: www.laet.org
Cleveland: (423)-479-8577 or 800-455-3219
Fax: (423) 339-3282
Chattanooga: (423) 756-4013 or 800-572-7457
Fax: (423) 265-4164
Johnson City: (423)-928-8311 or 800-821-1312
Fax: (423) 928-9488
Maryville: (865) 981-1818 Fax: (865) 981-1816
Morristown: (423)-587-4850 or 800-821-1309
Return to top
|
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands
Gary Housepian, executive director
300 Deaderick St.
Nashville, TN 37201
Telephone: (615) 244-6610
Fax: (615) 244-6186
Toll free: (800) 238-1443
Web site: http://www.las.org
Anderson County office in Oak Ridge (865) 483-8454 or 800-483-8457. Fax: (865) 483-8905
Coffee County office in Tullahoma (931) 455-7000 or 866-898-0171
Montgomery County office in Clarksville (931) 552-6656 or 800-342-3317 Fax: (931) 552-9442
Maury County office in Columbia (931) 381-5533 or 866-660-7164 Fax: (931) 381-5541
Putnam County office in Cookeville (931) 528-7436 or 800-262-6817 Fax: (931) 528-9350
Rutherford County office in Murfreesboro: (615) 890-0905 Fax: (615) 890-5274
Sumner County office in Gallatin: (615) 451-1880 or 888-475-4150 Fax: (615) 230-9952
(Wilson County residents 615-444-5221
Return to top
|
Legal Assistance for the Elderly
(Serves persons age 60 and older)
Michael C. Murphy, attorney
9111 Cross Park Drive, Suite D100
Knoxville, TN 37923
Phone: (865) 691-2551, ext. 223
or (800) 362-9276
Fax: (865) 531-7216
Return to top
|
Aging Services for Upper Cumberlands
(Serves persons age 60 and older)
Marie C. Ferran, executive director
1225 South Willow Ave.
Cookeville, TN 38506-4194
Phone: (931) 432-4210
Fax: (931) 432-6010
Return to top
|
Community Legal Center
(Pro Bono legal services in Memphis area)
Meg Jones, director
910 Vance Avenue
Memphis, TN 38126
(901) 543-3395 |
|
|
Statewide legal services
|
Tennessee Justice Center
Gordon Bonnyman, executive director
301 Charlotte Avenue
Nashville, TN 37201
Phone: (615) 255-0331
(877) 608-1009
Fax: (615) 255-0354
Email: info@tnjustice.org
Web page: www.tnjustice.org
Return to top
|
Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services
Erik Cole
Executive Director
Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS)
50 Vantage Way, Suite 250
Nashville, TN 37228
Phone: (615)627-0956, ext. 23
Fax: (615)627-0964
m(615)969-1582
Web page for pro bono and other advocates: http://www.tals.org
Web page for legal aid information
http://www.tennlegalaid.com
Web page for social service agencies
http://www.tennhelp.com
Note: TALS does not accept cases. It is a support center and clearinghouse for the regional centers.
Return to top
|
Return to Attorneys/Legal Services Topics
|
Return to LawBytes Main Topics |
|
|
