Lewis Honored at ‘Free Legal Answers’ Event, Service Responds to 100,000th Question

The Tennessee Supreme Court and its Access to Justice Commission hosted a celebration in March in honor of former TBA President George T. “Buck” Lewis for his long-standing commitment to access to justice, including his vision and dedication to building and launching the virtual clinic model Free Legal Answers.

The gathering was also an opportunity to commemorate the enormous impact made by the unique pro bono tool that got its start in Tennessee nearly a decade ago. Free Legal Answers, established as a joint project of the TBA, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and Baker Donelson, and now adopted by the American Bar Association, is actively launched in 38 states and multiple international jurisdictions. With more than 7,000 volunteer attorneys registered, the program answered its 100,000 question last month.

The ABA recently produced a brief promotional video for Free Legal Answers that features Lewis, former Legal Services Corporation President Jim Sandman and ABA President Judy Perry Martinez. Watch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpyxZ7svBN8. 

 

Former TBA President George T. “Buck” Lewis was honored by the Tennessee Supreme Court for his long-standing commitment to access to justice. From left: Justices Holly Kirby and Connie Clark, Lewis, Malinda Lewis, Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and Claire Drowota. Photo by Liz Todaro.

Visit the TBA's Pandemic Resources for Tennessee Lawyers, continually updated, at
https://www.tba.org/PandemicResources.

 

DISASTER RELIEF

Legal Community Responds to
Tornado Devastation 

The Tennessee legal community responded quickly to the devastation brought about by the tornadoes that swept through Middle Tennessee early in the morning of March 3. The response involves both free legal assistance to those affected by the storms and support for attorneys whose practices were damaged or disrupted. The Tennessee Bar Association is working with the Nashville Bar Association, Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands, the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, the ABA and other local and specialty bar associations to provide these resources. Watch for more information on what is being done and how you can help. Attorneys can sign-up to volunteer with disaster response efforts on the TBA website: www.tba.org/Tornado_Volunteers.

 

Soon after the tornadoes in Middle Tennessee, many people helped in recovery efforts, including teams of employees and family members from Lewis Thomason. They loaded househoId necessities into trucks and drove them to a school gym in Nashville to be distributed. Photo courtesy Lewis Thomason.

 

 

 

PANDEMIC UPDATES

TBA Launches Pandemic
Resource for Legal Community 

The Tennessee Bar Association is monitoring news and developments surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and taking any necessary precautions to ensure the safety of staff and members.  

An online resource center, www.tba.org/PandemicResources, includes information, collected from both public and private sources, to keep members of the legal community informed about the impact COVID-19 is having on events, meetings and court proceedings in Tennessee. There is also information on health, mental health, and links to many related legal resources. These materials are being made available without login or TBA membership required for access.

 

State Mock Trial, Leadership Conference, More Canceled 

After monitoring the fast-paced developments related to COVID-19 from local, state and federal agencies, Tennessee Bar Association officials canceled many events through May. Among them, the 2020 State High School Mock Trial Tournament that was scheduled to take place on March 20-21. Also, TBA’s Annual Leadership Conference, the Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative Gala, the Public Service Luncheon were canceled, and all in-person conferences and continuing legal education programs were canceled through early April. 

The TBA offices in Nashville closed until at least April 6, and staff members are working remotely.

 

Rule 21 Temporarily Suspended

On March 13, the Tennessee Supreme Court temporarily suspended Rule 21, sections 3.01(c) and 4.02(c), through March 31 to allow lawyers to earn all or any portion of the required continuing legal education hours for 2019 through approved distance learning.

 

ACCESS TO JUSTICE

Report: Record Number of Attorneys Reporting Pro Bono Work  

A record number of attorneys provided pro bono services in 2018, according to a recent report from the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission. Its annual Pro Bono Report shows that 52.78% of Tennessee attorneys reported completing pro bono hours, an increase from 2017’s 51.50%. According to the report, 9,539 attorneys provided 640,958 hours of pro bono service, carrying a value over $137.8 million. “The numbers are just outstanding, but what really stands out to me is that the vast majority of time given is ‘boots on the ground’ — lawyers meeting with our state’s most vulnerable populations, including single parents, the elderly and veterans,” said Gail Vaughn Ashworth, chair of the ATJ Commission.

 

HISTORY

AOC Looks at History, Future of African American Bar Associations   

In two articles published in March, the Administrative Office of the Courts explores the 90-year history and ongoing impact of African American bar associations in Tennessee. The historical review focuses on the trailblazing work of former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Adolpho A. Birch Jr., Judge Benjamin Hooks and Judge Bernice B. Donald; the formation of Tennessee’s first African American bar association, the Napier-Looby Bar Association; and the many challenges faced by early African American attorneys. The second piece focuses on the more recent impact of Tennessee’s African American bar associations, including the creation of the Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL) and the rise of diversity-focused committees and conferences among other bar associations in the state.

 

COURTS

Tennessee Judges Near Top in Pay Survey  

General jurisdiction judges in Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois and South Carolina receive the highest annual salaries for their positions when adjusted for cost of living, according to a recent survey from the National Center for State Courts. The center’s updated Judicial Salary Tracker shows the average salaries for general jurisdiction court judges, appellate court judges and associate supreme court justices as of January 2020. The center found that the average salary for general jurisdiction judges is $161,750, ranging from a low of $89,600 in Puerto Rico to a high of $216,400 in Washington, D.C. 

The average salary for appellate court judges is $173,132, ranging from a low of $105,000 in Puerto Rico to a high of $244,700 in California. And the average salary for associate supreme court justices is $179,785, ranging from a low of $120,000 in Puerto Rico to a high of $261,013 in California.

The TBA Estate Planning & Probate Forum 2020 in Franklin drew a packed house at the Embassy Suites Cool Springs in February. This year’s program offered six hours of CLE, including the popular legislative update and probate panel sessions. Photo by Jennifer Vossler.

VOTES FOR WOMEN

Recordings of Suffrage Anniversary Event Available

Lipscomb University recently held two events paying tribute to 100 years of women’s suffrage in Tennessee. A program for students featured legal legends while an evening event focused on the “Women of the Tennessee Supreme Court.” Audio recordings of both events are available on the Tennessee Court Talk podcast (Episodes 8-10) .

 

DIVERSITY

Report: State Supreme Courts Still Struggling with Diversity  

The Brennan Center recently released an update to its July 2019 “State Supreme Court Diversity” report that highlights the vast racial, ethnic and gender disparities that exist on state Supreme Courts across the country. The new analysis reports on the current composition of state high courts as of Feb. 4, noting 19 new state supreme court openings since May 2019. Fourteen of those openings have been filled, with seven seats going to white men, including in four states where people of color make up more than 30% of the population. 

Four openings were filled by white women, one by a black woman and two by a male and female Native American justice. The report says 23 states have an all-white supreme court bench. The percentage of women who hold a supreme court seat is up one point to 37 percent.