The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands and the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) is partnering for a Power of Attorney/Advanced Directive Clinic on July 29. No wills will be done. The clinic will be held at St. Clair Senior Center located at 325 St. Clair St., Murfreesboro 37130 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. CDT. Interested volunteers should contact TBA YLD District Representative Alyssa Fox.

The recently held Restoration of Rights Resource Clinic in Memphis educated individuals about second-chance opportunities. Hosted through a collaborative partnership between the Memphis Bar Association's Access to Justice Committee, the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (YLD), The Memphis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., West Tennessee Legal Services, and the Shelby County Circuit Court Clerk's Office, the clinic provided information on restoration of rights, expungement eligibility, certificates of employability and other legal resources available to eligible participants. Attendees enjoyed educational presentations and had the opportunity to ask questions and meet one-on-one with volunteer attorneys and community partners. The clinic also connected participants with organizations that provide ongoing legal assistance and support. Read more about the event.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Hamilton County Juvenile Court, the Chattanooga Bar Association and the TBA Young Lawyers Division are sponsoring a free Family Law Advice Clinic on Aug. 5 from 3-5 p.m. EDT. Volunteers are needed for the event, which will be held at the Dr. Carol B. Berz Family Justice Center, 5705 Uptain Rd., Chattanooga 37411. Contact TBA YLD District Representative Mary Frances DeVoe for more information. Learn more about this opportunity on the TBA Pro Bono Portal.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee and the TBA Young Lawyers Division will hold a virtual name change clinic on Aug. 18 via Zoom at 4:30 p.m. EDT. Interested attorneys should contact Mary Frances DeVoe for more information or volunteer for this opportunity on TBA's Pro Bono Portal.

Members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) volunteered at a Tennessee Free Legal Answers clinic in July in partnership with Memphis Area Legal Services. The pro bono clinic, held monthly, provides members of the Memphis community with the opportunity to meet one-on-one with volunteer attorneys to discuss a wide range of legal issues. Each month, different organizations and law firms participate by providing volunteer attorneys. During the July clinic, volunteers assisted more than 50 clients. TBA YLD Board members Chris Kelley and Faith Watson were among the 18 attorneys and six non-attorneys who assisted. See a photo from the event.

ABA Free Legal Answers, the American Bar Association’s (ABA) national pro bono platform recently surpassed 500,000 civil legal questions answered and is approaching its 10-year anniversary in August. In recognition of this milestone, the ABA Center for Pro Bono is hosting a 10-Year Anniversary Fundraiser on Aug. 2 during the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. The event will take place on a river cruise from 1-3 p.m. CDT and will bring together volunteers, partners and supporters to celebrate the growth and impact of the platform over the past decade. Learn more and register for the event.

Members of the TBA gathered at the Sumner County Sheriff's Office in Gallatin for a TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Essential Documents clinic on July 11. There was tremendous interest in the services provided, which included wills, advanced directives and powers of attorney. The clinic resulted in successful essential document drafting and offered a training opportunity for two new lawyers and three law students to continue this pro bono service in the future. The clinic was organized by TBA YLD District Representative Grace Burnett.

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville is hosting a free legal clinic for artists and creatives on Aug. 5 from 6-8 p.m. CDT at the Country Music Association. The clinic offers one-on-one 30-minute consultations with volunteer attorneys for creatives across Tennessee. Volunteer attorneys can expect questions on contracts & licensing, copyright, business formation and nonprofit governance. Email vlpa@abcnashville.org for more information or to volunteer. Representatives from the Legal Aid Society’s Taxpayer Project also will be on-site to answer federal income tax questions. Those interested in legal services should register online by July 31.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division, in collaboration with the Memphis Bar Association and Memphis Area Legal Services, will be conducting a free legal clinic on July 11 in Memphis from 10 a.m. to noon CDT at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38111. See a flyer for dates and times throughout 2026. To volunteer contact Nicole Grida or show up on the day of the event.

Free Legal Answers has surpassed 500,000 total questions responded to, marking a major milestone for the virtual pro bono platform that launched in 2016, according to a release from the American Bar Association (ABA). Currently, 42 states and territories offer live access and 17,700 volunteer attorneys have provided more than 100,000 hours of pro bono service. A federal portal also is available to address veterans' benefits and immigration questions. The ABA Journal also reports on the milestone.

Jonathan Cole and Buck Lewis, both shareholders with Baker Donelson — which maintains the platform in collaboration with the ABA — praised the achievement in a release. “Free Legal Answers really makes a difference,” Nashville-based Cole, chair of the ABA House of Delegates, said. “Passing 500,000 questions answered demonstrates the depth and scope of this initiative to address the access to justice gap across our country.” Memphis-based Lewis, founder of Free Legal Answers, added: “We can all be proud of what has been achieved through this collaboration between Baker Donelson, the ABA and our many state partners.” Lewis also touted the firm’s role in recently rewriting the code so the platform can serve the next 500,000 clients “even more quickly.”