Georgetown Law Dean William Treanor, ABA President Bob Carlson, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, ABA President-elect Judy Perry Martinez and past TBA President Buck Lewis gathered at Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C., in honor of the 10th anniversary of Celebrate Pro Bono Month. Justice Kagan served as the honorary chair this year and spoke at an event at Georgetown Law Center.

The Tennessee Faith & Justice Alliance (TFJA) is hosting its second annual statewide Pro Bono & Faith Days (#PBFDays) this month as part of Celebrate Pro Bono Month. Faith & Justice Universities will be held in each grand division so that attendees can learn about existing free legal resources in their communities and how to get more involved: Events will be in Memphis on Oct. 16, Knoxville on Oct. 18 and Nashville on Oct. 23. The TFJA is part of the Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission. It is an alliance of faith-based groups in Tennessee who commit to providing legal resources to their congregations and communities.

All across Tennessee events are taking place this weekend as part of the Celebrate Pro Bono month. On Saturday, the Memphis Law Student Bar Association and Memphis Bar Association are joining together to host the Race Judicata (The Run for Justice!) in downtown Memphis. This event, which also features an afterparty with food, drink and live music, benefits the Memphis Bar Association’s Access to Justice program. To the east, Knoxville lawyers will be providing free legal advice at the Knox County Super Saturday Bar Advice Clinic, hosted by Legal Aid of East Tennessee. That event runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Find out more about other Celebrate Pro Bono events taking place across Tennessee.

"Talk to lawyers who handle pro bono files and most will tell you positive things about their experience," TBA President Jason Pannu writes in his column this month. "Doing pro bono work will make you feel good. It is a great feeling to give hope to someone when they have nowhere else to turn. There is a reason lawyers who take on pro bono files keep doing pro bono. Achieving results for a disadvantaged member of society really makes you feel like a lawyer. At the same time, pro bono cases create tangible examples of lawyers protecting the public interest." As we head into Celebrate Pro Bono Month, read the column on why Pannu feels this is an important part of the calling of being a lawyer.

It's the 10th anniversary of Celebrate Pro Bono Month! The TBA’s statewide Celebrate Pro Bono initiative brings together legal services providers with local bar associations, law schools, law firms and individual lawyers to offer free services to those unable to afford a lawyer. Read about what it is, its impact and how you can get involved.

What does a South Dakota case have to do with us here in Tennessee? After Wayfair, our cover story points out, there will be significant impact on commerce and tax collection in our state, too. Also, it is the 10th anniversary of Celebrate Pro Bono Month! Read about its impact and how you can get involved; a word from TBA President Jason Pannu on the legal needs of low-income Tennesseans; and the remembrance of pro bono lawyer and historical hero, Lutie Lytle. Read the whole October issue here.

Tennessee’s Lutie Lytle

October is “Celebrate Pro Bono Month.” It is fitting that we remember a pro bono lawyer — Lutie Lytle — who was the first in many things. She was one of America’s first black female journalists.[1] She was the first black woman to earn a law degree in the South and be admitted to the bar in the South.[2] She was the first woman (of any color) admitted to the Tennessee bar.[3] She was the first black woman admitted to the Kansas bar. She was the first female law professor (of any color) in the nation.

It’s Easy to Be a Part

October is “Celebrate Pro Bono Month,” and Tennessee lawyers are joining their colleagues across the country to provide free legal services to those in need and honor the good work performed by lawyers every day as part of the annual National Pro Bono Celebration. Tennessee is among a small group of states that celebrates Pro Bono Month, not just a single day or week. Now in its 10th year, the TBA’s statewide Celebrate Pro Bono initiative brings together legal services providers with local bar associations, law schools, law firms and individual lawyers to offer free services to those unable to afford a lawyer.

“We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

It cannot be stated enough times that an overwhelming number of low-income Tennesseans are in need of legal services. Lawyers are an invaluable resource for individuals at risk of losing their homes, their incomes, and even their children. A study by a national bar organization found that at least 40 percent of low- and moderate-income households experience a legal problem each year. The same study concluded that the collective civil legal aid effort is serving only about 20 percent of the legal needs of low-income people. Our profession can and must do better to help low-income households in Tennessee.

Find out what a South Dakota case means for the future of online sales tax, in the October TBJ -- also, what's the word on deficiency judgments after foreclosure sales? Get ready to "Celebrate Pro Bono" this month, see what's going on across the state, and how you can get involved. Speaking of statewide events, you are not going to want to miss seeing pictures of Tennessee's recent Seersucker Flash Mob.