Several legal clinics will be held next week in Tennessee throughout Celebrate Pro Bono Month. The Bradley County Bar Association and Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) will host a clinic on Oct. 13, 2 p.m. in Cleveland. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 423-756-4013, ext. 1113. Contact Charlie McDaniel for more information. LAET will also sponsor the Kingsport Bar Clinic on Oct. 15, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the United Steel Worker’s Building, 243 East Charlemont Ave. This clinic is open to the public. For more information, contact Christy Harris. Also on Oct. 15, Project Homeless Connect will hold a Civil Legal Clinic from 9 – 4 a.m. at the Memphis Cook Convention Center, 255 North Main St. in Memphis. To volunteer, contact Ann Fritz, 901-527-3575. The Higher Ground Worship Center Legal Advice Clinic, open to the public, will be held Oct. 17, 9 – 11 a.m. at 2424 Yearwood Ave. in Murfreesboro. The event is sponsored by the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & The Cumberlands, Murfreesboro Office. Contact Andrae Crismon for more information. LAET will also hold an outreach event at the Carter County Community Fair on Oct. 16. 9 – 11 a.m. at the Elizabethon-Carter County Public Library, 201 North Sycamore St. Contact Christy Harris for more information.

Several Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) events are planned in Nashville during October’s Celebrate Pro Bono Month. U Visa Training for Pro Bono Volunteers will be held Oct. 13, 1 – 4 p.m. at Casa Azafran, 2195 Nolensville Pike. Later that same day, the JFON Volunteer Appreciation Happy Hour will be held at 4:30 p.m. at a location to be determined. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Training for Pro Bono Volunteers will be held Oct. 15, 1 – 2 p.m. at Casa Azafran. The DACA Legal Clinic is scheduled for 2 – 6 p.m. that same day at Hillcrest United Methodist Church, 5112 Raywood Lane. The U Visa Legal Clinic will be held Oct. 17, 9 a.m. – noon at Hillcrest United Methodist Church. Contact Wade Munday for more information regarding JFON events. See a full list of Celebrate Pro Bono Month events. 

Memphis Area Legal Services continues to host its free Thursday afternoon legal clinic throughout Celebrate Pro Bono Month. The clinic is held every Thursday from 1:30 – 4 p.m. at the D’Army Bailey Civil Court House, Room 140, 140 Adams Ave., in Memphis. Contact Cindy Ettingoff for more information.

The Legal Aid of East Tennessee will host two free legal clinics this week. A Juvenile Court Clinic in Chattanooga is planned for Oct. 8, 1 p.m. at the Juvenile Court, 1600 East 3rd St. For more information, contact Charlie McDaniel. The Tri-Cities Veteran’s Stand Down Event in Johnson City is open to all veterans Oct. 9, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church, 201 East Market St. Contact Christy Harris for more information.

The Memphis Bar Association Saturday Legal Clinic will be held Oct. 10, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Benjamin L. Hooks Library, 3030 Poplar Ave. Volunteers can contact Anne Fritz, 901-527-3575. See the full list of Celebrate Pro Bono Month events.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (LAS) will hold a free legal clinic next Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cookeville LAS office, 9 South Jefferson Ave., Suite 102. Clinic co-sponsors include the TBA Young Lawyers Division and the Upper Cumberland Young Lawyers Association. The clinic is open to low-income residents of the Upper Cumberland region and no appointment is necessary. For more information, contact Cookeville legal aid lawyer and TBA YLD President Rachel Moses, (931) 528-7436. See the full list of Celebrate Pro Bono Month events.

Celebrate Pro Bono Month events are planned for the next two weekends in Knoxville and Memphis. Legal Aid of East Tennessee will hold a legal advice clinic Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at its Knoxville office. Call (865) 637-0484 to learn more. On Oct. 10, the TBA Young Lawyers Division will host a Wills for Heroes Clinic in Memphis. Contact Chasity Grice, (901) 761-3140, to get involved. See the full list of Celebrate Pro Bono Month events.

October is Celebrate Pro Bono Month!

October is “Celebrate Pro Bono Month.” It is fitting that we focus on an important aspect of pro bono, the contribution of senior attorneys. The Tennessee Supreme Court, as part of its access to justice initiative, adopted Rule 50A, the “Pro Bono Emeritus Rule.” It permits retired attorneys to do volunteer work, including advice, representation and litigation, with legal aid organizations that offer free services to low-income Tennesseans without having to pay the normal privilege tax and bar fees.

Belmont University College of Law's American Inn of Court honored Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Andy D. Bennett with the student-nominated Outstanding Mentor award. Bennett mentored two first-year law students, meeting monthly to discuss topics including legal writing, study skills and test-taking strategies. The students were also invited to view a session of the Court of Appeals.

The 2015 Celebrate Pro Bono Initiative is in full swing with more than 50 events planned across the state during the month of October. Tennessee lawyers help thousands of clients throughout the year by providing free legal advice, but this assistance is especially celebrated and emphasized during the month of October as part of a nationwide celebration. Now in its seventh year, the Tennessee initiative brings together bar associations, law schools, law firms, legal services providers and individual lawyers to offer free services to those unable to afford a lawyer. This year's celebration is expected to involve more than 300 volunteers -- including lawyers, law students, paralegals and language interpreters. A summary of events is posted online and will be updated throughout the month.

American Bar Association YLD – To learn more about the ABA YLD visit the group online, follow it on Facebook or Twitter or connect on Linkedin. To get involved with the group, contact Nashville lawyer Matt Potempa, (615) 810-8438.

Blount County Bar Association YLD – The group typically meets for lunch on the third Tuesday of every month. For more information contact President Nick Black, (865) 238-0665.