DATE: Tuesday, March 21, 2017

TIME: 2:30 pm (edt)

LOCATION:

University of Tennessee College of Law
Rotunda
1505 W. Cumberland Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37996

At the press conference, local leaders will speak about the legal struggles facing East Tennesseans, and what is being done to provide free legal help to those individuals.   They will also be discussing educational events in East Tennessee where people can learn about their legal rights and how to resolve disputes without going to court.

“Ensuring fair access to justice by providing legal advice to those Tennesseans who otherwise cannot afford legal representation in civil matters is the primary focus of this Initiative,” said Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Bivins.  “We want to ensure all Tennesseans have equal access to legal representation.  Through the civil legal clinics, the citizens of our state will have a convenient place to go to get answers to their legal questions.”

East Tennesseans are invited to visit www.help4tn.org to learn more about the actual Help4TNDay, as well as the local legal clinic closest to them.

More than 1.2 million Tennesseans are indigent, finding it extremely difficult to get legal help in civil matters when they are faced with struggles.  The top legal struggles for individuals and families in Tennessee include healthcare, family law issues, landlord/tenant issues and debt.

Last year alone, licensed attorneys in Tennessee provided what would have amounted to nearly $100 million in pro bono work to those citizens who otherwise could not afford legal representation.

The #HELP4TNDAY awareness campaign is a joint effort by the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission, the Administrative Office of the Courts, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, and the Tennessee Bar Association. Other partners include Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Memphis Area Legal Services, East Tennessee Legal Aid and West Tennessee Legal Services.