Nashville, Tenn. - Today the Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order allowing out-of-state lawyers to temporarily offer their services, free of charge, to residents affected by severe flooding in East Tennessee.
The Order follows a joint request from the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) and Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) asking the Court to activate Rule 47, which was enacted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, to help those impacted by natural disasters.
Specifically, the Rule will allow any lawyer authorized to practice law in another United States jurisdiction to provide free legal services to residents of the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Judicial Districts without seeking pro hac vice admission and without paying any admission fee. Such legal services will be assigned and supervised through TALS and LAET and the Court will determine by separate Order when emergency conditions have ended.
Any lawyers providing temporary legal services pursuant to this Order must complete and return the attached application form to the Appellate Court Clerk, Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. North, Nashville, TN 37219. This form must be submitted within thirty days of the commencement of legal services.
Lawyers may appear in all of the courts of the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Judicial Districts without seeking pro hac vice admission and without paying any admission fee.
The activation of Rule 47 follows the Court’s Order on October 4, 2024, promulgating a limited disaster plan extending certain filing deadlines in the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Judicial Districts.
On September 27, 2024, the Governor of the State of Tennessee declared that a major disaster and state of emergency exists in the State of Tennessee following severe weather, including torrential rainfall and flash flooding, that began on September 26, 2024.