The Tennessee Supreme Court today unveiled plans to host a statewide pro bono summit as a part of the Court's effort to address access to justice in Tennessee. The pro bono summit was just one of several action items outlined by the Court, as it announced the adoption of four over-arching goals to guide its Access to Justice Initiative in the coming years.
The pro bono summit, which will be held in Nashville on January 21, 2011, will bring together members the legal community to discuss pro bono issues, preview available technology, and seek input on the development of a statewide pro bono referral system.
“We believe that this summit will be a great launching pad for increasing pro bono efforts throughout the state, and we hope to see many of the people here today join us for this event,” Chief Justice Holder said during her remarks.
The Court also announced plans for an access to justice website, which will be a repository of resources and information for Tennesseans. The site will include videos about the court system, links to local resources throughout the state, and downloadable plain-language forms, which will be approved by the Supreme Court. The new site is expected to launch in January 2011.
During the event, Holder thanked the members of the Access to Justice Commission and the legal community at large for their contributions to addressing the legal needs crisis in Tennessee.
“Tennessee is truly on the leading edge of access to justice efforts nationwide due to the longstanding tradition of exceptional coordination among members of our access to justice community, the bar, and the courts, locally and statewide,” Holder said. “It is this tradition of cooperation and coordination that has made the efforts of the last two years possible and so successful.”
Holder also unveiled the Court’s new access to justice video, which will be used to educate the legal community and business leaders about the civil legal needs crisis in Tennessee. The video is available at www.justiceforalltn.com.
For more information about the event, please view the following resources:
Chief Justice Holder’s Remarks
Commission Chair Margaret Behm Remarks
Access to Justice promotional video
Access to Justice Commission strategic plan
Photos from event
