Many attorneys have been contacted by a non-profit organization needing assistance on simple legal questions.  Those questions range from whether child abuse must be reported to whether Tennessee is an at will employment state.  Most of those questions can be answered with a minimum amount of research and time on the part of an attorney.  However, many non-profits lack this access or have the resources to pay for this service.  The Knoxville Bar Association has recognized this need and has adopted a pilot program that is unique in  Tennessee.  This pilot program will seek to give non-profits, with a budget of less than $1 million, access to a service where attorneys donate 1 hour of time to answer the questions of non-profits.  In cooperation with Buckner Community Ministries, this service will be advertised to qualifying non-profits and the Knoxville Bar Association will operate this program. 

            Knoxville and Knox County have over 1,900 non-profit organizations operating at any given time.  Those non-profits provide a variety of services ranging from mentoring programs, job training, homeless services with Volunteer Rescue Ministries,  building homes with Habitat for Humanity to senior adult programs.  These worthwhile services fill the gap where government programs do not have the budget or personnel to meet needs.  The budgets of these non-profits range from a few thousand dollars a year to millions of dollars.  The vast majority of these non-profits have budgets of only a few thousand dollars a year.  What these non-profits all have in common is an occasional need for legal advice.  The Knoxville Bar Association is attempting to meet that need through this pro bono program.  Through a limited one hour meeting with participating attorneys, the program is designed to provide non-profits with a source of legal expertise that they would typically not be able to afford or access. 

I.          WHO WILL PROVIDE THIS SERVICE

            Using the Knoxville Bar Association, law firms will be encouraged to have attorneys sign up for this program for the Knoxville Bar Association.  To participate in this program, please complete this form and send it to Marsha Wilson at mwilson@knoxbar.org. 

II.        ELGIBILITY OF NON-PROFITS

            Any 501(c)(3) non-profit with a budget of $1 million or less can use this service.  The client in any such referral must be the non-profit organization and referrals cannot be used by individuals whose interest might be opposed to the corporate interest of the non-profit.  (i.e. an employee facing termination). 

III.       WHAT THE PRO BONO ATTORNEYS ARE OFFERING TO THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

             The pro bono attorneys are offering 1 hour of free time to consult and answer questions of the non-profit.  Consultations are limited to 1 hour and detailed or complicated matters cannot be addressed through this service.  For example, it is not possible to have the attorney complete the forms for incorporation and tax exemption, but it is possible to have those forms reviewed if this can be done in 1 hour.  Attorneys have the ability to assist non-profits on many issues including charitable giving, wage and hour compliance, real estate sales and transfers, taxes, employee benefits, contract interpretation, and liability issues.  If the attorney providing the service determines that additional time will be needed to respond to the question from the non-profit, a determination can be made to decline the assignment or to extend the one hour meeting.

            The Knoxville Bar Association will receive the questions from the non-profit organizations and will maintain a bank of attorneys participating in the program.  Questions will be reviewed and referred to the appropriate type of attorney depending on the question.  The form for participation lists the areas (i.e., tax, transactional, corporate, litigation) where the participating attorney has an interest or expertise. 

• Applying for 501(c)(3) status
• Corporation structure
• Employee law (job descriptions, dismissals, liability)
• General contract review (software purchase, grants)
• How to trademark a program
• Liability issues
• Policies and procedures review
• Lawsuits and initial response
• Help agency draft a consent form (for transporting clients)
• Changing by-laws
• Legality of managing volunteers
• Termination policies
• Changing legal name of corporation

VI.       MECHANISM FOR REFERRALS

            A.        If you are interested in this program, please complete the volunteer attorney form and return it to the Knoxville Bar Association. 

            B.        Non-profits are being advised of this program and of its initiation.  Questions from non-profits will go to the Knoxville Bar Association for referral to participating attorneys. 

            C.        The Knoxville Bar Association will maintain a database of participating attorneys and will receive the questions.  Those questions will be reviewed by the KBA and referred to participating counsel. 

            There is no program like this in Tennessee.  This pilot program is sponsored by the Knoxville Bar Association and it is hoped that it can be copied by other local bars or by the Tennessee Bar Association for use on a statewide basis.  This is a unique opportunity for the Knoxville Bar Association to be actively involved in a pro bono project with immediate and tangible benefits for our community.  More importantly, it is an opportunity for our Association to serve as a model for Tennessee.