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Legal Aid of East Tennessee
607 W. Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville TN 37902
(865) 637-0484 | www.laet.org
Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) is a non-profit law firm serving low-income clients with civil legal needs. Types of cases taken include: public benefits, evictions and housing (both public and private), consumer, public benefits, employment, health issues, family law and senior citizen’s issues. Clients generally must meet income and asset guidelines to be eligible for services. Senior citizens and persons with domestic violence problems may receive help regardless of income. Since the demand is far greater than the resources available, the decisions on case acceptance also depend upon priorities set by LAET, in consultation with the community.
Access helpful brochures and videos on various legal topics at http://www.laet.org/get-help/.
For those with a legal problem, telephone intake lines are open on Monday-Friday starting at 9:00 a.m. Only a limited number of cases can be handled each day, so it is best to call as soon after 9:00 a.m. as possible. ONLINE INTAKE is also available anytime through the LAET website, www.laet.org. On the home page look for the Begin On-Line Intake button.
Pro Bono Project
The Legal Aid of East Tennessee
607 W. Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville TN 37902
(865) 637-0484 | www.laet.org
The Pro Bono Project (PBP) is operated by Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) in cooperation with the bar associations of Knox, Blount, Loudon and Sevier counties to support the legal community in fulfilling its mission to provide every person with effective access to the justice system. Cases that LAET is unable to take because of limited resources can often be handled by members of the private bar who volunteer their services through the PBP. PBP clients are subject to the same financial-eligibility requirements as LAET clients.
The PBP also conducts various legal advice clinics to assist clients whose legal problems can be resolved with advice and brief services. Clinics have been virtual during the pandemic. To see a list of upcoming clinic events in the area, please visit the Upcoming Legal Clinic Section of the KBA’s website at https://www.knoxbar.org/Clinics4Public. To sign up for a specific clinic, please contact Legal Aid at (865) 637-0484 and be sure to mention the clinic by name.
The Pro Bono Project also launched Pro Bono Matters in 2020 to better connect volunteer attorneys with East Tennesseans who need assistance: https://www.laet.org/pro-bono-matters/
Family Justice Center
400 Harriet Tubman Street, Knoxville TN 37915
(865) 521-6336 | http://www.fjcknoxville.org/
The Knoxville Family Justice Center serves domestic violence and sexual assault victims and is a safe place where caring and trained staff are available to help. This comprehensive support center provides co-located services for victims and their children including prosecutors, detectives, clergy, and social service professionals. Some of the Family Justice Center’s services include safety planning; danger assessment; Orders of Protection; prosecution; civil legal assistance; counseling referrals; support groups; language interpretation; access to shelter; access to emergency pet sheltering; employment assistance; short- and long-term housing; childcare; and services for the elderly, individuals with disabilities and other special populations. Please call 865-521-6336 to begin navigation and advocacy.
Tennessee Senior Law Alliance
607 W. Summit Hill Dr. SW, Knoxville TN 37902
(866) 333-1505 | https://www.laet.org/get-help/#elderly
Senior citizens are some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. More and more Tennesseans age 60 and older live in poverty and face financial insecurity, housing instability, difficulties accessing benefits and healthcare, and exploitation and abuse. Often, they may not be able to afford a private attorney and are left isolated and unprepared to navigate complicated issues and legal systems.
The Tennessee Senior Law Alliance is a grant-funded program through Legal Aid that provides services free of charge to qualifying seniors. A senior may qualify for our free legal help if 1) they are 60 or older, 2) they are a citizen or legal resident of the United States, 3) they reside in one of the 26 counties in our service area, and 4) they have a legal issue in one of the following areas: Estate Planning (wills, powers of attorney, advanced directives/living wills, conservatorships, probate issues, etc.); Public Benefits and Healthcare Benefits (Social Security, SSDI, SSI, Medicare, Medicaid/TennCare, CHOICES, QITs/Miller Trusts, SNAP/food stamps, etc.); Consumer Issues (debt collection, creditor harassment, predatory lending, scams, identity theft, etc.); Housing Issues (landlord-tenant issues, housing discrimination, evictions, etc.); and Financial Exploitation and Elder Abuse (power of attorney revocations, orders of protection, etc.).
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & The Cumberlands - Oak Ridge Office
575 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Suite 201, Oak Ridge TN 37830
(865) 483-8454 | (800) 238-1443 | https://las.org
The Legal Aid Society provides free legal assistance for low-income individuals who live in Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Morgan, Roane, Scott and Union counties.
To apply for services, call and provide information about your income, geographic location, and case. A staff member will then return your call.
Typical Cases:
Legal assistance to seniors
Housing Discrimination
Health care Spousal abuse
Public benefits Employment
Consumer Education
Utility Federal income tax disputes
Restrictions:
No fee-generating cases or criminal cases
Legal Assistance for the Elderly Program
A Division of the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency, Inc.
9111 Cross Park Drive, Suite D-100, Knoxville TN 37923
(865) 691-2551 Ext. 4212 | Fax: (865) 531-7216
Legal Assistance for the Elderly is a federally funded program providing legal representation to qualified senior citizens in the East Tennessee area. Persons age 60 and older may be eligible if they live within one of the designated counties of Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier and Union. For services in Knox County please contact Legal Aid of East Tennessee. Aged persons may be eligible for services regardless of household income or assets. There are no fees charged to clients for services, but donations are accepted. For more information: www.ethra.org/programs/21/legal-assistance-for-the-elderly
Legal services may be provided for persons age 60 or older in the designated counties and whose cases fall within state-determined priority areas including:
- Acquiring and preserving public health benefits such as Medicare, Medicaid and TennCare
- Investigation of financial exploitation claims
- Health care assistance (such as nursing home access, quality of care assurance);
- Assistance with Estate Planning and Long Term Care Planning documents:
- Advance Directives
- Powers of Attorney for Finance and Health Care
- Last Wills (for hospice patients)
Learn more at: www.ethra.org/programs/21/legal-assistance-for-the-elderly
University of Tennessee Legal Clinic
1505 W. Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville TN 37996
(865) 974-2331 | www.law.utk.edu/clinic
UT Legal Clinic operates eight clinics, many of which provide direct client representation: Advocacy Clinic (civil and criminal litigation), the Business Law and Trademark Clinic, the Community Economic Development Clinic, Domestic Violence Clinic, Expungement Mini-clinic, and the Homer A. Jones Wills Clinic.
Typical cases: juvenile delinquency, adult criminal, expungement, court cost waivers, driver’s license restoration, special education, housing, wills and estates (including power of attorney, conservatorship, living wills), domestic violence (protective orders and related matters), nonprofit law (formation and assistance), and business/entrepreneurship law (formation, licensing agreements, technology transfer and commercialization, and related assistance).
Restrictions vary from case to case and based on each clinic. Income level, county of residence, and educational merits of the case may be taken into account.
Second-year and third-year law students represent clients under the supervision of faculty members. Clients must be unable to afford legal counsel (falling below a certain income level for individuals), and usually are appointed by the courts or referred by local non-profit partners. Some cases are accepted through walk-ins and telephone calls if the case falls within the area of expertise covered by one of the above-mentioned clinics and has sufficient educational merit for students. Clinics that are running at capacity may not be accepting new cases.
The Legal Clinic has been operating for over 70 years and is the oldest continually-operating law school clinic in the country. The clinic is located on the ground floor of the UT College of Law with a separate entrance and parking on James Agee Street right off of 1505 Cumberland Avenue entrance. For more information, please call or go to the clinic website.
UT Pro Bono
1505 W. Cumberland Avenue, Suite 157 Knoxville TN 37996
(865) 974-2492 | https://law.utk.edu/programs/pro-bono
UT Pro Bono is a community service organization with significant student leadership and staff direction at the University Of Tennessee College Of Law. The program strives to connect law students with area attorneys representing indigent clients. Working in cooperation with attorneys and local legal aid societies, UT Pro Bono serves as a resource by providing law students for research, educational, and investigatory assistance.
Centro Hispano de East Tennessee
2455 Sutherland Avenue, Knoxville TN 37919
(865) 522-0052 | www.centrohispanotn.org
Centro Hispano is an educational nonprofit that supports Latino and other immigrant families integrate successfully to Knoxville. Services include information and referrals for lawyers, doctors, schools, etc., adult English classes, children’s education, and monthly workshops.
Please contact Centro Hispano for more information at 865-522-0052 and visit www.centrohispanotn.org for other programs available.
TN Free Legal Answers
tn.freelegalanswers.org
TN.FreeLegalAnswers.org is an online legal clinic. The clinic allows Tennesseans to ask up to three questions a year about specific legal problems and communicate with a volunteer lawyer using email. The free lawyer will answer questions, but cannot represent the person in court. The free lawyers on TN Free Legal Answers can help with many types of questions: family law questions, like divorce and custody, landlord-tenant and homeowner questions, questions about debts or purchases, healthcare, civil rights, and other issues.
You can apply to use TN Free Legal Answers at TN.FreeLegalAnswers.org. In order to use TN Free Legal Answers, you must live in the state of Tennessee and meet the financial requirements, like having a low household income and not much money or assets. TN Free Legal Answers is not for questions about a criminal case or for people who are incarcerated. TN Free Legal Answers is provided by the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and the American Bar Association.
HELP4TN
HELP4TN provides Tennesseans with legal information and advice via the phone or the website. 1-844-HELP4TN (1-844-435-7486) is a free legal helpline where Tennesseans can talk to a Tennessee lawyer about their civil legal issues. When you call HELP4TN, you will select whether you are over or under the age of 60 to make sure you get to the right lawyer. If the lawyer is not available when you call, you will be asked to schedule an appointment to speak to a lawyer or you will be asked to leave a voicemail. The lawyer may provide information about the legal process, advice on handling the legal issue, and referrals to free local resources.
www.HELP4TN.org is a website with legal information, court forms, videos about court, and links to resources like TN Free Legal Answers and the Legal Wellness Checkup. You can find information about going to court and your rights in different legal situations. HELP4TN.org gives Tennesseans legal information to learn more about their rights and resources. HELP4TN.org also has the Legal Wellness Checkup, which will give you personalized legal referrals and information for your legal issues online.
HELP4TN was created by the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) in partnership with West Tennessee Legal Services, with funding provided by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and the National Association of Social Workers, TN Chapter.
Legal Resource Guide
Finding Legal Assitance in Knoxville
A Public Service of the Knoxville Bar Association
The Knoxville Bar Association is pleased to provide the following directory of Legal Service providers in our community. Learn about government agencies, nonprofits, pro bono organizations and others who help to ensure that all citizens have equal access to justice.