More than 4,000 people in Washington County have received free legal assistance from a monthly pro bono clinic sponsored by the Washington County Bar Association.
During the past two years, 35 attorneys have volunteered more than 2,000 hours of their time to assist financially-challenged individuals with civil legal matters such as divorce, foreclosure, repossession and collection matters.
On Saturday, the clinic celebrated its two year anniversary with an open house for the community. Chief Justice Cornelia Clark spoke at the event and thanked the volunteers for their efforts to improve access to justice in East Tennessee. Congressman Phil Roe and State Representative David Hawk were also in attendance to show their support.
Local judges have also played an instrumental role in the pro bono efforts in Washington County. Local judges in Circuit, Chancery and General Sessions Courts have consolidated certain types of cases for a particular day each month to allow pro bono attorneys to come in and easily assist those who cannot afford a lawyer.
To read more about the pro bono efforts in Washington County, click here to read an article from the Tennessee Bar Association’s Volunteer Attorney publication.
