Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 13 authorizes the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to enter into contracts for representation of indigent persons by attorneys working on various types of cases, including representation of indigent respondents facing involuntary emergency judicial hospitalization pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-401 et seq.
The AOC is seeking attorneys who are interested in contracting with the AOC to perform these services in Williamson County General Sessions Court. Currently, attorneys must file individual claims for each hospitalization. The contract arrangement establishes compensation based on dockets. The contracts will assist in streamlining this process. All licensed attorneys are invited to apply.
Similar contract programs exist in Blount, Davidson, Hamilton, Hardeman, Shelby, and Wilson Counties.
Judges will continue to have the discretion to assign attorneys, but only attorneys who have submitted a completed contract will be eligible to receive and accept appointments on these dockets. Attorneys seeking payment under the contract will simply submit an invoice to the AOC (as opposed to completing numerous fee claims) for each docket along with a copy of the order appointing him or her to that docket (preferably on a single document).
Because the number of claims associated with the dockets will be reduced, attorneys will be paid more quickly. This system will result in a lower average payment for each individual represented, but it is the AOC’s intent to provide quality representation at a reasonable compensation rate to attorneys for the time spent on a docket. The goal of this contract service is to efficiently and effectively manage taxpayer monies and the resources of the indigent fund.
To apply, please complete and return this PDF form to the AOC via fax to David Byrne’s attention at 615-741-6285, or email it to David.Byrne@tncourts.gov.