The Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission has released its fifth strategic plan, covering 2018 through 2020, for improving access to justice in Tennessee. The plan furthers the Commission’s goals of educating the public on existing resources, encouraging and creating new opportunities for increased pro bono, and developing resources for litigants who must represent themselves in court.
In the plan, the Commission sets a vision and identifies priorities for the next two years, and spends time discussing and refining its role. That role is summed up in the new mission statement that the Commission developed:
The Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission provides collaborative leadership to create solutions and resources that address and eliminate barriers to justice for all.
The Plan also calls for the creation of a Founders group to leverage the expertise and support of former Commission members. Additionally, it lists statewide and regional events the Commission will sponsor to continue to build and refine support services for Tennesseans with civil legal issues. Those events include a statewide pro bono summit that will be held in Spring 2019 as part of Help4TNDay. The Summit will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Commission.
The plan further contains objectives designed to connect with rural attorneys and local bar associations. The Commission will expand existing resources and develop a tool kit to help those who must represent themselves in court because they don’t qualify for legal aid and can’t afford a lawyer.
The plan was developed out of two surveys that were distributed to various stakeholders statewide. One focused on the work of the Commission and the stakeholders’ needs, while the other focused on trends in the legal system and beyond. The Commission would like to thank those who participated in the surveys for giving the Commission the opportunity to gain valuable insight.
The Tennessee Supreme Court announced its Access to Justice campaign in 2008 and subsequently created the Access to Justice Commission in 2009. The Commission is composed of 10 members from across the state.
More information about the Access to Justice Commission and the 2018 Strategic Plan can be found here.
Legal resources provided by or partnering with the Access to Justice Commission: