Access to Justice Awards 2013
TALS will soon accept nominations for the B. Riney Green Award and the New Advocate of the Year Award for 2013
B. Riney Green Award
In the late 1990s B. Riney Green, a Nashville attorney, relentlessly led Tennessee’s effort to prevent the U.S. House and Senate from adopting provisions that would reduce funding to legal services and increase restrictions on legal aid programs.
As a corporate lawyer and a Republican, he was a new and credible 
voice in this effort. He successfully engaged others in his effort and had access to representatives from across the party and ideological spectrum. His efforts in this state not only improved relations with the Congressional delegation, but were essential to the successful national effort to resist these legislative attacks. This award is named to honor his contribution at a critical time in the history of legal services in Tennessee and the nation.
It is important to recognize that the Green Award is not just a “good person” award, or a way to recognize outstanding advocacy. There are many outstanding advocates in Tennessee, and many of them have outstanding accomplishments every year. This award is a way to recognize and emphasize the value the access to justice community has for a particular kind of accomplishment – one that promotes inter-program cooperation and strengthens access to justice across the state. Our 2012 B. Riney Green Award Winner was Margaret Behm. She is pictured at right accepting the award with former TALS Executive Director Erik Cole, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia A. Clark, and Memphis Area Legal Services Executive Director Harrison McIver.
What should the nominations include?
Nominations need only be a letter or an e-mail that answers the question: What contributions has the nominee made to state-wide collaboration for the benefit of our clients or our programs? Include contact information for yourself and the nominee. Up to three additional supporting nominations or letters can be submitted by individuals or programs for each nominee. Please refrain from supporting or encouraging nominations via listserv or other public forums.
New Advocate of the Year
Like the Riney Green Award, which recognizes someone who promotes state-wide collaboration, this is not just a “good person” award, but recognizes a specific kind of accomplishment: affirmative, creative, effective advocacy (litigation or other activities). It seeks to recognize those who use their legal skills in an active, creative way that produces outstanding benefits for individual clients and the communities in which they live. Our 2012 New Advocate of the Year Award Winner was Adrienne Kittos. She is pictured at right accepting the award with former TALS Executive Director Erik Cole, B. Riney Green Award Winner Margaret Behm, and Memphis Area Legal Services Executive Director Harrison McIver.
Who is eligible?
Attorneys and paralegals who work with a provider (LSC or non-LSC funded) of civil legal aid to low-income people, who have been employed by their programs less than five years.
What should the nomination include?
The nomination should be made by a brief letter stating the nominee’s name, program, the date they began with their program, and specific examples of the kind of affirmative, energetic, effective advocacy that this award seeks to recognize. If appropriate, feel free to attach any documents supporting the nomination, such as news articles, opinions, client comments, commendations, etc. Include contact information for yourself and the nominee. Up to three additional supporting nominations or letters can be submitted by individuals or programs for each nominee. Please refrain from supporting or encouraging nominations via listserv or other public forums.
Nominations will open later in 2013. Questions about nominations may be submitted to Ann Pruitt at TALS by e-mail to apruitt@tals.org.
