Waller Law Firm Receives Pro Bono Leadership Award from Legal Aid Society
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 26, 2018 – Nashville law firm Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis LLP recently received the Pro Bono Leadership Award from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Board of Directors, the national organization that is a key funder of Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. The award honors Waller’s work with the Volunteer Lawyers Program, managed by Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands.
Waller has provided important pro bono support to the Legal Aid Society since 1985. In October 2015, Waller dramatically expanded its role in the Volunteer Lawyers Program by offering free legal services to victims of domestic violence. Through a partnership with Metro Nashville Office of Family Safety (OFS) and Legal Aid Society, the Civil Legal Advocate Program was launched in 2015 to represent victims at Order of Protection hearings. The project refers high-risk victims identified by OFS advocates to the Legal Aid Society for placement with volunteer lawyers. Since then, more than 40 Waller lawyers have donated their time to provide representation to more than 125 victims of domestic violence.
“From both a legal standpoint and an emotional one, these have been challenging cases for Waller’s lawyers to take on,” said Lucinda Smith at Legal Aid Society. “We think it’s extraordinary not just how many cases these volunteers have handled, but the care they’ve taken with each client to usher them through this difficult period.”
Also through the Volunteer Lawyers Program, Waller lawyers and paralegals staff regular legal clinics in which they provide advice to Legal Aid Society clients on wills, estates, collections and homeownership issues. At these clinics, the firm’s lawyers and paralegals have provided advice to more than 180 individuals.
Waller, established in 1905, is among Tennessee’s oldest law firms. It employs more than 225 lawyers who represent clients in transactional, regulatory and litigation matters. The firm works extensively in manufacturing, real estate and technology, and has earned national recognition for assisting clients in the healthcare, financial services, retail and hospitality industries.
Nominations for the Legal Services Corporation’s awards came from its four grantees in Tennessee: Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Memphis Area Legal Services and West Tennessee Legal Services. LSC is the largest grantor of funds for civil legal aid for low-income individuals in the United States.
About Legal Aid Society
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands advocates for fairness and justice under the law. The nonprofit law firm offers free civil legal representation and educational programs to help people in its region receive justice, protect their well-being and support opportunities to overcome poverty. It serves 48 counties from offices in Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Gallatin, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Oak Ridge and Tullahoma. Legal Aid Society is funded in part by United Way. Learn more at www.las.org, or by following the firm on Facebook.