Programs

TALS Offers 3 Programs to Help Fill Tennessee's Justice Gap

1.  Help4TN.org

Help4TN.org is a web portal that provides Tennesseans with relevant legal information on the most popular civil legal topics like divorce, bankruptcy, etc. The site is a responsive site that makes itself viewable based on the device it is being viewed on - such as a tablet or smart phone so it can be accessed anywhere. The site includes links for visitors to find legal services representation based on their county, reach out to pro bono attorneys via Tennessee Free Legal Answers, or download pro se court forms.

2.  844-HELP4TN

The free toll-free line 1-844-HELP4TN helps Tennesseans find resources to deal with civil legal issues. Those who cannot afford a lawyer may call the helpline at 1-844-435-7486 and schedule an appointment to talk to a licensed Tennessee lawyer. 

3.  Tennessee Free Legal Answers

Tennessee Free Legal Answers is a website where qualifying Tennesseans can ask a lawyer for help with a legal issue. Qualifying users can post civil legal questions on the website and receive basic legal information and advice from approved volunteer attorneys. Users are notified by email when their question is answered. Users who do not have an email address are notified to log back into the site to check for a response.

TALS Also Features Programs to Help Improve Civil Legal Service Delivery

Equal Justice University

Equal Justice University is the annual conference hosted by TALS. It brings together members of Tennessee's access to justice community for trainings, networking opportunities, the presentation of the Access to Justice Awards and much more.

Substantive Law Task Forces

To facilitate knowledge and best practices sharing across Tennessee, TALS has substantive law Task Forces in the areas of Health/Benefits/DCS, Employment, Family, Housing/Consumer, Special Education/Juvenile Justice and Immigration & Refugee Law. Each Task Force has an associated List Serv. To find out more information about the Task Forces, contact help@tals.org. 

Cy Pres Awards

The Tennessee Voluntary Fund for Indigent Civil Representation (the “Cy Pres Fund”) was created in 2006 (Public Chapter 589, 2006; TN Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 23, Amendment 23.08) to support legal aid programs. The Cy Pre Fund is a central repository for voluntary donations, contributions of residual funds from class action settlements or judgments, and grants from across the state.