LAET Office to Re-open in Cleveland

CLEVELAND – Legal Aid of East Tennessee will celebrate the GRAND REOPENING of its Bradley County office Thursday, September 18 at Noon.  The new office is located at 166 North Ocoee, directly across from the Bradley County Courthouse.

“In 2010, LAET’s budget was devastated by deep cuts in our federal appropriation, and we were forced to close our Cleveland office,” said Russell Fowler, Associate Director for LAET’s Southern Region. “But civil legal needs for low-income Bradley Countians have continued to increase.  United Way recognized those needs and worked to form a partnership with LAET.  The reopening of the Cleveland office is due in large part to that partnership.”  Fowler added, “The reopening of this office also means that Cleveland will no longer be the largest metropolitan area in Tennessee without a legal aid office.”

Thursday’s celebration will begin with a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony, followed by tours of the new office.  Local dignitaries, United Way leadership, judges, members of the Bradley County Bar Association, and a representative from Governor Haslam’s office are expected to attend.

The Cleveland Legal Aid office will be open Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:30am to 12:00m and from 1:00pm to 5:00pm.  In addition to offering direct client intake and services, the office will be a site for community legal education and clinics, and will serve as a support facility for Pro Bono Project attorneys.  LAET hopes to expand the hours and staffing by securing increased funding.

For more information, contact LAET’s Chattanooga office at (423) 756-4013.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee’s mission is to ensure justice for elderly, abused, and low-income people by providing a broad scope of civil legal assistance and advocacy.  LAET serves eligible persons in 26 counties through offices in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Johnson City, Maryville, and Morristown.