Introduction to TALS
The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS), established in 1996, plays a pivotal role in the Tennessee legal community by fostering collaboration among various entities dedicated to increasing access to justice. TALS operates as a support system for what are commonly referred to as legal services organizations, pro bono units, and other groups engaged in the practice of law on behalf of low-income Tennesseans. The primary mission of TALS is to mobilize the joint and individual efforts of these groups by "building the capacity, promoting collaborative action, and maximizing shared resources" among providers.
To achieve its mission, TALS serves as a conduit for information, communication, and resources. It maintains a comprehensive database of community resources for low-income individuals in Tennessee, providing information on legal services, social services, and other helpful organizations . TALS works as a center of training and education, providing programs for existing lawyers, encouraging the next generation through summer internships, placement of Third-Year law students, fellowships, and the Tennessee Bar Association’s Pro Bono Law School for new lawyers.
While the "Tennessee" in TALS refers to the state, the "Alliance" is with a network of public non-profit organizations whose mission is to provide and encourage the provision of quality legal services to low-income persons in need of a lawyer’s help whose civil legal issues adversely affect their day-to-day lives.
The coalition of organizations with which TALS works, including non-profit law firms, non-profit special purpose law firms, and full-time pro bono units who support or operate legal aid offices, faculty or staff at law schools who work on pro bono or justice initiatives, and other groups with the collective goal of assuring that the civil legal needs of low-income persons in Tennessee are met.
Major Programs Available through TALS
The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, better known as TALS, offers a number of programs and services aimed at helping low-income individuals find legal help. The organization, founded in 2001, strives to ensure that those who cannot afford legal representation have access to the help they need.
Legal Aid
One of the primary services offered by TALS is legal aid. The organization maintains a directory of legal aid lawyers throughout the state, making it easy for low-income individuals to find an attorney who is willing and able to take on their case. This service is especially useful for those who may not know if they qualify for legal aid or who may be unaware of their legal rights and responsibilities.
Public Education
In addition to legal aid, TALS also provides public education services. This includes offering free legal education materials, such as books and pamphlets, to low-income individuals and families. The organization also produces educational videos on a wide range of legal topics, which are available to any individual with access to the Internet. These resources help low-income people better understand their legal options, and inform people of their legal rights and responsibilities.
Support for Low-Income Individuals
Finally, TALS also supports low-income individuals seeking legal help in other ways. For example, the organization maintains a list of websites, including some of the most popular online legal resources. TALS also provides a toll-free phone number for individuals to call for help, and the organization’s website features a tool for locating low-cost legal assistance.
TALS Success and Impact
Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services plays a critical role in the state’s civil justice system. The alliance maintains a growing, robust pro bono network, bolstered by support from legal services partners, statewide bar associations and law schools, and the Tennessee Bar Association. Through unique collaborations and special projects, TALS has a significant impact in its mission to provide New Hoosiers with an opportunity to access no-to-low-cost legal aid. TALS also continues to work on access-to-justice issues in all corners of Tennessee – its work has included:
TALS has endeavored to meet target goals for these four initiatives, with various success levels. Today, over 1900 Tennessee attorneys are active members of the state’s 26 legal aid programs. More than 300 companies employ these attorneys and provide support to skilled and devoted volunteers at legal aid clinics. The generous pro bono efforts undertaken during the past several years amount to a financial contribution of over $15 million in value to low- and middle-income Tennesseans.
The research-based Tennessee Court System’s Brief Advice Clinics program exceeds its goal of serving 4000 Tennesseans annually with basic legal information and guidance via 200 free clinics at courthouses throughout the state.
The Take One Talk One program also exceeds the goal of training 4,000 attorneys statewide per year to advise pro se litigants on simple civil matters. From March 2012 through the end of 2014, 3,545 attorneys have participated in training to assist 7,393 Tennesseans. TALS’ goal was 8,000 over 3 years.
Statewide use of TNFreeAdvice.org continues to grow. In September 2013, TALS developed TNFreeAdvice.org branded products and started advertising for it. TNFreeAdvice.org received 4,960 visits in the 2012/2013 grant year. In the first six calendar months of 2014, TNFreeAdvice.org has received more than 10,000 visitors.
Feedback from these clients and the pro bono volunteers is overwhelmingly positive.
TALS Partnerships and Collaboration
Rather than provide legal services directly to low-income individuals, the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services depends on its membership to carry out its mission. In the "ALI" corporate structure, the 12 individual nonprofit legal services programs within the state are "affiliates" of the statewide programming effort. The vast majority of the TALS Alliance’s work is carried out by the TALS-affiliated programs. That does not, however, lessen the value of the Alliance program itself, as many affiliates look to TALS to provide certain statewide resources.
The CLE program, for example, developed initially to provide a way for new attorneys to fulfill their CLE requirements. The program has now expanded significantly, offering 100 courses a year, attracting audiences from across the state. The revenue generated from that program not only helps cover the program expenses, but provides for support of the fee-generating programs.
The statewide pro bono programs are another example of how TALS works with its member programs. When solidified through the IOLTA grant award, the programs will be able to provide statewide training on the pro bono portal, providing affiliate attorneys with better training on how to use the system. This will help attorneys be more confident accessing the pro bono portal, which may drive up the number of pro bono volunteers.
The statewide IOLTA Program has a number of partnerships with statewide organizations, including the Association of Legal Administrators, the Tennessee Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Foundation, the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the mid-South, the Tennessee Department of Human Services, the Tennessee Justice Center, the Tennessee Secretary of State, the Tennessee Supreme Court, and Westat. All of these contributions were the result of collaboration efforts – many began as a meeting, a phone call, or a simple email.
How to Help TALS
The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services is supported by individuals and entities much like yourself. On the individual level, you can support TALS with a monetary donation of as little or as much as you would like. You can also support TALS by volunteering your time at events. In cases where there is a volunteer opportunity, we will post a notice on the TALS blog . If you are an organization seeking to support TALS you can support with a monetary donation as well and/or sign up through the new Network for Good to donate. This is a safe process that is directly linked back into TALS database to ensure we are meeting all of your needs. You can also support TALS through sponsoring upcoming events. If you are interested in sponsoring an upcoming event please send an email to [email protected].
TALS’s Future Plans and Programs
The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services recognizes the ever-evolving nature of the legal landscape and has in place a strategic plan to address the future needs of legal service providers in Tennessee. One of the key initiatives is to expand the collaborative framework it has fostered among various legal aid organizations throughout the state. By fostering communication and knowledge-sharing, the alliance will be better equipped to address unmet legal needs and to align resources towards that goal.
As technological advances continue to reshape the practice of law, the alliance plans to leverage those technologies to enhance the delivery of legal services. This includes not only the utilization of digital tools to streamline administrative processes but also the development of client-facing technologies to help self-representation and facilitate remote access to legal services. In addition, the alliance will explore partnerships with technology providers to provide low-cost or free access to legal resources for low-income Tennesseans.
Addressing the legal needs of marginalized and underserved communities is a priority for the alliance. In the coming years, the alliance plans to develop targeted programs for specific populations such as victims of domestic violence, people experiencing homelessness, and low-income seniors. These programs will focus on empowering individuals to navigate the legal system and to connect them with available resources for their unique legal challenges.
Finally, the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services is committed to remaining an advocate for equality and justice in the legislative process. The alliance plans to cultivate relationships with lawmakers to represent the interests of legal services in budget discussions and policy considerations. By addressing access to justice at the legislative level, the alliance can be a key component in the long-term vision of equal access to legal resources for all Tennesseans.
TN Alliance for Legal Services Contact and Resources Overview
The best way to contact the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services for assistance or more information is direct. Their website, www.tals.org, is full of information about legal services in Tennessee. There you can find local resources such as phone numbers, addresses and websites for legal aid nonprofits in your area .
If you have any trouble finding specific information on their website, they also have contact information both for Legal Aid Reform, who processes new cases at TALS, and the Tennessee Bar Association’s (TBA) Lawyer Referral Service. You can call (866) 481-7911 to connect with a staff member who can direct your to helpful resources.
If you need assistance from legal aid in locating an attorney in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Columbia and other cities, you can reach TALS by emailing [email protected] or by calling (800) 338-3387.
