Free legal counseling offered in Red Bank
Chattanooga residents can receive free legal consultations Tuesday at White Oak United Methodist Church.
Several nonprofit groups are hosting a clinic for the public from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the church, located at 2232 Lyndon Ave. Fourteen lawyers will provide help for civil issues, such as petitions for child support or landlord-tenant disputes.
Nancy Cogar, an attorney and local representative for the Gospel Justice Initiative, hopes the clinic will kick off a series of similar free consultation opportunities this year.
“I’m really excited to see how many people we get [Tuesday],” she said.
Cogar began organizing the event in partnership with Legal Aid of East Tennessee by sending letters to 10 local pastors telling them what they were hoping to accomplish. She said the Rev. Amy Nutt was the first to respond. Cogar added that she will begin holding office hours at White Oak United Methodist later this year — she’s hoping to begin in August.
During Tuesday’s event, people can present the issues they’re hoping to resolve, and organizers will introduce them to the appropriate attorney.
Lawyers also will provide legal training to any local church leaders who want to attend, with the aim of showing them how to connect their congregants with lawyers. This is part of a statewide initiative by the Tennessee Faith and Justice Alliance.
The Alliance is part of the Access to Justice Commission, created by the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2009. The aim is to come up with ways to connect low-income people with lawyers who can help them sort through civil cases.
The Alliance’s role is to focus on church leaders. They train pastors and elders on how to steer people toward legal help. The organization believes some people will turn toward their churches in times of trouble.
“If faith leaders are equipped with knowledge to make adequate legal referrals, people could get their hands on an attorney more quickly,” said Kimberly deMent, the pro bono coordinator for the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts. “Often, those legal issues could be more effectively addressed.”