The Tennessee Faith and Justice Alliance, a project of the Tennessee Supreme Court, will be hosting the first annual statewide Pro Bono & Faith Days (#pbfdays) from Oct. 21 to Oct. 29. All houses of worship and faith-based partners are encouraged to provide information to their networks about the free legal resources available in Tennessee, including the www.help4tn.org website, and to participate in a form of pro bono work or an equal justice project during the week. October is national Pro Bono Month. Participation can take various forms as it fits the local community.
The TJFA is part of the Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission. It is an alliance of faith-based groups in Tennessee who commit to providing legal resources to their congregations and communities. TFJA was created to align needs seen at the local house of worship level with possible legal resources that are nearby, perhaps even within the same congregation. The notion is to connect with people in need in a place they already go to seek help with a problem. That place is quite often their place of worship. It operates on a referral model that is designed to pair volunteer lawyers with congregants in need. The goal of Pro Bono & Faith Days is to expand the number of houses of worship involved in the program as well as host coordinated, creative events across the state.
Please visit www.help4tn.org to learn more about free legal resources and initiatives in Tennessee, and contact atjinfo@tncourts.gov for more information on how to get involved in pro bono work or a #pbfdays project. Additional information is available at http://justiceforalltn.com/i-can-help/faith-based-initiative.