ARTICLE · 03 APRIL 2012

Hard Times Bump Demand For Pro Bono Legal Work

Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis

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The continuing economic slump and stagnant unemployment rate have meant a multi-year uptick in the number of people needing help with foreclosure, bankruptcy and other legal issues.

United StatesLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration

Joe Morris

Originally published in the The Nashville Ledger

The continuing economic slump and stagnant unemployment rate have meant a multi-year uptick in the number of people needing help with foreclosure, bankruptcy and other legal issues. And usually the lack of income that created the crisis means there's no money to pay an attorney to help find a solution.

Enter the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, and the Nashville Pro Bono Program, which are seeing their highest caseloads in history.

In 2010, the Legal Aid Society provided assistance with 5,671 civil legal cases, while the Nashville Pro Bono Program and other pro bono efforts worked on 2,477 more. The 8,703 total cases represented a four percent jump over 2009, and 2011's numbers look to be up even more, according to officials with both programs.

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