NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A major law firm is partnering with a nonprofit to bring free legal help to one of Nashville's most underserved neighborhoods, where nearly 27% of residents live below the poverty line.
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands is teaming up with Bass, Berry & Sims to offer volunteer attorney services at Pruitt Library every first Thursday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon, starting December 4.
"By growing up in this neighborhood, you never think people think about what we go through," said neighbor Sterling Wright.
Legal Aid Society is a nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal services to low-income residents across 48 counties in Middle Tennessee. While this collaboration with Bass, Berry & Sims will focus on residents of the 37210 zip code, any qualifying resident from across Middle Tennessee can potentially receive free legal help from Legal Aid Society.
The partnership aims to address what organizers call the "justice gap" in the 37210 zip code, where professional legal help is often financially out of reach for residents.
"The hourly rate for an attorney in Davidson County is anywhere, literally for $200 to $750 an hour," said DarKenya W. Waller, executive director of Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands.
For many residents, this cost makes legal representation impossible during critical situations.
"A single mother receives a notice to vacate and has nowhere to turn. A veteran is denied benefits he has earned. A senior signed away her home in a scam she doesn't understand," Waller explained.
"We are involved in strengthening families, empowering communities and protecting civil rights," said David Esquivel, pro bono partner at Bass, Berry & Sims PLC.
Esquivel said the firm views providing legal services to underserved communities as an obligation.
"Because we have those skills and because there is a need, we as a firm believe we have an obligation to provide that work," Esquivel said.
The initiative represents more than just legal advice for residents who have long felt overlooked.
"To hear what they're doing, it's like... God has been answering prayers, you know?" Wright said.
Waller hopes the program will give residents the foundation they need to advocate for themselves.
"If we can kind of give them the hand that they need to step up, then the next several steps can be theirs," Waller said.
For Wright, who understands the struggles facing his community, the announcement carries deep emotional significance.
"It means a lot. Like a lot. I might be getting emotional, but if you know what people go through out here and to have this," Wright said.
Residents can access the free legal services by visiting Pruitt Library on any first Thursday of the month between 10 a.m. and noon. No appointment is necessary.
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