Pro Bono

Attorneys at our firm provide pro bono work for several organizations including the Legal Aid Society, local bar associations, nonprofit groups and individuals.  In 2011, Bass, Berry & Sims revised the pro bono policy to encourage attorneys to provide more free legal services for low income and disadvantaged people. As of January 1, 2011, attorneys will receive billable hour credit for up to 50 hours per year of pro bono work. Billable hour credit is a significant component of the firm’s bonus compensation policy for associate attorneys. Based on the priorities established by the Tennessee Supreme Court and the recommendations of the Court’s Access to Justice Commission, Bass, Berry & Sims believed it was important to create more opportunities for attorneys to work on pro bono cases. The firm encourages all attorneys to meet or exceed the expectation of the American Bar Association and Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct that lawyers spend 50 hours each year engaged in pro bono work, primarily by providing direct representation to low income people.

In 2011, Bass, Berry & Sims revised the pro bono policy to encourage attorneys to provide more free legal services for low income and disadvantaged people. As of January 1, 2011, attorneys will receive billable hour credit for up to 50 hours per year of pro bono work. Billable hour credit is a significant component of the firm’s bonus compensation policy for associate attorneys. Based on the priorities established by the Tennessee Supreme Court and the recommendations of the Court’s Access to Justice Commission, Bass, Berry & Sims believed it was important to create more opportunities for attorneys to work on pro bono cases. The firm encourages all attorneys to meet or exceed the expectation of the American Bar Association and Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct that lawyers spend 50 hours each year engaged in pro bono work, primarily by providing direct representation to low income people. 

In October 2011, the firm was recognized as a “homerun hitter,” by the Davidson County Judges with the Nashville Bar Association and Nashville Pro Bono, for their efforts to improve access to justice.

Below are a few examples of our pro bono representation.

Since 2007, Bass, Berry & Sims PLC has joined with other law firms around the country through the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) for the purpose of representing military veterans who have been denied benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The effort has been organized by Matt Curley and Jason Hale and cases have been handled by attorneys in the firm's offices in Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis. The NVLSP is an independent nonprofit veteran’s service organization that has assisted veterans and their advocates since 1980. In December 2008, the NVLSP launched its newest program, "Lawyers Serving Warriors," which offers pro bono legal assistance to veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lawsuits brought by NVLSP attorneys have resulted in VA payments of hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits to veterans and their families. Through its various programs, NVLSP recruits, trains, and assists thousands of volunteer lawyers and veterans' advocates.

In 2008, the firm formed an adoption initiative through which it takes uncontested adoption cases referred by Legal Aid and assists clients in the preparation, filing and completion of adoptions. Over the past year, the firm has handled approximately nine adoptions, several of which remain active currently. The firm has offered training in 2008 and 2010 so that its litigation and transactional attorneys can participate in adoptions, has devoted resources to reference materials, and has partnered with social service agencies to assist in home studies required in some cases. Contact David Killion (extension 7718) for more information.

Our firm's Nashville office represents KIPP Academy Nashville with a pro bono legal team, which includes Ross Booher, who also serves on KIPP's board of directors, Tim Garrett, David Smith, Steve Jasper, Jeff Yarbro and Leslie Hafner. KIPP Academy Nashville is a free public charter school serving disadvantaged middle school students in east Nashville. The school, which is part of the nationally recognized Knowledge is Power Program, focuses on developing student character and academic excellence in a team atmosphere. KIPP's students were recognized as the 2005 Nashvillians of the Year by the Nashville Scene.

Since 2003, the firm has partnered with the Center for Justice and Accountability in representing five plaintiffs originally from El Salvador against the former vice minister of defense, Col. Nicolas Carranza.  Carranza was accused of torture, murder and human rights abuses during the early 1980s when El Salvador was in the midst of a civil war.  Experts estimate that 10,000 to 12,000 unarmed civilians were killed in 1980 alone.  During this time, Carranza exercised command and control over the three units of the security forces responsible for most of the attacks on civilians.  Each of our plaintiffs personally suffered torture and abuse or had family members who were murdered while Carranza was in power. The jury trial took place from October 30, through November 18, 2005, in Memphis, Tennessee, where Carranza now lives as a U.S. citizen.  There were 45 total timekeepers at our firm who collectively spent 5,000 hours working on this case.  In addition, our firm's lead attorney on this case traveled to El Salvador to gather information and find additional witnesses.  Bass, Berry & Sims PLC also covered the expenses related to trial preparation and the litigation, including the travel arrangements for the attorneys to attend depositions.  While the success of this case did not rest on monetary damages, that was the only remedy available under the law.  Above all, the plaintiffs sought justice and accountability for the abuses they suffered.  The jury came back with a verdict awarding our plaintiffs a total of $6 million in compensatory and punitive damages.  In March of 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld the verdict.  Our firm made an extraordinary commitment to this case because we truly believed in its merit and we wanted to make the statement that human rights abusers, regardless of their origin, will be brought to justice in the U.S.  The Bass Berry legal team included David Esquivel, Jennifer Eberle, Matt Sinback and Steve Jasper.

Ross Booher represented Lieutenant Jason Hudson who, while serving as a Navy human resources officer, was demoted, publicly maligned and issued an adverse performance evaluation after objecting to and properly reporting an unlawful Navy recruiting directive which required racial discrimination against minority Navy applicants. Booher prompted Congressional inquiries and media coverage and as a result, the Navy and Defense Department conducted multiple investigations of Lt. Hudson's allegations, ultimately acknowledging that the recruiting policy was "legally indefensible." On July 23, 2007, the Deputy Secretary of Defense signed a strengthened Military Whistleblower Protection Directive. On July 26, 2007, the Navy announced that Hudson has been selected for promotion to Lieutenant Commander.

Wendee Hilderbrand (2011), David Esquivel (2005) and Ross Booher (2008) have received the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award from the Tennessee Bar Association. The award recognizes private attorneys who have contributed significant amounts of pro bono work and have demonstrated dedication to the development and delivery of legal services to the poor.  

The firm is part of a larger group of Nashville law firms who are committed to pro bono work. We have created BBS Cares pro bono initiative in an effort to take on the “lions share” of adoption cases for the Legal Aid Society, representing prospective parents with limited financial means. More than 20 of our attorneys have volunteered for this project, which includes cases to terminate parental rights.  In 2011, the firm joined with several other Nashville law firms to commit to take a substantial number of referrals from Legal Aid in an identified area of need. Our firm agreed to focus on private landlord tenant cases and formed a landlord tenant initiative to manage these cases. After conducting a training session with the Legal Aid Society, our firm became the main referral source for all of Legal Aid's private landlord tenant cases. As part of this initiative our firm assists clients in defending eviction proceedings, demands for rent and damages, and retrieval of security deposits. Contact Jeff Yarbro (extension 7793) for more information. 

In 2009, Bass, Berry & Sims PLC sponsored and hosted a free continuing legal education course to train lawyers to take pro bono immigration cases representing unaccompanied immigrant children.

Eighteen attorneys and staff from Bass, Berry & Sims PLC participated in a Pro Bono Clinic at the 2009 All About Women event, sponsored by the firm. They provided Advanced Care Plans and Durable Powers of Attorney for 96 people and answered legal questions for at least 50 more, providing a valuable service to women who otherwise would not have access to these resources. All About Women seeks to provide women from all economic backgrounds access to the information, services and tools needed to lead healthier lives. In All About Women’s four-year history in Nashville, more than 50,000 have been transformed, enlightened and educated by the organization’s programming.

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