About Tennessee Justice Center

“Through its advocacy for vulnerable Tennesseans, TJC has made our legal system more just, our community more compassionate, and our government institutions more accountable. This small public-interest law firm…has an outsized effect on the quality of life in Tennessee.” - Retired Justice E. Riley Anderson, The Tennessean, February 2011

“Ask the average person to list nonprofits in Tennessee, and you’ll get a sampling of the usual suspects … But hone the question a little: Which Tennessee-based nonprofit is the most conspicuous and has directly affected the welfare of more Tennesseans? The Tennessee Justice Center, of course.” - Business TN, March 2005

TJC seeks justice for Tennessee’s vulnerable populations through the courts, in administrative proceedings and before legislative bodies. TJC addresses needs not met by any other agency and supports the work of other advocates for equal justice under law, both in Tennessee and beyond. We provide technical assistance to client groups, consumer advocacy coalitions and other social service agencies. The media and policymakers frequently rely upon TJC as a source of accurate and reliable information and analysis on legal matters and on public policies affecting the poor.

The current focus of our work is on access to health care and the impact of health care reform on Tennessee.  Since 1996, TJC’s staff has provided direct service to thousands of low-income families, helping them to obtain essential health care, family assistance and food aid. Our policy advocacy on behalf of these families is grounded in, and informed by, the real life experiences of the many courageous and inspiring clients whom we are privileged to know and serve.

To understand more about TJC’s impact on families across Tennessee, see what the numbers have to say.

Our Mission

The Tennessee Justice Center advocates on behalf of Tennessee families in need:

• In areas of public policy having the greatest impact on their health and welfare;
• By means which afford clients opportunities to make their own voices heard; and
• In ways which emphasize collaboration across lines of race, class and generation.

Our clients inspire and drive the work that we do. The Center also supports the work of others engaged in similar advocacy efforts, beyond state boundaries, on behalf of families in need.

Our History

Leaders of Tennessee’s organized Bar established the Tennessee Justice Center in 1996; leaders of our profession have continued to lead and sustain the organization ever since. In the fall of 1995, then-Tennessee Bar Association President Howard Vogel convened a “summit conference” of bar leaders from around the state to address the looming crisis resulting from Congress’s decision to restrict federal funded legal services and legal aid attorneys. There was nationwide concern that the congressional action threatened the independence of the legal profession and the fundamental right of all Americans to have their counsel assert on their behalf all legitimate claims available to them by law.

In Tennessee, those concerns prompted the Bar leaders who convened at the 1995 summit meeting to found the Tennessee Justice Center. The Center’s mission was, and remains, to operate without government funds, advocating for low income Tennesseans in civil matters that federal funded Legal Services and Legal Aid programs cannot handle. Since its founding, TJC’s largest source of financial support has been The Tennessee Bar Foundation’s IOLTA program.

TJC’s initial staff included co-founders Gordon Bonnyman and Michele Johnson.  Several legal aid attorneys, including Lenny Croce, Russ Overby, Pam Ford-Wright, and David Kozlowski, also were among TJC’s earliest recruits.  In terms of legal action, TJC continued the work that legal services had started by taking over as lead plaintiff in Grier v Goetz, previously called Daniels v Wadley.  In 1996, TJC won a landmark ruling that granted the right of TennCare enrollees to challenge denials by their insurance plans.  In 1999, these rights were further expanded through a settlement that created a stronger appeal process for TennCare enrollees.

TJC also filed new lawsuits to address the systemic problems facing TennCare enrollees.  TJC advocated for the rights of people with disabilities and the elderly to receive nursing services at home instead of in nursing homes through Newberry v Goetz, filed in 1998.  With litigation ongoing and a trial approaching, the State approached TJC and asked that negotiations begin to reach a settlement.  These negotiations resulted in the State recognizing the right of individuals to receive cost-effective services in their own homes.  TJC’s litigation in Rosen v Goetz ensured that enrollees were granted notice and appeal rights when the State sought to terminate their TennCare eligibility.  These rights would become essential during the 2005 TennCare cuts.

In 1998, TJC filed the complaint and settlement in  John B. v Goetz, which challenged the State’s failure to ensure that all children received federally mandated services.  Working with State leaders, this case resulted in a Consent Decree being formed to guide the State’s efforts in improving TennCare for children.  This case remains unresolved to this day.  Despite some improvements, there remain significant deficiencies in children’s care, and TJC remains committed to holding the State accountable to its youngest and most vulnerable citizens.

All in all, TJC has impacted the lives of the over 1,200,000 Tennesseans who have relied on TennCare for health care.  TJC has achieved these results despite having no more than 14 full time staff at any given time.  This has only been made possible by the monumental pro bono support that has been offered by interns, volunteers, individual attorneys, and private firms across Tennessee and the nation.

TJC’s work is not limited to courtrooms, though.  We are frequently consulted by state and national lawmakers when legislation is proposed that affects public benefits programs.  TJC employees serve on numerous national and state technical advisory committees, enabling us to benefit many people in and beyond Tennessee.  Furthermore, through out outreach and community education efforts, we strive to inform Tennessee’s citizens about proposed changes to the public health programs that impact their lives.  We have also engaged in various advocacy issues as the need arises – from assisting flood victims with disaster assistance and FEMA applications to offering suggestions to federal officials on how to best implement new health reform policy.

To find out whether TJC can help you, please visit our “Need Help” page.