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TJC History

The Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) is a non-profit, public interest law firm that serves low-income families across Tennessee. TJC was established in 1996 to represent approximately 1.3 million Tennessee low-income families through policy and class action advocacy after Congress deprived federally funded Legal Services programs of the ability to represent these families in this way. TJC gives priority to civil cases which affect health care and income security of poor families statewide.

TJC has a staff of ten, including three attorneys, with offices in Nashville. Its annual operating budget is approximately $900,000. Funding comes from foundations, court-awarded attorneys’ fees and individual contributions.

Effective Legal Advocates

TJC’s litigation successes have included:

• landmark consumer protections for TennCare patients when HMO’s refuse care prescribed by their doctors,

• rulings protecting the health coverage of 665,000 children enrolled in TennCare, including special protections for foster care children,

• a decision protecting the uninsured from unfair hospital pricing practices,

• a ruling that upheld the right of Medicare beneficiaries to enforce federal Medicare rules against health care companies,

• recognition of the right of people with disabilities to sue the state to compel the development of home and community-based services as alternatives to institutionalization in nursing homes,

• reinstatement of more than 100,000 individuals whose TennCare coverage had been wrongfully terminated,

• protections against the arbitrary loss of health coverage for TennCare patients, with special accommodation during the eligibility process for people with disabilities or limited English proficiency.

• The importance of TJC’s cases and TJC’s reputation for excellence and integrity have attracted pro bono help from AARP Foundation Litigation, the Welfare Law Center in New York, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, the National Health Law Program, the Nashville firm of Branham & Day, and private law firms in New York, Chicago and Atlanta.

Respected Advisor

TJC works with other advocates and organizations across the state and at a national level to inform the public and policymakers concerning policies affecting the poor. Policy analyses and consumer education materials, developed by TJC on a broad array of topics affecting the poor, have been widely distributed by other regional and national organizations. Staff members have testified before congressional committees on TANF and Medicaid and testify frequently before state legislative committees and other state commissions. TJC policy analyses frequently are used in state legislative committee reports or program evaluations by the state Division of Audit.

Accountability and Fairness for Children & Low-Income Families

By ensuring accountability and fairness in the administration of laws and regulations governing the Families First program, TJC has had an important impact on the lives of thousands of at-risk children across Tennessee. TJC played a crucial role in shaping Tennessee’s design of its TANF program and securing a number of important safeguards for affected families. TJC policy analysis and recommendations contributed substantially to the adoption of several major changes:

• creation of a “good cause” exemption from welfare eligibility time limits and penalty provisions,

• reinstatement of terminated assistance when children are at risk of homelessness or placement in state custody,

• guaranteed extension of TennCare coverage for families who lose their TANF payments,

• assistance and legal protections for families with special needs that impair their ability to meet work requirements and other TANF rules,

• a unique quality review process that dramatically reduced case closures by increasing the oversight of caseworker decisions, and

• preservation of temporary assistance as an individual legal entitlement for those who meet the eligibility criteria.

TJC has won policy reforms that have enabled tens of thousands of low-income Tennessee families to obtain nutrition assistance. These accomplishments have included the relaxation of time limits on the receipt of food stamps, the liberalization of food stamp resource rules and streamlining of the application process.

Working with Others

TJC works with other groups and individuals that share common interests and concerns. TJC represents the Tennessee Health Care Campaign (THCC), a well-established, diverse and very effective consumer coalition which works primarily on TennCare issues. TJC has also served as counsel to the Tennessee Disability Coalition, an umbrella consumer group, on public policy matters. TJC has represented a statewide nursing home reform coalition, as well as an alliance of client groups and social service agencies advocating for TANF reforms. TJC staff also serves on the boards of several national, state and local consumer organizations.

Current Priority

TJC’s current work plan gives first priority to responding to a long-standing crisis affecting health care for 640,000 Tennessee children on TennCare.  John B. v. Goetz is about Tennessee’s obligation to provide Medicaid-enrolled children appropriate health and mental health services.  Originally filed in 1998, the state has been out of compliance with federal law ever since.  In 2005, the State claimed for the first time to be complying with the law.  If the state can prove this claim, the consent decree goes away.  The judge immediately scheduled a trial to test their claim.  Since then, TJC has been preparing for trial.  On a daily basis, we receive calls from, and talk with, families of children on TennCare.  We hear about the barriers these families face in trying to get the medical and mental health care they need.  In addition to helping individuals, we look at problems from a systems level, working with partners across the state, from doctors to community agencies, to ensure that children’s federal rights are protected.  The John B. case has far-reaching effects on Tennessee communities and on the health care system on which all Tennesseans depend.

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