MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH TJC PRO BONO OPPORTUNITIES
TJC is honored to work with top attorneys across Tennessee and the country. Our pro bono partners help families put food on the table, prevent financial collapse, and access life-saving medical care. Their time and expertise ensure Tennesseans have representation when they need it most.
REAL IMPACT
Past referrals have included cases involving a 39-year-old mother at risk of being unnecessarily placed in a nursing home, a child denied mental health treatment, and a young girl at risk of losing the home nursing care that allows her to remain with her family. This is work with direct, life-changing impact.
ACCESSIBLE
OPPORTUNITIES
Pro bono attorneys who partner with TJC have the opportunity to represent low-income Tennesseans in TennCare appeals. Hearings are conducted by phone, so attorneys do not need to be located in the same area as their clients.
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
AND SUPPORT
TJC attorneys provide ongoing support and strategic guidance, ensuring you feel prepared every step of the way. This work supports families in need while offering valuable experience and a meaningful way to use your skills.
PRO BONO ATTORNEY SPOLIGHT
JACK SMITH
In 2018, when TJC client Ava Gray faced the loss of the in-home nursing care she depended on, Jack Smith stepped forward to represent her.
At the time, Jack was serving as Vice President for Litigation at HCA and had previously served as a U.S. Attorney. TJC reached out to its network of pro bono attorneys seeking help for Ava, a six-year-old girl from Madison, Tennessee who was born with multiple severe physical and intellectual disabilities. TennCare planned to cut Ava’s nursing hours below what she needed to safely remain at home with her family. Jack represented Ava at her TennCare hearing and successfully fought to preserve the nursing care she depended on. His advocacy ensured Ava could continue living safely at home with her mother, Julie, and her family.
The experience inspired Jack to help create more opportunities for attorneys to engage in pro bono work with TJC. On March 19, 2018, he invited TJC to HCA’s Nashville office to present a Continuing Legal Education training on handling TennCare medical service appeals. Ten HCA attorneys attended the training and expressed interest in representing TJC clients facing similar challenges.
Through Jack’s leadership, what began as one pro bono case grew into a broader partnership that helped expand access to legal representation for vulnerable Tennesseans navigating complex health care systems.
PRO BONO HALL OF FAME
We are inspired daily by the generosity of individuals and companies who have come to the aid of our clients. To recognize the tremendous amount of support that TJC has received over the years, we have begun an annual award for the lawyer and law firm that have carried the torch for our clients.
SELENDY GAY, PLLC
2025
SUE DYER
HCA Healthcare
2019
JACK SMITH
International Criminal Court
2018
BRAD MORGAN
University of Tennessee College of Law, Legal Clinic
2014
CHRIS DUNN
Waller Landsen Dortch & Davis, PLLC
2011
MICHAEL ABELOW
Sherrard & Roe, PLC
2009
ELIZABETH MARLOWE
Tennessee Justice Center
2025
KEANE A. BARGER
Riley Warnock & Jacobson, PLC
2019
JEFF GIBSON
Bass, Berry & Sims
2017
WALLER LANDSEN DORTCH & DAVIS, PLLC
-
2011
JEFFREY C. SMITH
Adams & Reese, LLP
2011
BRADLEY ARANT BOULT CUMMINGS, LLP
-
2009
CHRIS SABIS
Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison
2022
JASON EHRLINSPIEL
HCA Healthcare
2019
PAM FORD WRIGHT
The Wright Law Firm PLLC
2016
JOHN TISHLER
Waller Landsen Dortch & Davis, PLLC
2011
KIRKLAND AND ELLIS LLP
-
2010
DAVID CANAS
Harwell Howard Hyne Gabbart & Manner
2007
UNIV. OF TN COLLEGE OF LAW
Legal Clinic
2022
BASS, BERRY & SIMS
-
2018
BETH EDMONSON
-
2015
MIKE GARDNER
Waller Landsen Dortch & Davis, PLLC
2011
SONNENSCHEIN NATH & ROSENTHAL LLP
-
2010
PRO BONO HEROES
The honorees above represent only a small sample of the attorneys who support TJC clients. Many of our pro bono lawyers represent patients denied critical health care services, securing wheelchairs, home nursing care, behavioral therapies, and residential treatment for families in crisis. These cases may not be flashy, but they are life-changing, and we are deeply grateful to the following attorneys for their advocacy and service:
William Farmer
Robert Harris
Edmund Sauer
William West
James W. White
Jeffery Smith
Robert Joseph
Mary Anderson
Cantrell Jones
Gregory Naron
Andrew Dunlap
Terence Leong
Katherine McDaniel
William Pratt
Michael Reed
Vickie Reznik
Jennifer Selendy
Joshua Simon
Leanna Anderson
Tony Richardson
Barry Weissman
Haavi Morreim
Michael A. Gardner
Christopher S. Dunn
Thor Y. Urness
Peter C. Sales
David K. Taylor
Jay Hardcastle
Phillis Rambsy
Bill Farmer
Tera Hambrick
Amelia Crotwell
Wendy Bach
Christina Zawisza
John Tishler
Jason Shields
Michael Yopp
Timothy Takacs
James B. Johnson
Paula Flowers
Leslie Muse
Paul Drozdowski
Linda Casals
Don Donati
David P. Cañas
Jim Bilbo
Lara Flatau
Jon Rose
Frankie Spero
Jessica Patrick