NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm, will be hosting a free lunch-and-learn workshop for social services workers, nonprofit leaders/organizations and nonprofit community advocates, called Be Empowered & Know Your Rights: Equipping Your Clients to Thrive, on Thursday, Sept. 22.
The event, running from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Howard Building in downtown Nashville, is designed to provide tools and strategies to train social service and nonprofit staff desiring to help their clients thrive when interacting with the civil and criminal legal system.
Harriet Wallace, an award-winning journalist and 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist, will facilitate a panel discussion featuring DarKenya W. Waller, executive director of Legal Aid Society; Martesha Johnson, Nashville Metropolitan chief public defender; David Tucker Jr., executive director of Metro Human Relations Council; Tamika White, director of programs and special projects for The Equity Alliance; and Kosar Kosar, a multicultural organizer for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Coalition.
Topics to be discussed will include:
- Navigating the civil and criminal legal systems and distinguishing between the two
- Common concerns for immigrants and refugees, especially regarding language barriers or deportation fears
- Engaging Metro government as a civil right and civic duty
- Interacting with law enforcement with confidence and wisdom
- Reclaiming your voice and activating your power
- Voting rights restoration
- Handling evictions and unresponsive landlords
- Expunging a criminal record
“Those of us who assist clients in crisis might at times feel unprepared to counsel them on certain aspects of navigating the civil and criminal justice system,” said DarKenya W. Waller of Legal Aid Society. “We hope that by putting together this coalition of respected equity advocates for an in-depth discussion of these complex subjects, we can provide useful, practical advice to help clients become their own self-advocates and thrive.”
For more information on the event or to register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/be-empowered-know-your-rights-equipping-your-clients-to-thrive-tickets-409161993537.
About Legal Aid Society
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands advocates for fairness and justice under the law. The nonprofit law firm offers free civil legal representation and educational programs to help people in its region receive justice, protect their well-being and support opportunities to overcome poverty. It serves 48 counties from offices in Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Gallatin, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Oak Ridge and Tullahoma. Legal Aid Society is funded in part by United Way. Learn more at www.las.org or by following the firm on Facebook.