Posted in the December 2015 Issue
CABA has been recognized as a competition winner by ABA President Paulette Brown for having a pro bono event during the “And Justice For All: ABA Day of Service” during the National Pro Bono Celebration Week! We tied for first place as a bar association with between 500 and 5000 members. As you all know, we hosted the Expungement Legal Clinic at the Metro Center Mall on the Day of Service, October 30.
CABA recently joined with the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission, the Mississippi Association for Justice, Senator Sollie Norwood and the City of Jackson to host an expungement workshop and legal clinic. Publicity was provided by television coverage on WLBT and WAPT, media coverage in the Clarion-Ledger, and a press release by Beverly Kraft, Public Information Officer with the Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts.
A record number of attendees attended the expungement workshop on October 13, 2015. Dan Kitchens led an informational workshop for 216 people at Metro Center Mall. After the workshop, thirteen pro bono volunteers met individually with potential clinic clients. Between 6:15 and 8:00 p.m. these thirteen volunteer attorneys qualified 102 applicants for the expungement legal clinic.
Expungement clinics were held at Metro Center on October 30th and November 10th. CABA members and other lawyers from the Jackson community volunteered to assist clients with pro bono expungements. Before the first clinic, Faye Peterson gave a CLE for volunteers. Peterson, Tiffany Graves, and Jennie Eichelberger answered questions and provided assistance to pro bono volunteers during the clinic. “The total count for both legal clinics was 52 – a very impressive number indeed,” says Tiffany Graves, Executive Director of the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission.
The Mississippi Access to Justice Commission’s next expungement workshop will be on Monday, March 21, 2016 at 5:30 pm, followed by a legal clinic on Friday, April 8, 2016 from 9:00 am-1:00 pm. Both will be held at the Metro Center Mall. Mark your calendars and contact Tiffany Graves at tgraves@msbar.org to get involved!
View Event Photos