KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee College of Law’s Legal Clinic has been honored by the Tennessee Legislature for 60 years of legal training and advocacy in the Southeast.
UT Legal Clinic honoredThe joint resolution was passed by both the State Senate and House of Representatives and signed by Gov. Phil Bredesen on March 3. Sen. Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville) sponsored the resolution, along with Sen. Jamie Woodson (R-Knoxville) and Sen. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge).
Representing the College of Law at the presentation ceremony were Professor Ben Barton, director of clinical programs for UT College of Law; Professor Jerry Black and Associate Professor Mae Quinn, both faculty members in the UT Legal Clinic; and Beau E. Pemberton, third-year law student.
“The UT Legal Clinic serves a vital function to the bench, bar and citizens of Tennessee in training capable attorneys and legal advocates, while providing needed representation for indigent persons,” said Pemberton, who worked with Burchett to develop the resolution. “This resolution serves to honor the work of the legal clinic and those individuals who dedicate themselves unselfishly to helping future generations of attorneys serve the greater good in all areas of law and public service.”
Ben Barton, director of clinical programs, said the joint resolution was “a tremendous honor for the school and the clinical programs.
“We’re the oldest continually operating clinic in the country, and we’re justifiably proud of all we’ve accomplished with our students and for the community at large. To have the Senate recognize our work makes the 60th that much sweeter,” he said.
The UT Legal Clinic was founded in 1947 by former UT Law Professor Charles Henderson Miller. Miller was a passionate advocate for service learning and understood that clinical legal education provides both skills training for students and much needed legal services for the poor. Miller was also the director of clinical programs in 1974 when the Tennessee House honored the clinic with House Joint Resolution No. 314 on the occasion of the clinic’s 25th anniversary.
Numerous UT Law alumni, including practicing attorneys, judges and public servants, have participated in the legal clinic over the years. The legal clinic continues to serve large numbers each semester in all of its clinical programs.
—
Contact:
Beau E. Pemberton, (731) 234-4810, beaupemberton@hotmail.com