The ACLU-TN Legal Program

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The goal of the ACLU-TN legal program is to protect and advance civil rights and civil liberties throughout the state. We meet this goal by providing guidance, engaging in advocacy, and (as a last resort) litigation. We provide legal representation, free of charge, for individuals and groups whose civil liberties have been threatened or denied. We also submit friend-of-the-court briefs in appropriate cases. Through such litigation, our goal is not only to provide legal representation in individual cases, but also to establish legal precedents that will be of enduring value in Tennessee and across the nation.

ACLU-TN provides information to thousands of people each year to assist them in asserting their rights. Sometimes we refer people to other organizations that may be able to help. Other times we act as advocates for individuals in administrative hearings or in court. Because the resources of the ACLU-TN Foundation are limited, we must be selective in deciding what cases to pursue. Generally speaking, we only take cases that raise significant civil liberties issues and affect a large group of people.

We cannot take every case in which civil liberties issues are raised, rather, the efforts of our legal program must be directed to cases which present a reasonable promise of having broad impact. As such, we often look to the following criteria when considering requests for representation:

• Does the case involve an issue within the ACLU’s objectives and policies?
• Does the case advance stated organizational priorities?
• Does the case have precedential value? That is, will it be guide for other cases in the future?
• Is the case or issue otherwise being adequately litigated?
• Is it even possible to litigate the issue?
• Will the civil liberties issue be the exclusive or predominant issue in the case?
• Is the cost of the case feasible?
• Will the case provide an appropriate forum for public education?
• Is there an attorney who is both willing and competent to take the case?

ACLU-TN is not a government agency or a general legal services program. We do not dispense general legal advice, provide emergency services, or make referrals to attorneys. Although there are exceptions, ACLU-TN does not generally assist in criminal cases, post-conviction appeals, divorce or custody matters, tax problems, landlord-tenant disputes, or complaints about lawyers or judges.

If you would like to request assistance from our legal program, or would like to share information you think would be of interest to us, please click here.

The success of our legal program depends greatly on generous participation by our Cooperating Attorneys. ACLU-TN operates with a small staff, and does not have staff attorneys to pursue all the litigation in which we are involved. Instead, ACLU-TN works with attorneys all over the state who volunteer time, expertise, advice, and resources. To learn more becoming a Cooperating Attorney, please click here.

Important Note About Deadlines
All legal claims have time deadlines. The deadlines may be different depending on who violated your rights and depending on what rights were violated. For some kinds of violations, you may need to file a claim with a government agency before you can sue, and these agencies usually have their own time deadlines. Many of these deadlines are very short. ACLU-TN cannot give you advice about the deadlines that apply to your case. To protect your rights, please consult with an attorney promptly to find out what deadlines apply in your case. For a list of sources to help find an attorney, please click here.