Legal advice at your fingertips available in new online classroom from Legal Aid

The Oak Ridger
·2 min read
DarKenya Waller
DarKenya Waller

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm, has launched Community Classroom, an online source of information covering a wide range of civil legal issues.

Community Classroom, at las.org/communityclassroom, contains more than 50 downloadable booklets explaining legal rights and offering self-help advice on various legal matters, the organization said in a release.

All the information is presented at a fifth-grade reading level, presenting legal concepts in plain, easily understandable language. In addition to English, some of the booklets are available in Spanish, Arabic, Korean, Thai, Russian and Vietnamese.

In addition, Community Classroom offers a collection of self-help videos, including some with Spanish or Arabic audio, covering the following topics:

  • Reentry, including expungements, court costs, certificates of employability and restoration of citizenship.

  • The Eviction Process, including notice from landlords, court hearings and lawsuits.

  • Natural Disasters, including preparation tips and replacing important documents.

  • Parent Mediation, including property division, alimony and marital debt, parenting plan and child support.

  • Fair Housing, including reasonable accommodations under the Fair Housing Act and laws regarding assistance animals.

“Fifty years ago, Legal Aid Society became one of the first legal nonprofits to offer printed pamphlets so that people without a legal background could have a trusted source of information regarding common legal situations,” Legal Aid Society Executive Director DarKenya W. Waller said in the release. “With Community Classroom, we’re bringing this concept into the digital age, making this valuable collection of resources easily accessible to anyone with internet access or a smartphone.”

Legal Aid Society also offers free legal clinics across Middle Tennessee where residents can speak with an attorney in person about civil legal matters. Legal Aid Society’s attorneys also provide free legal help to low-income and vulnerable residents in certain types of civil cases. For more information, call 1-800-238-1443.

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. Info: www.las.org or on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Legal advice at your fingertips available in new online classroom