Our Story

1994

Incorporated in May as AWA Family Mediation Center, the Community Legal Center’s original mission was to provide free mediation services to people of limited means. The idea was to assist Memphis Area Legal Services by mediating family law cases. The Community Legal Center obtained initial funding through an IOLTA grant from Tennessee Bar Foundation, along with a generous donation from the Association for Women Attorneys (AWA).

1995

The Board of Directors adopted a plan of action to establish a legal services program and clinic to provide legal representation, as well as mediation, for the “working poor”, the same population whose medical needs were being provided for by the Church Health Center. The Community Legal Center was born.

2004

Established the Community Legal Center pro se clinic in collaboration with MALS and the University of Memphis’ Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Staffed with a part-time staff attorney, the Pro Se Clinic helps self-represented litigants prepare and make their own divorce filings, saving them the cost of a private attorney.

2006

Started the Immigrant Justice Program (IJP) in conjunction with the Memphis Immigration Bar and the University of Memphis’ Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. This program provides pro bono legal services to immigrant who live within the jurisdiction of the Memphis immigration Court.

2012

Expanded the IJP through LAV grant funding obtained in collaboration with the YWCA Immigrant Women’s Project, Memphis Area Legal Services, and the Family Safety Center. This founding paid for a new Community Legal Center staff attorney who provided legal services for immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and human trafficking.

2013

Immigrant Justice Program received accreditation from the U.S. Board of Immigrant Appeals (BIA) which allows certain accredited individuals to represent immigrants applying for affirmative immigration relief before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

2015

Began work with a group of area organizations to provide a coordinated response to elder abuse. Through a grant from the Plough Foundation, the Community Legal Center, along with the other grant recipients, offers a holistic suite of services to victims of elder abuse through the Coordinated Response to Elder Abuse (CREA) which provides emergency housing, counseling, medical attention, and legal services.

2016

In collaboration with Latino Memphis, the IJP received a grant to work with remotely located unaccompanied immigrant children, providing them representation in immigration court proceedings and assistance in applying for immigration relief.

2018

Established the Civil Immigrant Justice Program to provide legal services and educational workshops to low income immigrants. This program was made possible by International Paper sponsoring our Equal Justice Works Fellow. It addresses legal needs including adoptions and guardianship, divorces, landlord tenant disputes, and consumer rights cases. CLC also started working with Asha’s Refuge to help refugees from all over the world apply for permanent residence in the United States. This collaboration will facilitate safe new lives for people who escaped dangerous home countries.

2019

CLC celebrates its 25th anniversary! We moved to our new office on Adams Ave. We expanded our immigration program to include Civil Immigrant Justice, offering civil legal work for immigrants regardless of status.

2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked from home but still managed to expand our Civil Law program to include another attorney. IJP partners with MidSouth Immigration Advocates and Advocates for Immigrant Rights to form Welcome South, an organization providing immigration services in the Deep South.

2021

We continued to work remotely for the first half of the year. A second DOJ-accredited position was added. Anne Mathes steps down as Executive Director; Jerri Green becomes Interim Executive Director. Diana Comes hired as Executive Director. Associate Executive Director position created to help share responsibilities. Welcome South begins providing services to Afghan refugees.

2022

Grants continue to fund important parts of our work, including free IJP and Civil consultations at Su Casa Ministries, estate planning clinics for seniors and families, and a staff attorney is hired to continue providing services to Afghan refugees living in Middle Tennessee. The Pro Se Parents' Program collaborates with Memphis-Shelby County Schools to offer legal education to teen parents.

2023

We worked with Slingshot Memphis to do an Impact Study on our impact on poverty. Work continued steadily, even amongst significant staff transitions and additions. We are preparing to move offices to accommodate a growing staff and are excited for the 30th anniversary!