Pro Bono Spotlight: Belmont University College of Law

At Belmont University College of Law, service isn’t just a value – it’s a hands-on experience that begins on day one. Under the guidance of Ginny Blake, Assistant Director of Career & Professional Development, Public Interest & Pro Bono, students have multiple opportunities each semester to use their growing legal skills in service to their community.

Expanding Access Through Student-Led Clinics

Belmont Law hosts a robust calendar of pop-up clinics throughout the year, allowing students to work directly with clients on pressing legal needs. This semester alone, students are contributing to three expungement clinics, three estate planning clinics, one family law advice clinic, one housing conditions clinic, and a Tennessee Free Legal Answers clinic.

When students have new ideas for service, they’re encouraged to take initiative.

My door (and email) is always open to students with ideas to expand our public interest offerings,” says Blake. “When a student has an idea, they meet with me and we discuss what a potential clinic or project would look like. I then get to connecting with the necessary partnership agencies to get the ball rolling!”

Student Leadership in Action

One standout example of this student-driven spirit comes from recent graduate Lee Myers, who helped launch Belmont’s Housing Conditions Clinic in partnership with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. Motivated by his passion for landlord-tenant issues, Myers not only spearheaded the clinic’s creation but also led a research project on Tennessee’s rental habitability laws. What began as a student idea has grown into an ongoing partnership now preparing for its third clinic.

Cultivating a Lifelong Commitment to Service

Blake has seen firsthand how these experiences shape students’ professional paths. “Regardless of whether a student chooses to pursue Big Law or public interest, we’ve found our clinics and programming instill a sense of service in students that they carry into their legal career,” she shares. “Whether that be by working for a public interest agency or donating pro bono time, our students are incredibly involved in bridging the justice gap in our community. We’ve even had alumni return to partake in our clinics as volunteer attorneys! For our students, helping their neighbors is a career-long commitment.”