KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Justice Bus made a stop in East Tennessee on Thursday, offering legal advice and help for people in the area.
The bus is a large, blue van decorated with "Justice Bus" lettering that offers free legal help for all Tennesseans. It's outfitted with computers, tablets, a printer, internet access, video displays, Wi-Fi and other office supplies. Legal staff and volunteers on the bus offer people on-the-spot access to legal help.
The initiative is meant to meet people where they are, offering them legal help with as few barriers as possible. It's from the Tennessee Supreme Court's Access to Justice Commission and is designed to be a mobile law office bringing help to rural and underserved communities.
"The community seems to be giving us very positive feedback. We enjoy the work we do, and to help as many people as we can possibly help, so, we just wanna spread as much good an make as much of a difference as we can across the state of Tennessee," said Alyvia Bush, the bus coordinator.
The bus is next headed to Williamson County on April 20, setting up shop from 10 a.m. through 12 p.m.
It arrived in Knox County on Thursday with the help of the Knoxville Area Urban League and the American Job Center. It was open to the public.
On April 22, the Urban League will also host an attorney who will share her legal experience and speak about the state's process to restore civil rights. The urban league also routinely hosts expungement clinics, giving former felons a chance to have their rights restored.
