Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm, announced today that Laura Baker will chair its 2021 Campaign for Equal Justice, an annual initiative that raises funds for Legal Aid Society. Baker is a shareholder at the Law Offices of John Day.

The Campaign for Equal Justice, held annually since 1987, has a 2021 goal of $870,000. Last year’s campaign raised $916,000, surpassing a goal of $830,000.

Baker has previously served as a pro bono lawyer for Legal Aid Society through the firm’s Volunteer Lawyers Program. She has spent 15 years representing clients in personal injury, wrongful death and tort litigation across the state. Baker has been named in The Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury Litigation for Plaintiffs every year since 2018. She also has been recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers for Personal Injury every year from 2012 to 2021. Baker is the immediate past president of the Nashville Bar Association, as well as a fellow of the Nashville Bar Foundation.  

“The last year has been a turbulent one, especially for the most vulnerable members of our community. The tornados last March, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christmas Day bombing, and the recent flooding in Middle Tennessee have all brought into sharp focus the importance of the work of the Legal Aid Society in our community,” Baker said. “The money we raise will allow Legal Aid Society to continue to provide critical services to low-income and working families as they face urgent legal problems from unemployment, eviction, domestic violence, and money and debt crises.

Also serving on this year’s campaign committee are:

• Large Firm Co-Chairs: Callie Hinson (Neal Harwell) and Jonathan Cole (Baker Donelson)
• Small Firms Chair: Trudy Bloodworth (Trudy Bloodworth Attorney at Law)
• Community Chair: Vic Alexander (KraftCPAs)
• Corporate Chair: Kay Caudle (Parker + Lynch)
• Judges Chair: Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton (Division II, Davidson County Criminal Court)
• Government Chair: Amy Bryant (Office of Conservatorship Management Director)
• Williamson County Co-Chairs: Rebecca Blair (Blair Law) and Amanda Bradley (Hartzog & Silva)
• Columbia Service Area Chair: Stacie Odeneal (The Odeneal Firm)
• Cookeville Service Area Chair: Ashley Waters (Waters Law)

“We’re grateful to have Laura and our other 2021 Campaign for Equal Justice committee members devoting such energy and passion to help us have another successful campaign,” said DarKenya W. Waller, executive director of Legal Aid Society. “The events of this past year have made the need for free and low-cost civil legal services in Middle Tennessee greater than ever. We have been called on by local mayors, state officials and even the Biden-Harris Administration to help address the many challenges that we are facing today. This yearly fundraising effort is vital for giving us the tools to deliver on our mission of providing equal justice to all residents of our area.”