West Tennessee Legal Services has named Claudia Williams Hyman as its new pro bono staff attorney. As the pro bono staff attorney, Hyman will deal with case assessment, placement progress, and volunteer work. According to West Tennessee Legal Services, she will also train and develop pro bono clinics for staff and volunteers.
The non-profit law firm offers legal services to low-income families in Shelby, Tipton, Fayette, and Lauderdale counties, thanks to a grant of almost $1 million from the Legal Services Corporation.
“A lot of what I’ll be doing is case management and case mashing, as I like to think of it,” Hyman said. “Finding attorneys in this area who are a part of a private practice and want to get experience in an area closer to social justice. I’m looking for those folks on one end, and on the other side of that I’m trying to leverage their experience and expertise to the benefit of the folks in this community, who need real people who are competent in a myriad of ways to be able to find solutions to some of their challenges.”
She further described her role as a “facilitator of relationships,” among other things, such as solutions and connections as they relate to the legal work West Tennessee Legal Services provides.
Hyman is a native Memphian and received a double major in sociology and Africana studies at Bowdoin College before getting her master’s degree at the University of Memphis. She then continued her education at Howard University School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor.
Prior to her new role, Hyman served as the senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Mississippi, where she worked in civil rights law and accessibility. She has also interned with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and completed fellowships for the Service Employees International Union in Washington D.C., and the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District. Hyman also served as a family law attorney for the DC KinCare Alliance.
“I am finally – and after a very long and winding path– so happy to be back in this community,” Hyman said. “I am Southern through and through. It’s a big part of my identity and how I move and how I work and connect with people.”
Hyman said her previous work has not only prepared her for her new position, but has given her the ability to bring these services to her hometown. She went on to say that the South has several opportunities for growth and serves as a proving ground for hands-on social justice work.
“We take social justice really seriously here and we do so with so much love and so much intentionality. I think my work in Mississippi was a part of the pathway that has been leading me home ever since I left,” Hyman said.
As Hyman reflected on both her past and current work, she realized it can be a massive undertaking. She noted that many people in her line of work are the descendants of people who fought in the Civil Rights Movement and other social justice causes. Hyman referred to such activism as her inheritance, saying it is a profound privilege to do this work in a place where she sees so much potential.
“This is collective work,” Hyman said. “ There’s no way any one of us can do this work alone, so I count my ancestors as a part of the team. It helps me keep perspective. The work can have difficult moments. Sometimes you’re with people in the most difficult time of their lives and I understand there’s a sacred quality to that. Thinking about those who have done this work before me helps me keep perspective about the work I’m here to do.”
Those looking to learn more about West Tennessee Legal Services may visit their website or call 901-471-8006 to schedule an appointment for their Memphis Office, located at 1407 Union Avenue Suite 1100. The firm also accepts walk-in appointments.
