TN Bar Assoc. Applauds Approval of Additional Funding for Indigent Representation

NASHVILLE, TENN. (TN Tribune) — The Tennessee General Assembly yesterday approved critical additional funding for court-appointed attorneys representing the indigent in state courts. The funds, $8.6 million in additional recurring funding, were included in the FY 2024-2025 budget, and will provide a $10 increase in the hourly reimbursement rate of compensation, along with a proportionate increase in the current cap on the total amount a court-appointed attorney may earn per case, marking the first time this rate has been increased since 1997. The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) applauds the Tennessee General Assembly and Gov. Bill Lee for supporting this funding as a first step. The TBA has been working hand-in-hand with the Tennessee Supreme Court and the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to encourage state legislators to increase funding for indigent representation. The Tennessee Supreme Court sets the hourly reimbursement rate and caps for court-appointed attorneys representing the indigent under Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 13, but any increase must be funded through the budget, which is determined by the General Assembly. Tennessee’s court-appointed attorneys are the lowest paid in the country, and until now had not had their hourly reimbursement rate raised in 26 years. The low rates...