We provide legal services for artists, arts nonprofits, and creative businesses in Tennessee, including:
- Drafting and reviewing contracts
- Protecting your work with copyright and trademark
- Resolving arts-related disputes
- Nonprofit formation
VLPA also connects artists and arts organizations with skilled professional volunteers providing certain business services.
[My volunteer attorney] was not only professional in all my dealings with him but he also cared about my situation. Nowadays that’s a rare thing to find, and I am most grateful.” -Dan Demay, Musician
Eligibility requirements* for clients to access VLPA services include the following:
- Issues must be arts-related;
- Clients must be current residents of Tennessee;
- Must be or become members of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville.
- To access pro bono services, artists and nonprofit arts organizations must be income qualified. Qualified nonprofit arts organizations will have an annual budget of less than $1M. See table below for individual artist income guidelines.
- Clients with incomes above the threshold may still be eligible for paid referrals at full or reduced rates.
| Annual Gross Household Income Limits for Individual Artists | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons in Household | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Greater Nashville | $52,250 | $59,725 | $67,200 | $74,625 | $80,600 | $86,475 | $92,550 | $98,525 |
| Tennessee (Outside Greater Nashville) | $42,025 | $48,025 | $54,025 | $60,000 | $64,825 | $69,625 | $74,425 | $79,225 |
| For Tennessee residents residing in Greater Nashville, there is a flat allowance rate of $5,925 per additional household member beyond 8 persons in the household. (Greater Nashville includes Cannon County, TN; Cheatham County, TN; Davidson County, TN; Dickson County, TN; Robertson County, TN; Rutherford County, TN; Sumner County, TN; Trousdale County, TN; Williamson County, TN; and Wilson County, TN). | ||||||||
| For Tennessee residents residing outside Greater Nashville, there is a flat allowance rate of $4,800 per additional household member beyond 8 persons in the household. | ||||||||
I feel strongly about the arts and what they bring to the city and the public education system. I enjoy the opportunity to do work with the creative types and step out of the everyday grind that is practicing law.” – John Ray Clemmons, Chaffin & Burnsed, PLLC
Since opening as the Tennessee Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in Fall 2006, VLPA has helped the arts community resolve nearly 8,000 legal and business matters. In 2017, VLPA reached a huge new milestone by providing over $3 million in free legal and business counsel to 2,500 artists and 450 nonprofit arts organizations.
Even if you don’t see your need listed above or aren’t sure whether you qualify, complete the appropriate form to contact us. We are here to help!
VLPA is made possible in part by:
Partner
Associate
Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts is also being supported in part by federal award number SLFRP5534 awarded to the State of Tennessee by the U.S. Department of Treasury.