Elevating Communities Through Purposeful Pro Bono
At Bricker Graydon Wyatt, our commitment to making a positive impact extends beyond the boardroom and courtrooms. We recognize the inherent responsibility we have to contribute meaningfully to the well-being of our communities. Our corporate culture not only promotes, but also actively embraces the importance of helping charitable, civic, and community organizations that may have pro bono needs. This commitment is ingrained in the very fabric of who we are, and we approach assigned pro bono matters with diligence and enthusiasm.
What sets our pro bono program apart is our unwavering dedication to ensuring that the value of this work is recognized and respected at all levels within the firm. Unlike some other firms, at Bricker Graydon Wyatt, pro bono activity is not a mere checkmark but an integral part of our ethos. Our attorneys receive billable credit to encourage pro bono participation, also acknowledging that these efforts are as important to the persons who are served as any other firm client. This approach fosters a culture where every attorney, from associates to partners, willingly engages in pro bono matters and remains actively involved in their volunteer commitments and communities.
We firmly believe that it is our duty to leverage our legal expertise to contribute to the greater good. Whether it's partnering with local non-profits, offering legal assistance to underserved communities, or advocating for social justice causes, our attorneys are passionate about using their skills to drive positive change.
Our leadership in pro bono work in our communities shows:
- Bricker Graydon Wyatt has organized and staffed expungement clinics in Memphis, Nashville and Louisville. Expungement clinics have a real impact on the community; it is estimated that income increases by approximately $6,000 per year for those who have had an expungement, unemployment decreases, and those individuals who benefit from the clinic have increased access to housing, improved access to financial aid for higher education and pay additional taxes. It may also restore one of the person’s most fundamental rights, the right to vote.
- Bricker Graydon Wyatt received the Tennessee Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Law Firm Award in honor of its commitment to provide free legal services to low-income families in Shelby, Fayette, Tipton and Lauderdale counties. The Firm hosts a phone-a-thon fundraiser in which more than one-third of Bricker Graydon Wyatt's attorneys volunteer to participate; sponsors and participates in a Saturday legal clinic so people in need can obtain free legal advice; and contributes financially to Memphis Area Legal Services at the highest giving level.
- Harris Gilbert, a former lawyer in our Nashville office and a founder of the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, helped launch the Gilbert Family Fellowship, a program that provides free legal services to children and young adults. The program was made possible by a $100,000 donation from Mr. Gilbert along with support from his children. The fellowship is the first legal assistance program in the state of Tennessee specifically targeting children and young adults in both urban and rural communities. Gary Housepian, executive director of the Legal Aid Society, said “We could not do this important work without the generosity of the Gilbert family, and we look forward to building healthier, successful lives for some of our region’s youngest citizens.”
- Bricker Graydon Wyatt lawyers have been named pro bono lawyer of the year by the Louisville Bar Association, the Fayette County Bar Association, the Kentucky Bar Association and the National Legal Aid and Public Defender Association.
- Legal Aid programs are directed at those in need who cannot afford legal representation and the organization is heavily involved in efforts supporting minorities and others who are disadvantaged. Wyatt is also a significant financial supporter of the Legal Aid Society of Louisville, Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, Memphis Area Legal Services, and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee.
- The annual Pro Bono award given out by the Tennessee Bar Association is the Harris Gilbert Award, named after one of our former Nashville partners.
- Bricker Graydon Wyatt lawyers founded and established the public defender program in Louisville and Jefferson County and one of the lawyers is now President of the corporation which operates the program. That lawyer also serves as Chair of the Kentucky Public Advocacy Commission that oversees the operation of the public defender program for the entire state.
- In Memphis, one of our Partners, Bob Craddock, served as chair of the annual Memphis Area Legal Services campaign.
Recognition
On September 25, 2025, Michelle and Mitzi Wyrick were honored at the Legal Aid Society’s Journey to Justice event with the 10th Annual Brown-Forman Spirit of Justice Award for their work as “champions of pro bono legal service.” As noted in a flyer for the event, “Mitzi and Michelle have been vital members of Legal Aid Society’s Volunteer Eviction Defense Program, providing critical legal representation to tenants facing eviction. Together they have represented 44 clients and contributed nearly 500 hours of pro bono service. Their impact, however, extends far beyond the courtroom.”
On October 5, 2023, an attorney was recognized as the Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by the Legal Aid of the Bluegrass at their Suits that Rock event. Her pro bono efforts include advocating for those in need of record expungement, eviction defense, FEMA appeals, and domestic violence protection.
On March 7, 2015, the firm was honored with the Tennessee Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Law Firm Award for its strong and consistent commitment to pro bono service and access to justice initiatives including ongoing support of Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS). The gala at which Wyatt received its award is part of the Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative, a partnership between the Tennessee Bar Association and the Association of Corporate Counsel that encourages and supports pro bono activities by lawyers serving as in-house and corporate counsel in the state.
On October 29, 2012, John Woodard received the Indiana Bar Foundation’s “President’s Award” for his efforts in organizing volunteer lawyers and paralegals to assist victims of the March 2nd tornadoes that struck Southern Indiana. Other lawyers and paralegals who gave time to this effort included Jeff Wallace and Connie Bueter.
On October 18, 2010, the firm was honored by Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in recognition of the Firm’s lawyers who have provided assistance to low-income individuals and families through pro bono and other volunteer activities. LSC grants are distributed to 136 nonprofit legal aid programs across the nation, including four in Kentucky – Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, Legal Aid Society, Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky and Kentucky Legal Aid.
Also in 2010, the Fayette County Bar Association named Wyatt the ‘Outstanding Firm of the Year’ at its annual Pro Bono Recognition Luncheon in Lexington, Kentucky.
