Name: Using Affirmative Litigation and the Appellate Process to Further Justice for Clients
Start: 2026-08-26T14:30:00-0700
End: 2026-08-26T15:30:00-0700

Using Affirmative Litigation and the Appellate Process to Further Justice for Clients

Wednesday August 26, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT

Embassy Suites- Broadlands A

As Legal Aid attorneys, we often focus our resources for housing litigation on eviction defense. However, we still get clients who would greatly benefit from affirmative litigation, and when resources allow, we should encourage representing clients in these cases. Since most evictions proceed in General Sessions courts, our clients usually do not have access to discovery or Rules of Civil Procedures protections. To ensure our clients are receiving justice, it's important to know when and where to file affirmative cases. This can be accomplished either by filing affirmative cases in the General Sessions or higher courts or appealing a General Sessions decision to the higher courts. We will discuss how to decide what court to file in and when to appeal. We will also discuss issues with appealing, such as the appeal bond. We will go over how to determine damages and file indigency waivers.

Speakers

Rebecca Delius

Rebecca Delius (she/her) is a paralegal with the Eviction Right to Counsel program at the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. A Nashville native, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and English from the University of Mississippi. Rebecca spent more... Read More →

Sydney Butler

Sydney Butler (she/her) is an attorney with the Eviction Right to Counsel program of the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. A 2023 graduate of Belmont University College of Law, Sydney is passionate about helping tenants assert their rights through eviction... Read More →

230 330 Delius Handouts Statement of Facts 1636 Example pdf

230 330 Delius Affirmative Litigation EJU PPT pptx

Wednesday August 26, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Embassy Suites- Broadlands A

Equal Justice University 2026

Rebecca Delius

Sydney Butler

Attendees (9)

Get help with the event

Equal Justice University 2026

Rebecca Delius

Sydney Butler

Attendees (9)

Sign up or log in to save this to your schedule, view media, leave feedback and see who's attending!

Get help with the event