Second-year Belmont law student Lee Myers is responding to the call to ‘love our neighbor’ as he volunteers this summer at two local nonprofits dedicated to housing justice. He received a stipend from Belmont’s Legal Aid Society which provided financial support as he dedicates significant time to The Eviction Right to Council and Tennessee Fair Housing Council— both offering support to people experiencing the housing crisis of facing eviction.
Myers grew up in the Nashville area and experienced firsthand the hardships of Nashville’s housing crisis. His single-parent household relocated nine times within the thirteen years of his primary and secondary education due to a lack of affordable housing. Today, the housing climate remains a volatile subject for citizens who continue to express mounting concerns as locals are forced out of the city limits in search of affordable housing options.
“It’s nice to be doing work that’s meaningful and having the capacity to do it,” said Myers. “I witnessed a trial that played out in the tenant’s favor, and I did the research which got a case dismissed. It was amazing.”
The Eviction Right to Council program through the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands provides free legal services and education to low-income Nashvillians facing eviction, while the Tennessee Fair Housing Council aims to eliminate housing discrimination throughout Tennessee.
Myers began the summer volunteering for Eviction Right to Council where he tabled at the courthouse during General Sessions Court, helped with clinics and assisted attorneys as they provided legal advice to people facing eviction who otherwise couldn’t afford an attorney. The second half of his summer will be dedicated to the TN Fair Housing Council where he will assist in research and test for housing discrimination, compile memos and work on an active federal discrimination suit.
“This public service opportunity ultimately gives me valuable experience with the issues I am passionate about and what I want my career to be about,” said Myers. “I came to law school with the intention of assisting these efforts and fighting for stronger housing rights and protections. There are very few attorneys in Tennessee dedicated to providing representation to people facing potential eviction, substandard housing, landlord abuse and discrimination.”
The 2L’s advocacy and passion for fair housing started long before he became a Belmont law student. Myers worked at Habitat for Humanity for four and a half years; he has volunteered for other organizations that provide rights to housing services including the People’s Alliance for Transit Housing Employment (PATHE) and Red Door Collective; and he is currently working to build long-term tenant power across the city as an active participant in Renters Union Nashville.
“A lot of people don’t think about it, but they are closer to eviction than they might imagine,” said Myers. “Just one missed paycheck or unexpected medical expense can put you in that situation. I want to help build an expansive legal infrastructure that provides renters and tenants with recourse for their grievances. Even beyond the narrow scope of housing, I would like my career to focus on representing those whose civil and human rights have been violated by private entities and the government.”
Already an active agent for social good, Myers’ passion and work in the fair housing space is only a starting place.
The Belmont law program goes a step beyond the baseline of equipping students with an education that ensures their competence and success in the field. Students are encouraged to participate in communities like the Legal Aid Society where they gain valuable experience and foster an appreciation for volunteerism that they will carry with them past graduation. Legal Aid Society provides students access to service events and opportunities, financial support through stipends and the esteem that comes from belonging to a service-minded community focused on making positive real-world impact.