Community Involvement

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel is committed to community service, and our employees serve in leadership roles in many civic and charitable organizations in Chattanooga and the Southeast. In addition to providing quality legal services, volunteering within the community is a priority. Our lawyers also proudly provide pro bono work for several organizations.

Beyond providing quality legal services and volunteer work to Chattanooga and throughout Tennessee, we strive to make our operations as environmentally-friendly as possible. We have made efforts to reduce the volume of paper we produce through the use of recycled materials and the implementation of duplex copying on nearly all of our machines. Our computers are also energy-efficient, and we have recycling bins available on each floor and in each conference room. We are committed to ensuring that we are as green as possible.

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel UTC Endowment

In 2008, our firm partnered with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's College of Business to establish an endowment fund that supports the Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel Student Recognition Banquet. This event showcases many awards, including the John C. Stophel Distinguished Student Award, which is annually presented to recognize high potential business students who have made significant and meaningful civic contributions, while maintaining a strong academic record.

Chattanooga Business Attorney Steve Jett introduces the John C. Stophel Distinguished Student Awards at the banquet.

Children's Home/Chambliss Shelter

Our firm is closely aligned with The Children's Home/Chambliss Shelter, an Early Childhood Education and Care Program. The Chambliss Shelter portion began in Chattanooga in 1946, when Judge Alexander W. Chambliss, who founded our firm in 1886, saw abused and neglected children coming through his court with no safe place to go. The Judge personally donated money to build the Chambliss Shelter. Today, we continue to support the Children's Home/Chambliss Shelter through our volunteer efforts, our board positions and financial contributions. Last year, the firm volunteered to help with maintenance, which included cleaning out their attic and removing wallpaper. This year, we partnered with United Way's Day of Caring Program by volunteering with their playground build.

Street Law Diversity Pipeline Program in Chattanooga

CB&S and the legal department of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee have partnered to launch the inaugural Street Law Diversity Pipeline Program in Chattanooga. The overall goal of the program is to increase diversity in the legal profession by offering education and mentoring activities. These activities will encourage students at the high-school level to pursue legal careers. Through this program, our teams of lawyers will to go into the classroom to talk to students about legal careers. We will also hold a one-day conference to provide student workshops that are designed to be interactive, real-world examples of a career in the legal arena. For more information, visit www.streetlaw.org.

Pro Bono

CB&S Attorney Bruce C. Bailey was instrumental in helping the Chattanooga Bar Association (CBA) start its Pro Bono program, which encourages private attorneys to provide free legal service to those in need. The Legal Aid of East Tennessee's (“LAET”) annual pro bono award is named after Bruce C. Bailey, a CB&S shareholder, and our firm received LAET's first ever pro bono firm award, an award the firm has received in subsequent years. Over the years, several CB&S attorneys have been nominated for this honor.

Civic Organizations

The following is a representative list of organizations we have supported through board positions, financial contributions, and volunteer work: