I recently came across an article in The National Jurist that purports to list the “top law schools” for aspiring family law attorneys. I was surprised to find no Tennessee law schools on the list.

It turns out the rankings are weighted as follows:

• 30% for a family law concentration,
• 24% for a family law clinic,
• 12% for a center,
• 12% for an externship,
• 9% for a journal,
• 8% for a student group,
• 5% for a certificate, and
• added value for additional offerings.

That got me thinking about clinical programs, in particular.

Aside from the University of Tennessee’s Domestic Violence Clinic (which focuses on orders of protection), none of Tennessee’s law schools’ clinical programs focus on family law litigation. I think this is a mistake for our state and an opportunity for our law schools.

Demand for Tennessee Family Law Attorneys is High and Growing

Tennessee’s population is steadily increasing, growing by 4.6% in just four years to over 7.2 million people, continuing a longer trend of growth (nearly 9% in the 2010s). More people inevitably mean more marriages, more children, and more divorces and custody cases.

Tennessee has one of the highest divorce rates in the nation, with 2.9 divorces per 1,000 people as of 2023. This translates to roughly 20,000 divorce filings statewide each year. And that doesn’t include the 43% of Tennessee children born to unmarried parents (approximately 35,000 children in 2024!). So, the family law “universe” in Tennessee is vast and growing. Each of these cases can involve complex legal issues, such as child support, visitation, and property division, that require the help of a lawyer.

State court statistics confirm this. In Rutherford County, divorce filings were the single largest category of civil cases. The Tennessee Judiciary’s Annual Report confirms that domestic relations matters dominate civil dockets across the state.

How many lawyers are available to meet this demand? While Tennessee’s ratio of family law attorneys is generally in line with the national average of 9-10 family lawyers per 100,000 people, the state has a significant distribution problem. Most family law attorneys are concentrated in metropolitan areas like Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville, leaving entire regions of the state underserved. 78 of Tennessee’s 95 counties are classified as “rural.” Many of these communities have very few attorneys of any kind. Rural judges report heavy dockets and a shortage of lawyers to appoint in cases involving indigent parties. The demand for family law attorneys already exceeds the available supply in much of the state, and that demand shows no sign of slowing.

Access to Justice

The combination of high demand and limited supply leaves many Tennesseans without legal help in family matters. Tennessee’s Access to Justice Commission has highlighted civil legal needs as a serious issue. Over 1.2 million Tennesseans (nearly 20% of the population) qualify as low-income and may need legal aid, yet only ~79 legal aid attorneys statewide serve them. Family law is the #1 area of unmet need among low-income populations. Tennessee’s legal aid organizations echo that sentiment: family law cases (divorces, custody, orders of protection) dominate their waiting lists, and many people either give up or attempt to represent themselves when they can’t obtain an attorney.

Benefits to Tennessee’s Law Schools and Communities

In addition to serving the public, family law clinics at Tennessee’s law schools would greatly enrich legal education. Family law requires a mix of litigation, mediation, and counseling skills. By working in a clinic, students would gain hands-on experience in interviewing clients, developing strategies, negotiating, preparing for trial, and practicing trial work, all under faculty supervision. They would learn to draft pleadings and court orders while grappling with the real ethical and emotional challenges that family lawyers face. This practical training makes graduates more “practice-ready,” an outcome valued by employers.

Equally important, clinics can inspire more students to enter family law practice, helping address the shortage of family law attorneys. Many law school graduates shy away from family law, often because of limited exposure, perceived lower salaries, or the emotional intensity of the work. A clinic can ignite passion and show that, while challenging, family law is incredibly rewarding and impactful. Early positive experiences can tilt career choices. If even a handful of clinic students each year decide to pursue family law, that’s a win for the Tennessee public down the line.

For Tennessee’s law schools, a family law clinic would complement doctrinal courses by giving students a chance to apply theory to practice. It could also feed into externships and post-grad fellowships; for example, clinic students might continue in summer internships with judges or legal aid offices handling family dockets. This would create a pipeline of talent dedicated to serving Tennessee families. The academic value is significant: enhanced student skills, potential improvements in bar passage and employment, and a boost to the schools’ reputations for experiential learning.

Today’s law students must also be concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on their careers. It’s clear that AI will reduce demand for certain legal services, e.g., contract drafting and compliance. Unless they build AI robots to conduct trials, those who possess family law trial skills should be safe from disruption.

Tennessee’s judiciary and bar would also benefit. Judges appreciate when litigants are represented because proceedings are more efficient. Local bar associations often welcome clinics as partners in pro bono work, e.g., students might staff help desks or co-host community legal clinics.

Models from other states show how family law clinics succeed in both education and service. Tennessee’s law schools don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The common thread among law schools with family law clinics is that low-income families receive representation they otherwise wouldn’t have, and law students gain intensive, supervised practice that prepares them for real-world family law careers. There is no reason Tennessee’s law schools cannot replicate the successes of law schools in other states. Launching clinics in Tennessee would not only help students and communities but also position Tennessee’s law schools among the leaders in family-law training.

By rolling out family law clinics, Tennessee’s law schools would step into a leadership role to address the justice gap at home. This initiative aligns perfectly with the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice campaign. The Court and the Tennessee Bar would likely be strong allies in establishing law clinics focused on family law, as it directly addresses one of the most pressing areas of need.

A Compelling Opportunity

Tennessee’s citizens would greatly benefit from family law clinics at our law schools, and our law students would gain invaluable training by operating them. The state’s growing population and above-average divorce rate are driving high demand for family law services, which currently outpaces supply. Thousands of Tennesseans—including vulnerable children and domestic violence survivors—endure the legal system without representation. By creating family law clinics, Tennessee’s law schools can simultaneously serve the community and educate the next generation of compassionate, competent family lawyers.

Other states have shown that such clinics can thrive: they serve hundreds of clients each year, improve access to justice, and produce practice-ready graduates. There is no reason we can’t replicate that success in Tennessee.

Establishing family law clinics at Tennessee’s law schools is a win-win-win proposition: a win for law students, a win for the courts and legal system, and a win for Tennessee families. Demographic data, court statistics, access-to-justice data, and the successful experiences of law schools in other states support the case for action. The time is ripe to invest in family law litigation clinics in Tennessee.

Source: Top law schools for family law (The National Jurist, August 21, 2025).