Richard RuthAfter nearly four decades of practicing law for a paycheck, Richard Ruth thought retirement sounded good.
But after he spent too much time watching the History Channel, his son persuaded him to help out at Legal Aid of East Tennessee, sharing his expertise for free.
This week, the Tennessee Supreme Court named Ruth as its first pro bono emeritus attorney, where he’ll help people who need lawyers but can’t afford them.
“There are more people out there than you can imagine at a disadvantage,” said Ruth, 73.
He spent his career working on behalf of insurance companies, but since 2005, Ruth has worked with Legal Aid, first parttime and later fulltime.