"What comes to mind when we think of disaster relief? Probably images of Red Cross volunteers handing out blankets and fresh water, National Guard units delivering food and other supplies, and FEMA Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers. Lawyers are probably the last people we think of as helpers in the midst of devastating weather events such as hurricanes and tornadoes. The 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina last year, and the five-year anniversary this year of the tornadoes that devastated areas in Massachusetts remind us that attorneys play a critical role in disaster relief.

In the aftermath of tragedies like these, civil legal aid attorneys helped victims reclaim stability and normalcy by shepherding them through the legal morass of housing issues, replacing legal identification papers, making insurance claims, applying for disaster benefits, combatting contractor scams, and other civil legal issues that arise from the chaos."

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