Hurricanes Katrina and Rita physically devastated the Gulf Coast region and disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of families and individuals in some of the poorest communities in the nation. In the aftermath, there is an unprecedented need for legal assistance, exacerbated by the fact that the Gulf Coast region has the lowest level of funding for legal aid programs in the country.
Equal Justice Works has obtained a $1 million matching grant from the JEHT Foundation to sponsor public interest attorneys to work in the Gulf Coast region for up to two years, providing direct legal services to Gulf Coast residents in need and generating pro bono opportunities for lawyers and law students.
Beyond meeting immediate, hurricane-related legal needs, the Equal Justice Works Katrina Initiative will foster the development of long-term pro bono and legal aid infrastructures.
The Katrina Legal Fellowships Program
Through the Katrina Initiative, Equal Justice Works established the Katrina Legal Fellowships Program to send nine experienced public interest lawyers to the Gulf Coast region for up to two years. This new Fellowships program has placed lawyers at organizations located in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas to provide emergency legal assistance for hurricane survivors, promote short- and long-term stabilization and community rebuilding efforts.
The Katrina Pro Bono Legal Corps Program
In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, Equal Justice Works expanded its Pro Bono Legal Corps program , sending 10 Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Attorneys to the hardest-hit areas in the Gulf Coast region. These attorneys have been placed at organizations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to help the hundreds of thousands of people left without homes, jobs and social services due to the damage from the hurricane.
Katrina Summer Corps
Equal Justice Works is committed to setting aside 65 Summer Corps slots for law students who are providing disaster-related legal services in the Gulf Coast region. Students are eligible for these slots if the primary purpose of their internships is to assist hurricane Survivors or evacuees in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi or Texas.
Questions?
If you have questions about these programs, email Kelly Wilson, Katrina Initiative Project Manager.
Quick Information
* About Katrina Initiative
* Katrina Legal Fellow & PBLC Profiles
* Progress Reports and Press Releases
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