Donated Legal Services for Hurricane Victims 

Release Date: October 18, 2005
Release Number: 1603-091

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BATON ROUGE, La. -- Volunteer attorneys are offering free, disaster-related legal assistance to individuals affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Young Lawyers Division of the Louisiana State Bar Association, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides legal counseling and referrals to residents through a toll-free hotline, 1-800-310-7029. This service is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

Each call is referred to a Louisiana-licensed attorney, who will contact callers within 48 hours to discuss their needs. These voluntary attorneys can advise callers regarding legal issues related to the disaster. Many problems can be addressed just by speaking with the attorney. The representation is at no charge to the caller.

The attorneys can assist disaster victims with such issues as:
  • Advice on landlord/tenant matters.
  • Replacing wills, drafting powers of attorney and other legal documents lost in the disaster.
  • Help with home repair contracts and contractors.
  • Insurance claims for doctor and hospital bills, loss of property, loss of life, etc.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003

Last Modified: Tuesday, 18-Oct-2005 13:56:16