Help for displaced lawyers and students

While the ABA has enlisted the support of lawyers to contribute their time in assisting with the phone lines to answer questions from Hurricane Katrina victims, it is also seeking to assist lawyers who have been displaced, students who were set to enter law schools in the disaster-affected areas, and the justice system itself.

The ABA has written to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate in support of legislation that would allow federal district courts in areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina to temporarily relocate to another location and resume business. “The implications for the judicial system are both immediate and long-term,” wrote Robert D. Evans, director of the ABA’s Governmental Affairs Office. “Without a safe place to hold court, there is no way for prosecutors to comply with the Speedy Trial Act, which specifies time limits in which criminal cases must be heard. ... Court delays may impede the timely resumption of commercial activities and unnecessarily add to the anguish of many hurricane victims.”

At its Hurricane Katrina Web site, The ABA is also gathering information from companies and firms that have space they are willing to share with businesses and lawyers who have been displaced. Other resources include a booklet on managing practice interruptions; “Disaster Recovery for Law Firms,” an excerpt from Law Practice Management’s book The Essential Formbook: Comprehensive Management Tools for Lawyers; “A Checklist for Opening or Moving Your Law Firm,” excerpted from the General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division’s book, Attorney & Law Firm Guide to the Business of Law, Second Edition; a CLE program, ARE YOU READY?: What Lawyers Need to Know About Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery; technology resources; and links to other helpful sites.

ABA Publishing has also put together an online Legal Toolkit: Disaster Relief where lawyers can find a host of resources available either for free or at discounts.

Finally, the ABA is providing information on its Web site about alternatives for students who were enrolled in law schools in the affected area for the coming term, including Tulane University Law School and Loyola University New Orleans School of Law.

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