The Equal Justice Works Katrina Initiative has been established to address the many legal needs in areas hardest hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This program is placing lawyers and law students at nonprofit organizations located in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama in order to help the hundreds of thousands of people left without homes, jobs, access to health care and social services due to the damage from the hurricanes.

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.

Support is still needed for the Katrina Legal Fellows. This important work can continue as sponsors come forward with the remaining $84,000 needed for the program. These funds, provided by gifts of any amount, will also be matched by the JEHT Foundation.

For more information on how you can help, please contact:

John Dyess
202-466-3686 ext. 115
jdyess@equaljusticeworks.org

Updates

With 19 Katrina Legal Fellows and Equal Justice Works/AmeriCorps Attorneys currently serving in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama, much has been accomplished to help Gulf Coast residents rebuild their lives in the year since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck. Harnessing the help of hundreds of law student and lawyer volunteers, the Equal Justice Works Katrina Legal Fellows and AmeriCorps Attorneys have played an integral role in the lives of thousands of hurricane survivors. Here are some highlights:

"The Lawyers' Committee on Civil Rights Under Law and my office forced FEMA to discontinue an eviction process that would have affected 3,000 Mississippi hurricane survivors who are in temporary trailers. Our work in this area received national media coverage in the LA Times, NPR and the New York Times." - Reilly Morse, Katrina Legal Fellow at Mississippi Center for Justice in Biloxi, Mississippi

"Together with the student and lawyer volunteers that I manage through my project, we have served more than 350 individuals who were affected by the hurricane through individual representation, legal fairs and a weekly clinic." - Miles Swanson, Equal Justice Works/AmeriCorps Attorney at Pro Bono Project in New Orleans, Louisiana

"I'm proud that I am able to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina by providing a service that is needed and not available elsewhere. I hope that this fellowship gives the community a sense of hope and the knowledge that they are not alone, forgotten or defeated." - Jessica Lawson, Katrina Legal Fellow at Mississippi Center for Legal Services in Gulfport and Pascagoula, Mississippi

"After much searching, I recently found a law firm willing to bring a damages class action suit on behalf of 300 to 500 inmates, who were subject to systemic beatings and racial abuse after Hurricane Katrina. This was one of the first things I was asked to work on by local attorneys, who had been very frustrated that they could not afford to bring this law suit and could not find a big law firm to take the case." - Steven Parker, Katrina Legal Fellow at Louisiana Capital Assistance Center in New Orleans, Louisiana

"Educating clients about their rights and empowering them to fight for themselves has been a very rewarding part of my fellowship. My project also helped clients to collect unpaid wages earned prior to Katrina and forced FEMA officials to re-inspect properties and review files, which resulted in clients getting more assistance for their losses." - Ranie Thompson, Katrina Legal Fellow at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services in New Orleans, Louisiana

"I am proud to return home to Mississippi as an AmeriCorps Attorney. Knowing that I am one of the few attorneys truly available to listen and help those devastated by the storm is rewarding. The moments in which I am able to keep someone from being homeless or help someone acquire financial assistance are especially gratifying. I am particularly proud when FEMA representatives tell me how much they appreciate my work!"
- Crystal Utley, Equal Justice Works/AmeriCorps Attorney at the Mississippi Center for Justice in Jackson, Mississippi

"My fellowship aims to assist hurricane survivors in order to restore their lives to some normalcy. In the first three months of my fellowship, I dealt with 243 cases and participated in nine hurricane clinics that served more than 700 people. However, once the final appeal for FEMA or insurance claims have been filed, there will still be thousands of people who will still need our assistance. As a result, the need for partnerships from the private bar is essential for us to assist a greater number of hurricane survivors" - Maria Luisa Mercado, Katrina Legal Fellow at Lone Star Legal Aid in Galveston, Texas

Since our last progress report on June 1, Equal Justice Works has successfully recruited two more Katrina Legal Fellows:

Katrina Legal Fellows

Sarah McMorris began her fellowship with Southeast Louisiana Legal Service in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 7. Ms. McMorris will prevent illegal evictions, help homeowners obtain insurance and FEMA settlements to rebuild homes and provide legal information regarding flood elevations and zoning issues. She will also work with other advocacy organizations to ensure that affordable housing is a priority of the long-term rebuilding plan in Louisiana. Prior to obtaining this fellowship, she served as a staff attorney at Acadiana Legal Service Corporation in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She also clerked at Employee Rights and the Leo S. Butler Community Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Ms. McMorris earned a bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University and a law degree from the Louisiana State University Paul M. Herbert Law Center.

Patricia Ice began her fellowship with the Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance/National Immigration Law Center in Jackson, Mississippi on August 28. Ms. Ice will provide advocacy and representation to ensure that immigrants and refugees are not overlooked or exploited in disaster recovery efforts in Mississippi and Louisiana. She will also provide direct legal representation to hurricane survivors facing problems accessing public benefits, health care, housing assistance and ensure that all jobs related to the reconstruction of Mississippi's Gulf Coast region reconstruction meet basic labor standards. Ms. Ice has 12 years of experience as a private U.S. immigration attorney. Prior to obtaining this fellowship, she was in private practice in Jackson, Mississippi where she focused on immigration and nationality law. Ms. Ice has also been active in the Mississippi immigrant rights community and has served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Benin. She earned a bachelor's degree from Spelman College, master's degrees from Wayne State University and Ohio University and a law degree from Wayne State University.

To date, Equal Justice Works has raised more than $900,000, which will be matched dollar for dollar by the JEHT Foundation. Equal Justice Works thanks the following donors for their contributions to fund the Equal Justice Works Katrina Initiative:

• Association of Corporate Counsel
  
• Corporation for National and Community Service
  
• Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
  
• Greenberg Traurig, LLP
  
• Latham & Watkins LLP
  
• Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo P.C.
  
• Nixon Peabody LLP
  
• Ohio State Bar Foundation Hurricane Katrina Legal Relief Fund
  
• Pfizer Inc
  
• Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP