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.

Program Description

The mission of the Pro Bono Legal Corps (PBLC) is to build a commitment to pro bono service at law schools and among future lawyers by expanding law student and law school involvement in the delivery of legal services. Supported by an AmeriCorps grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, the PBLC program offers its members, called Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Attorneys, the opportunity to implement projects that promote public service among law students while providing critically needed legal services.

For more information about the PBLC program, a list of PBLC member benefits, frequently asked questions and 2006-2007 PBLC member profiles, click here.

Program Expansion—Katrina Pro Bono Legal Corps

The program expansion added 10 new AmeriCorps Attorneys to serve at host organizations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as part of the Equal Justice Works Katrina Initiative. The new members implemented projects to recruit hundreds of law students and lawyers to provide vital disaster-related legal services to hurricane survivors, including:

• Coordinating a statewide legal emergency hotline in Louisiana;
• Assisting hurricane evacuees in FEMA camps and other temporary housing facilities across Alabama overcome legal barriers to securing permanent housing; and
• Educating community members in Mississippi on new Internal Revenue Service tax rules benefiting those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Katrina Pro Bono Legal Corps Host Organizations