Opportunities

Disaster Resilience Program

Disasters devastate lower-income communities, creating new poverty and further entrenching inequality. In the wake of any disaster, families often need the assistance of a lawyer to overcome barriers to recovery.

The Disaster Resilience Program (DRP) mobilizes lawyers (Attorney Fellows) and law students (Student Fellows) to provide free civil legal aid in disaster-prone areas to ensure vital legal services are accessible, comprehensive, and responsive to the unique needs of individuals, families, and communities so lives can be stabilized and communities rebuilt to be more resilient.

Program Overview & Benefits

  • Attorney Fellows earn a salary over the course of their two-year Fellowship term
  • Student Fellows receive a $7,000 stipend upon completion of 300 hours of service (eight to ten-week term)
  • Engage in outreach and education, help provide direct legal services to disaster survivors, and foster important relationships within the community
  • Build capacity at legal services organizations in disaster-prone areas
  • During the summer, Student Fellows help support the work of the Attorney Fellow(s) at their host organization
  • Receive trainings, technical assistance, and mentorship throughout the program

DRP Cohort Impact 2021-2023


  • 1,799 individuals provided with legal services
  • 9,541​ participants attended​ outreach presentations
  • Being in the [DRP] allowed me to become a trusted stakeholder and partner within both the disaster networks and disability organizations. Stephanie Duke
    2020 DRP Fellow
  • $1M+ in combined economic benefits realized for clients

Still have questions? Email us at
[email protected]

1 Determine your program eligibility

The Disaster Resilience Program includes both attorneys and law students

  • Attorney Fellows are public interest lawyers working on-the-ground providing free civil legal aid to low-income, disaster-prone communities
  • Student Fellows are current law students working alongside them to provide support and build legal skills outside the classroom

2 Meet our Attorney Fellows

The first cohort of the Disaster Resilience Program mobilized six Attorney Fellows (public interest lawyers) who served from June 2020 to October 2021 in Texas and Florida. In the summer of 2021, they were joined by six Student Fellows (law students) who worked alongside them to provide support and build their legal skills outside of the classroom. In 2022, the program expanded to serve disaster-prone communities in California, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, and Tennessee.

Disaster Resilience Program Fellows

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Kate Thorstad

Disability Rights

Kate Thorstad

Hosted by
Disability Rights Louisiana

Sponsored by
Disaster Resilience Program

Sarah Bacot
Headshot of Sarah Bacot

Disaster Response and Preparedness

Sarah Bacot

Hosted by
Disability Rights Louisiana

Sponsored by
Disaster Resilience Program

Jacob Zarefsky
Photo of Jacob Zarfesky

Disaster Response and Preparedness

Jacob Zarefsky

Hosted by
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County

Sponsored by
Disaster Resilience Program

3 See Our Fellows in Action

News from the Disaster Resilience Program

View press releases, blogs, and other news from the Disaster Resilience Program Attorney and Student Fellows.

Fellows in Action

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Free Resource for Disaster Lawyers

Download our National Disaster Attorney Guidebook

Edited by senior manager of disaster programming Linda Anderson Stanley and Equal Justice Works alumni Stephanie Duke, this guidebook was created by experts within the disaster law community and contains resources on topics like FEMA recoupment, immigration and disaster preparedness, and more.

Read the Guide

The Disaster Resilience Program is currently funded by the American Red Cross, Arkansas Community Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Danaher Foundation.

Interested in hosting a Disaster Resilience Program Fellow?

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Get Help Managing Your Student Debt

For many law school graduates, student debt is the single largest barrier to pursuing a career in public interest law. View our Student Debt Resources to learn more about managing your debt load.

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