Hurricane Katrina Relief Information

Dear Fellow Lawyers:

We are deeply saddened by the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. While we may be far removed physically from the Gulf states, many of us have family and friends there, and we all, as caring and compassionate people, want to help. We believe the fastest, most effective, and most efficient way for WSBA members to contribute is through already-established channels. Listed below is information we thought may be helpful to you. For those of you who have already reached out to help, we thank you for your compassion and generosity.

Sincerely,

Ronald R. Ward
WSBA President

Donating Money

We encourage you to donate to the charity of your choice.

Governor Gregoire has announced Washington state help for Katrina recovery and established "Washington Cares," a program through which the first $100,000 in donations from citizens will be matched by Washington Mutual. These funds will be directed to the American Red Cross. Click here. 

Other places to donate money have been published in many newspapers. Here is a list from the Seattle Times.

Providing Temporary Housing or Office Space

Governor Gregoire has announced "Operation Evergreen," a Washington state effort to host up to 2,000 people from the disaster area. Click here and here. 

The Atlanta Bar Association has set up a webpage where members of the legal community can post the help they are offering to lawyers and their staff who have been displaced by the hurricane. Click here.

Providing Legal Assistance

The Washington Access to Justice Board, Alliance for Equal Justice, and Office of Civil Legal Aid are working to coordinate the delivery of civil legal aid to hurricane victims who are coming to Washington. Information about volunteer opportunities will be posted on the WSBA website in the near future.

The American Bar Association is gathering information about lawyers able to provide legal assistance. Click here.

Supporting Our Colleagues

Relief funds have been established for those in the legal communities in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Louisiana: Hurricane Katrina Legal Community Relief Fund
Due to the widespread destruction Hurricane Katrina has had on the metropolitan New Orleans area and other parts of south Louisiana, the Louisiana State Bar Association has established the Hurricane Katrina Legal Community Relief Fund to help rebuild south Louisiana's legal infrastructure so that lawyers can provide needed legal services to their clients and restore their damaged offices and records in the wake of this disaster. The relief fund is being administered by Baton Rouge Bar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) entity. Donations should be sent to: Hurricane Katrina Legal Community Relief Fund, c/o Baton Rouge Bar Foundation, 544 Main St., Baton Rouge, LA 70802. Any questions about the fund should be directed to Ann Scarle, executive director, at 225-344-4803.

Mississippi: Hurricane Katrina Lawyer Relief Fund
The Mississippi Bar and Mississippi Bar Foundation have established the Hurricane Katrina Lawyer Relief Fund to assist lawyers who have lost their offices in the storm. Funds collected will be used to assist lawyers with re-establishing their law offices. Donations should be made payable to Mississippi Bar Foundation and mailed to Hurricane Katrina Lawyer Relief Fund, c/o Mississippi Bar Foundation, PO Box 2168, Jackson, MS 39225-2168.

Counseling to Lawyers
Many other efforts to assist those affected by the hurricane are underway. The WSBA Lawyers' Assistance Program is joining other such programs from around the country in providing telephone counseling to affected lawyers.

Law Schools
The University of Washington and Seattle University have established special programs for those affected by the hurricane. Click here and here.

Other Resources

American Bar Association
The American Bar Association has quite a bit of information on their website about Hurricane Katrina disaster relief. Click here.

LawHelp.org
LawHelp.org, a website created for people living on low-incomes and the legal organizations serving them, has a webpage with links to general relief resources as well as legal resources and information on nonprofit legal services providers in states affected by Hurricane Katrina. Click here.