Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program
Offers Legal Assistance for Survivors of Gulf Coast Disasters

By Barrett H. Reasoner and David Mandell

The response by members of the Houston Bar Association to the disasters that struck the Gulf Coast of our country should make HBA members proud of their profession. Attorneys from all practice areas, many of whom had not been involved in pro bono work before, contributed in a magnificent way. We wanted to take this opportunity to recap some of those efforts and to describe opportunities through the HBA’s Houston Volunteer Lawyers’ Program (HVLP) to build on the momentum of this volunteerism to meet the ongoing needs in our area.
Upon learning that thousands of displaced Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama residents were en route to Houston, local bar leaders set up sessions to train almost 500 attorneys on the nuances of providing disaster legal assistance. A training manual consisting of over 1,400 pages was created to help Texas attorneys understand the issues of Louisiana law that would face the majority of the evacuees. A number of Louisiana licensed lawyers spoke on various relevant aspects of Louisiana state law at the training sessions, which took place at the offices of Baker Botts L.L.P. Put together almost overnight, this training program created a sizeable group of trained volunteers who were ready to be deployed.
The volunteers’ initial efforts focused on mass shelters such as the George R. Brown Convention Center and Reliant Center. HVLP set up legal advice booths staffed by at least two volunteers on a daily basis for three weeks. Volunteers logged a total of 140 hours and were able to help 181 people. During this initial period, the Toyota Center also opened for two days to provide information and clothing to evacuees. Almost 100 volunteer attorneys spent a total of 250 hours at a booth at the Toyota Center over the course of the two-day open house. Attorneys gave brief advice and counsel to evacuees, passed out flyers with HVLP’s phone number, and helped other agencies in their relief efforts. During this event alone, more than 100 people received assistance. The Houston Bar Association’s Campaign for the Homeless Committee also worked very hard gathering, delivering and loading much-needed clothing donations during the Toyota Center event.
In addition to the mass shelters, a number of smaller Red Cross shelters began popping up all over Houston. HVLP dispatched 40 volunteer attorneys to survey the needs at these shelters. After the needs had been identified, HVLP initiated and carried out 15 legal advice clinics at such shelter sites. Almost 100 evacuees received legal assistance at these clinics.
In the middle of these efforts, HVLP established a hotline for evacuees. The call center was set up at the HVLP’s offices and was staffed with volunteer attorneys from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, from the first week of September until mid-December. Volunteers in the call center donated a total of 724.5 hours to the project.
Through many different volunteers, the Bar’s efforts continued for several months after the disasters:

• HVLP staffed a booth at the Greater Houston FEMA Disaster Recovery Center. This legal advice booth has been staffed every day with volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and students from the Loyola University Clinic. More than 1,500 evacuees have received assistance.
• The Asian-American Bar Association and HVLP conducted a legal advice clinic at the Multi-Cultural Center. The group was able to help 17 evacuee families at this event.
• At an informational meeting at The Woodlands Methodist Church, HVLP staff and volunteers spoke to a group of about 50 evacuees about issues such as bankruptcy, child support, lease contracts and insurance.
• Beginning in October, the bank-ruptcy section of the Houston Bar Association initiated an effort called Project Fresh Start, which
  gave evacuees facing the possibility of bankruptcy the opportunity to speak directly with a bank-ruptcy attorney working pro bono. Approximately 50 volunteer bank-ruptcy attorneys assisted in this effort, and 77 evacuees received this assistance.
• The Houston Young Lawyers Association and HVLP conducted an all day clinic in November during which 12 volunteers assisted 76 evacuees with various legal issues.
• HVLP conducted a legal advice clinic in a hotel conference room that drew evacuees from six hotels housing evacuees in the Astrodome area.
• HVLP conducted a series of three clinics at St. Agnes Baptist Church, which had served as a base of operations for the American Red Cross in the initial phases of the relief effort. These three clinics served over 100 evacuees.

The statistics are amazing and speak to the generosity of this legal community. But the needs in our area remain great even in times that are not marred by natural disaster. We ask you to consider helping continue the momentum of volunteerism we have seen in recent months. There are many opportunities to serve:

1. Take an HVLP case - The HVLP has a back log of cases that desperately need volunteers. Don’t be intimidated if you have not taken one before. HVLP staff can pick a case of the right level of complexity and will be there to provide any needed advice on how to proceed;
2. Participate in an HVLP Legal Advice Clinic - These clinics take place at local community centers for a half day on Saturdays and provide an in person “LegalLine-type” experience. It is a limited commitment, in which volunteers can really make a difference. We are currently in the process of adding veterans’ advice clinics at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and centers serving veterans, as well as “drive time” clinics at the HVLP office; and
3. Returning hotline calls from your office - HVLP is still receiving calls from evacuees with ongoing problems. We are now referring those out to attorneys who can return the calls from the comfort of their offices. This is a wonderful way to provide help.

The spirit of this city and the Houston Bar Association has never shined brighter than during the disaster relief efforts. Call the HVLP at (713) 228-0735 and help build upon this tradition.

Barrett Reasoner is a partner with Gibbs & Bruns, L.L.P. and the chair of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program. David Mandell is the executive director of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program.

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