Storm galvanized relief effort

Eight days following Hurricane Katrina, Baker Botts' Houston office trained 500 lawyers to provide free legal counseling through the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program. Jason Ryan was determined to be one of the 75 Baker Botts volunteers, but he didn't know how he would help.

X

Thank you for sharing!

Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.
On Aug. 29, the day Hurricane Katrina hit the northern Gulf Coast, Jason M. Ryan’s grandmother died of cancer in Texas. The loss would become doubly painful to the Baker Botts Houston associate when he learned that his grandmother’s sister had drowned in her home in Bay Saint Louis, Miss., during the powerful hurricane. There was time to mourn, but none to waste. Houston would soon become the focal point for volunteers to provide for the desperate needs of 1 million coastal residents, primarily Louisianans, displaced by the storm’s 140-mph winds and destructive floods. About 125,000 evacuees were coming and would need legal help. Eight days following the storm, Baker Botts’ Houston office trained 500 lawyers to provide free legal counseling through the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program (HVLP). Ryan, who represents energy companies in regulatory matters and civil litigation, was determined to be one of the 75 Baker Botts volunteers, but he didn’t know how he would help. The group had a threefold strategy: legal counseling booths in the large shelters, such as the Astrodome; mobile teams of lawyers visiting smaller shelters such as churches; and lawyers answering a telephone hotline. The night of the training, Ryan asked HVLP director David Mandell how he could help “make it happen.” Mandell said he soon realized Ryan would not be just one of many helpers. That night Ryan helped with data entry to organize the volunteers, sent out e-mails to schedule them and got everyone dinner, Mandell said. Then, “at 6 a.m. the next morning, there’s Jason,” Mandell said. For the next six weeks, Ryan worked side by side full time with Mandell, doing everything imaginable to “make it happen.” Among his achievements was overcoming significant bureaucratic hurdles for volunteer lawyers to work at booths at the Astrodome and other large shelters, said Mandell. Wary evacuees Between the red tape and bias against lawyers, officials were “leery of letting us in,” Ryan said. Also wary were the many evacuees, who weren’t sure how lawyers could help, he said. Ryan handed out fliers and explained to evacuees what the attorneys could do for them. Ryan said some had never met a lawyer and were nervous just to be talking to one. Lawyers could answer questions about child support, mortgages, Social Security, bank accounts, immigration and bankruptcy. “A lot of this is not legal,” he said. “It really is just counseling and problem-solving. Every lawyer is trained to do that.”
PRO BONO AWARDS

This content has been archived. It is available exclusively through our partner LexisNexis®.

To view this content, please continue to Lexis Advance®.

Not a Lexis Advance® Subscriber? Subscribe Now

Why am I seeing this?

LexisNexis® is now the exclusive third party online distributor of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® customers will be able to access and use ALM's content by subscribing to the LexisNexis® services via Lexis Advance®. This includes content from the National Law Journal®, The American Lawyer®, Law Technology News®, The New York Law Journal® and Corporate Counsel®, as well as ALM's other newspapers, directories, legal treatises, published and unpublished court opinions, and other sources of legal information.

ALM's content plays a significant role in your work and research, and now through this alliance LexisNexis® will bring you access to an even more comprehensive collection of legal content.

For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at customercare@alm.com

Trending Stories

 

Featured Product

Higher Law

Cannabis & the Legal Industry

Cheryl Miller tracks law firm cannabis practices and clears the haze around the biggest legal issues. Sign up for the weekly Higher Law newsletter.

Learn More

More from ALM

  • Premium Subscription

    With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas.

    View Now

  • Team Accounts

    Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team.

    View Now

  • Bundle Subscriptions

    Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Both options are priced the same.

    View Now


    • CLE Center →

  • From Data to Decisions

    Dynamically explore and compare data on law firms, companies, individual lawyers, and industry trends.

  • Exclusive Depth and Reach.

    Legal Compass includes access to our exclusive industry reports, combining the unmatched expertise of our analyst team with ALM’s deep bench of proprietary information to provide insights that can’t be found anywhere else.

  • Big Pictures and Fine Details

    Legal Compass delivers you the full scope of information, from the rankings of the Am Law 200 and NLJ 500 to intricate details and comparisons of firms’ financials, staffing, clients, news and events.


    • Legal Compass →


  • Elite Trial Lawyers 2020

    January 20, 2020
    Miami Beach, FL

    The National Law Journal Elite Trial Lawyers recognizes U.S.-based law firms performing exemplary work on behalf of plaintiffs.

  • Legalweek New York 2020

    February 03, 2020 - February 06, 2020
    New York, NY

    Legalweek New York explores Business and Regulatory Trends, Technology and Talent drivers impacting law firms.

  • Global Independent Law Firms Forum 2020

    March 24, 2020 - March 25, 2020
    London

    Annual conference bringing together the leaders of independent law firms from around the world, from 40+ jurisdictions.


    • Browse More Events →

  • Law.com

    The Benefits of Early Mediation - The Path Least Taken Requires Commitment

    Sponsored by: NAM (National Arbitration and Mediation) |

    Gain insights into the emerging trend of early mediation, as well as an understanding of how to define pre-mediation protocol.

  • Law.com

    How to Leverage Predictive Coding and Artificial Intelligence for Defensible and Effective Review

    Sponsored By: Everlaw |

    Do looming deadlines and a huge document corpus make review seem daunting?

  • Law.com

    Trends in Discovery and Depositions: How to Cut Costs and Save Time

    Sponsored by: Planet Depos |

    [ON DEMAND] Join this webcast for the latest trends in discovery in international litigation and arbitration, plus hear from lawyers with experience across a multitude of jurisdictions about how they overcome challenges in obtaining discovery around the world.


    • Webcasts →

  • Corporate Associate

    Tampa, Florida, United States

    A full service business law firm that has been a bedrock of the Tampa Bay legal community is seeking an attorney with 3-7 years of corporate...

    Apply Now ›

  • Policy Specialist

    Washington, District of Columbia, United States

    Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP is seeking to hire Policy Specialists to support the Public Policy Department in its Washington, DC office. Squ...

    Apply Now ›

  • Assistant Director, Governmental Relations and Public Affairs

    Albany, New York, United States

    The New York State Bar Association, a nonprofit professional association based in Albany, is seeking an Assistant Director of Governmental R...

    Apply Now ›


    • Lawjobs →

  • MENZ BONNER KOMAR & KOENIGSBERG LLP

    12/05/2019
    NYLJ Web

    Please To Announce DAVID KOENIGSBERG LAWYER OF THE YEAR

    View Announcement ›

  • MENZ BONNER KOMAR & KOENIGSBERG LLP

    12/05/2019
    NYLJ Web

    Please To Announce DAVID KOENIGSBERG LAWYER OF THE YEAR

    View Announcement ›

  • GREENBAUM ROWE SMITH & DAVIS LLP

    12/02/2019
    NJLJ Web

    GREENBAUM ROWE SMITH & DAVIS LLP are please to announce that Barbara J Kroonz has joined the firm as a partner in our Environmental Department.

    View Announcement ›


    • Professional Announcements →

 

ALM Legal Publication Newsletters

Sign Up Today and Never Miss Another Story.

As part of your digital membership, you can sign up for an unlimited number of a wide range of complimentary newsletters. Visit your My Account page to make your selections. Get the timely legal news and critical analysis you cannot afford to miss. Tailored just for you. In your inbox. Every day.

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy / Terms of Service

Publications

Law Topics

Rankings

More

Law.com

Copyright © 2019 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved.