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Equal Justice Works Partners with DisasterLegalAid.org on New Resources

Equal Justice Works, the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, has announced that it has partnered with the National Disaster Legal Aid Resource Center, also known as DisasterLegalAid.org, to distribute a series of training videos for advocates who are providing legal assistance to disaster-affected communities.

“When disasters strike, recovery efforts often overlook the need for legal aid, and the results are devastating for the communities most in need of assistance,” says David Stern, executive director at Equal Justice Works. “We are excited to team up with DisasterLegalAid.org to bring additional resources to help the legal services community support the disaster-related needs of individuals and families across our country.”

Equal Justice Works worked with disaster legal aid experts to develop nine training videos on issues that emerge following a disaster. The videos serve as resources for legal aid professionals on how to help clients navigate Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) benefits, file homeowners’ insurance claims, and apply for housing recovery grant programs among other disaster-related legal matters. Filming for these videos occurred during a training for the Equal Justice Works Disaster Recovery Legal Corps, a program that places lawyers at legal services organizations to assist disaster-affected communities in Texas and Florida.

The training videos are available on DisasterLegalAid.org, to guide and inform disaster legal aid professionals in assisting communities with the recovery process. Legal aid and pro bono attorneys who want to access additional specialized disaster advocacy resources can join DisasterLegalAid.org’s newest feature, the National Disaster Legal Aid Advocacy Center, a growing community of advocates working on disaster response and recovery.

“Following a disaster, legal aid professionals are often met with requests from individuals on how to obtain disaster relief funds and legal questions or matters that impact their recovery,” says Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz, Disaster Response Legal Fellow at Pro Bono Net, a national site partner for DisasterLegalAid.org. “The training videos created by Equal Justice Works are fantastic resources for how the broader legal services community can best meet the needs of communities affected by a natural disaster.”

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