Hurricane Irma

Top ABA officials will visit hurricane relief sites in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands

ABA President Hilarie Bass and President-elect Robert M. Carlson will be visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Monday and Tuesday to observe hurricane relief efforts and discuss future plans.

Jun 29, 2018 4:48 PM CDT

ABA mobilizes aid to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

For the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the need for legal aid has been particularly great because power and telecommunications infrastructure will not be as easy to restore.

Feb 1, 2018 1:10 AM CST

Social media unites lawyers to help those in need

Hurricane Harvey, and then Hurricane Irma, proved to be the coming of age for social media as tools for court systems and the legal profession to deal with such emergencies.

Feb 1, 2018 12:05 AM CST

It’s difficult to describe lawyers’ situations in Puerto Rico, but hurricane damage was ‘extreme’

The impact of the hurricanes over the island was not uniform, with some areas suffering extreme devastation. There was greater havoc in the eastern and central parts of the island, so many lawyers in those communities are still without power in their offices.

Feb 1, 2018 12:03 AM CST

Legal community meets relief challenges after hurricanes Harvey and Irma

Attorneys affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma have risen to the occasion in ways personal, professional and altruistic, even when dealing with storm damage of their own. And four months after two hurricanes hit Puerto Rico, the situation for lawyers there is still hard to assess.

Feb 1, 2018 12:00 AM CST

Churches are now eligible for disaster aid; FEMA changed policy after lawsuits

Churches are no longer excluded from disaster aid as a result of a policy change by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA announced the policy change earlier this month and said it is retroactive for disasters on or after Aug. 23. FEMA said churches can obtain the aid if they…

Jan 10, 2018 1:23 PM CST

Judiciary’s handling of sexual harassment complaints will be evaluated, Chief Justice Roberts says

The judiciary will evaluate the way it handles complaints of sexual harassment and its own standards of conduct regarding inappropriate behavior, according to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.

Jan 3, 2018 11:49 AM CST

Island lawyers start to pick up the pieces in the wake of hurricanes

As someone who had lived in the U.S. Virgin Islands since he graduated from law school in 1982, Tom Bolt has experienced hurricane damage firsthand. “In 1989 we had Hurricane Hugo, which devastated St. Croix,” says Bolt, shareholder and managing attorney of BoltNagi P.C. and member of the ABA Board…

Sep 29, 2017 3:45 PM CDT

ABA helps set up hotline for islanders needing legal assistance after hurricanes

With the infrastructure of the U.S. Virgin Islands heavily damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the ABA has helped launch a mainland hotline for those needing legal assistance. By dialing 800-310-7029, residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands can call to request disaster-related legal assistance between the hours of 9 a.m.…

Sep 21, 2017 7:30 AM CDT

Legal aid hotline opens for Hurricane Irma victims

Updated: A legal aid hotline has opened for Hurricane Irma victims in Florida who can’t afford a lawyer. The hotline number is 866-550-2929, report the Orlando Sentinel and an ABA press release. The hotline is operated by young lawyers divisions of the ABA and the Florida Bar, in conjunction with…

Sep 14, 2017 10:27 AM CDT

Many offices of Florida’s BigLaw firms are open again after Hurricane Irma closings

Many offices of Florida’s large law firms were reopening after Hurricane Irma swept through the state. Cesar Alvarez, senior chairman of Greenberg Traurig, told Bloomberg Big Law Business and Law.com that all of the firm’s offices were open on Tuesday for employees who could make it there. The firm has…

Sep 13, 2017 11:19 AM CDT

Suit claims sheriff misused emergency shelters ‘as unlawful pedestrian checkpoints’

A lawsuit filed electronically on Sunday argues that the sheriff in Polk County, Florida, violated the constitutional rights of a man seeking emergency shelter by requiring him to undergo a criminal background check. The suit argues that Sheriff Grady Judd is misusing emergency shelters as “unlawful pedestrian checkpoints to conduct…

Sep 12, 2017 10:22 AM CDT

Florida Bar raises income cap for Free Legal Answers website to help Hurricane Irma victims

The Florida Bar has raised the income cap for users of the Florida Free Legal Answers online legal clinic to help more victims of Hurricane Irma get answers to their legal questions.

Sep 11, 2017 8:31 AM CDT

Those with outstanding warrants at Florida shelters will be escorted to jail, sheriff’s office warns

A Florida sheriff is standing by controversial tweets warning that IDs will be checked at hurricane shelters and those with warrants will be escorted to jail.

Sep 8, 2017 11:58 AM CDT

Florida Bar Foundation allocates up to $500K for civil legal aid after hurricane, establishes fund

The Florida Bar Foundation’s board of directors has approved allocating up to $500,000 to support legal organizations after Hurricane Irma. The money can be spent to repair building damage, cover equipment losses and help clients with hurricane-related legal issues, according to a press release. The bar foundation has also created…

Sep 8, 2017 10:55 AM CDT