Disaster Resources Help the Survivors of California's Wildfires

• Publication year: 2020

Disaster Resources Help the Survivors of California's Wildfires1

Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the California wildfires. We know that many of our members have been either uprooted, threatened, or subject to power outages during this trying time.

CLA, as part of our Access to Justice Initiative, is working to recruit volunteers who can help provide pro bono legal assistance, answer calls, or assist with educational workshops. Regardless of where you are located, your assistance may be needed.

Sign up to Volunteer

Attorneys will be needed to help staff information hotlines and provide direct legal services through various California legal services programs and area law schools. Attorneys may also be needed to help supervise law students who can provide service. Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SSX7GSY to sign up.

Resources

Free Access to Fastcase Legal Research is available to attorneys or volunteers in need. Members of the California Lawyers Association,² Alameda County Bar Association,³ or San Fernando Bar Association⁴ may log into their bar association account and access the benefit through their respective association. Volunteers or paralegals without traditional access to this benefit may sign up for a twenty-four hour free trial⁵ or contact Fastcase at relief@fastcase.com for additional support.

Morrison & Foerster⁶ has created comprehensive guides⁷ to help victims in disasters. Helping guides for these recent fires are expected soon, but reading the 2018 fire booklets will be instructive.

Disaster LegalAid Collaborative (DLAC) has training videos and resources available to train attorney volunteers and provide information to the public. Information can be found at https://disasterlegalservicesca.org/.

The State Bar of California has set up a resource page.⁸

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Notes:

1. Reprinted from https://calawyers.org/disasters/ (accessed May 18, 2020).

2. https://calawyers.org/fastcase/.

3. https://www.acbanet.org/membership/fastcase/.

4. https://sfvba.org/member-resources/fastcase/.

5. http://www.fastcase.com/pricing-plans/.

6. https://www.mofo.com/.

7. Morrison & Foerster, Sustainability Focus, https://www.mofo.com/culture/community/helping-handbooks.html (last visited May 23, 2020).

8. California State Bar, Providing Pro Bono Legal Support After a Disaster, https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Access-to-Justice/Pro-Bono/Volunteer-After-a-Disaster (last visited May 23, 2020).