Legacy of Hurricane Katrina takes toll on Mississippi attorneys.

• Author: Gettis, Gail

It had been 36 years and 10 days and some Mississippians had actually forgotten the extent of the destruction Camille had caused, while others remembered it vividly. No one, however, will likely forget the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Mississippi's legal community was certainly not immune to the aftermath of Katrina. With close to 900 of its more than 6,600 active attorneys practicing and living on the coast, the storm had a major impact on not only those attorneys but also the many Gulf Coast residents who relied on their services. In the wake of Katrina, the legal needs of the community would be even greater. A question arose as to whether the legal profession would be equipped to handle them.

"The reality is that the legacy of Katrina is taking a huge human toll on lawyers whose clients are truly in desperate need of help, while lawyers struggle to deal with the identical problems, along with their neighbors and family," said Biloxi attorney Patti Golden. Golden's office suffered severe wind and rain damage.

Golden's home was reduced to rubble. She and her husband Jay, also an attorney, raised their family in a 70-year-old brick house on the beach. After Katrina, nothing was left of the house itself and they found few personal belongings in the rubble. Their daughter's wedding was scheduled for the next week and the reception was to be held at their house. However, the storm not only destroyed the house but also the church, the caterer's business, the wedding dress and bridesmaid's dresses, and all of the gifts.

Golden understands that she did not suffer alone. Most coast lawyers suffered in some way, and continue to suffer a loss of income. Even if lawyers could continue with or take on client cases, every single aspect of practicing has been made more difficult. Water destroyed files and mail could not be delivered for weeks following Katrina. Many lawyers who work in bankruptcy court and federal court now must drive to Hattiesburg to try their cases. "We have learned patience if nothing else. Everything, without exception, moves at a half pace," said Golden.

For Gulfport attorney Michael B. Holleman, the Katrina experience brought to mind an anonymous quote he discovered years ago: "Life here has been so strange that it will probably take years to figure out just what did happened." Holleman feels there is no way for those who experienced Katrina to truly know yet what they have experienced.

"The mind cannot grasp what has happened...