Bar Association Joins in Sandy Storm Relief EffortPresident Seymour W. James, Jr. extends his heartfelt concern and support to everyone affected by the recent storm and its disastrous results, and his best wishes for a speedy recovery from the devastation. The State Bar is reaching out to presidents of local county bar associations in the affected areas to coordinate our response. Today (Friday, Nov. 2), State Bar President Seymour W. James, Jr. joined with Dean Patricia Salkin of Touro Law Center at a press conference on Long Island, along with elected officials, local bars and other community organizations, to discuss the specific needs in that particularly hard-hit region. Throughout the affected areas, the State Bar anticipates a great need for assistance with legal issues related to FEMA applications, insurance, real estate matters, and other general legal matters, such as replacing missing wills and other documents. The State Bar is developing a training session for attorneys on disaster relief issues that will be webcast and archived for later viewing, in hopes that this resource will assist attorneys and local bar associations in their efforts to assist affected individuals. The State Bar strongly encourages attorneys to take advantage of this training, to become better equipped to provide pro bono services to people in need of assistance in the wake of the storm. President James will provide an update and additional details about the training as soon as they are finalized. In addition, the NYSBA Lawyer Referral and Information Service has created a dedicated number (1-800-699-5636) for people in need of help, and is currently recruiting attorneys to provide free telephone consultations to individuals affected by Sandy. There is a particular need for attorneys with insurance, landlord/tenant, co-op and condo, or FEMA appeals experience, as well as those who can handle general practice matters. If you are able to help, please visit www.nysba.org/DisasterVolunteerSandy and complete a volunteer form. The State Bar is also providing a free non-accredited informational video on emergency preparedness strategies for attorneys. The program – Disaster Planning and Emergency Preparedness: Best Practices for Solos – was designed to help attorneys prepare for unforeseen crises that can jeopardize their practices, and includes helpful information and steps to take following a disaster. The video will be available, free of charge, through the month of November. You can view it at: www.nysba.org/DisasterPlanningProgram We will continue to monitor and assess the law-related needs of those in the affected areas of our state. President James extends his sincere thanks to those who are already assisting in this important relief effort and encourages all attorneys to consider becoming involved. The News, Notes and Notices section of our website will continue to include updates and links to relevant resources. Court Information (Storm-Related):http://www.courts.state.ny.us/court-closings.shtml Recent Executive Orders:http://www.governor.ny.gov/sl2/ExecutiveOrderindex Disaster Assistance:http://www.disasterassistance.gov/ |