Bar Association Joins in Sandy Storm Relief Effort
President 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
Governor
Cuomo’s Executive Order 52 on Temporary Suspension and
Modification of Statutory Provisions Establishing Time Limitations on
Actions and Time in Which to Take an Appeal
Governor
Cuomo’s Executive Order 53 on the Temporary Suspension and
Modification of Statutory Provisions Establishing Time Limitations for
Holding A Defendant in Custody Pending Disposition of a Felony
Complaint
Disaster Assistance:
http://www.disasterassistance.gov/
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