National Disaster Legal Aid Advocacy Center

Who We Are

Welcome! In 2018, Pro Bono Net and Lone Star Legal Aid developed this practice area for DisasterLegalAid.org. We aim to use this area as a means to facilitate connections between advocates working in disaster legal aid and give additional visibility to national disaster legal aid efforts. The National Disaster Legal Aid Advocacy Center welcomes all advocates and volunteers from nonprofit legal aid organizations, bar associations, pro bono counsel from law firms and corporations, law school students and faculty, and allied nonprofits working on disaster legal aid.

Become a Member

Click on “Join Us” to start. By joining, you will become part of a growing network of advocates, attorneys, and allies in the disaster legal aid community. You'll also have access to:
- The national disaster legal aid listserv
- Information and registration for roundtable discussions
- A FEMA appeals brief bank with templates provided by leading legal aid organizations working on disaster response
- Monthly training calendar sent to your e-mail

Connect with Us

Follow us on social media!
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/disasterlegalaid/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/disaster_legal
For more information on what we do, comments, or questions, please contact Jeanne Ortiz at jortiz@probono.net.

Join Us

Highlights

What's New?

To join our network of over 600 advocates, please click the "Join Us" button above or visit https://www.disasterlegalaid.org/advocates/join/.
NEW! National Disaster Recovery & Resilience CLE Training | Current and Emerging Issues in Disaster Response: Legal Strategies and Practices for Helping Survivors - Pro Bono Net, Equal Justice Works, and Lone Star Legal Aid are pleased to announce a new and comprehensive Practising Law Institute training program for attorneys, community organizers, and other advocates across the United States committed to disaster response, recovery, and resilience. You can find the program materials and segment recordings here. This program is free and will be available on-demand through November 2022. Attorneys seeking CLE credit for their jurisdictions can see CLE details on the page.
2021 Disaster Resilience Awareness Month - Equal Justice Works, American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, American Red Cross, and the National Disaster Legal Aid Resource Center Team Up to Launch First-ever Disaster Resilience Awareness Month. Learn more here. To see the recording for the 25 Pro Tips for Working with FEMA: COVID-19 Edition webinar, please click here and for a summary of the pro tips, please click here.
COVID-19 Legal Response: For advocates interested in sharing information, resources and strategies, please visit our COVID-19 Legal Response page.
Figuring Out FEMA: A Trauma-informed Resource for Disaster Survivors - Download your free copy of Figuring Out FEMA, a new pocket-sized, trauma-informed visual resource for people affected by natural disasters.
Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG) - Updated May 2021

Upcoming Events

Current and Emerging Issues in Disaster Response: Legal Strategies and Practices for Helping Survivors, On Demand, Dec 1 - Nov 30
Disaster and Succession Planning for Law Firms, Online, Mar 8
Pro Bono Basics 2022: Best Practices and Ethics (Virtual Event), Virtual Event, Mar 10

You put in the hours to become a legal expert. Can communities affected by natural disasters count on your skills? Visit www.disasterlegalaid.org/get-started to learn more.

FEMA's Updated Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG)

In 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced updates to its Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide. For the latest version of the guide, please click here.

In addition, on September 2, 2021, FEMA announced an amendment to the IAPPG. This update includes additional flexibility for survivors to verify occupancy and ownership of damaged property. See the updates here.