President’s Perspective
North Carolina Bar Association’s Response to Hurricane Helene
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the northwest region of North Carolina has faced unprecedented challenges. The devastation brought by the hurricane has left many communities grappling with the aftermath, including significant damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. As President of the North Carolina Bar Association, I am proud to highlight our association’s role in providing compassionate legal services to those affected by this disaster.
We are always stronger and more effective as a profession when we collaborate and unite, just as lawyers across the state are doing right now in volunteering to assist with Disaster Legal Services. The North Carolina Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division coordinates the North Carolina Disaster Legal Services effort in partnership with FEMA and the ABA Young Lawyers Division. With the support of the NC Bar Foundation and the Paralegal Division they work with Legal Aid of North Carolina to recruit, train, and engage pro bono volunteers to provide free legal services to individuals and families affected by the hurricane. Disaster Legal Services is also working closely with Pisgah Legal Services to provide assistance to the residents of Western North Carolina. Our volunteer lawyers will be assisting with a range of legal issues, including insurance and FEMA claims, landlord/tenant issues, replacement of damaged or lost estate planning documents, consumer fraud, bankruptcy, and other legal matters related to disaster assistance.
Asheville flooding photo courtesy of Carolina Public Press / Colby Rabon
I wish to express my sincere thanks to the members of our Young Lawyers Division for their leadership of this effort and the Paralegal Division for their support. The scale of this disaster event will require a sustained commitment from many volunteers over an extended period of time. I encourage all members of our association to consider volunteering to assist with Disaster Legal Services and contribute to the Disaster Legal Services Fund (a link is available on the NCBA website). To date we have had over 1,500 volunteers who have signed up to provide disaster legal services assistance including approximately 100 paralegals and 100 law students. Volunteer training is provided to all who sign up to participate. Navigating the legal system can be daunting, especially in the aftermath of a catastrophic event. As lawyers, we are uniquely situated to be able to offer essential pro bono legal services to those in need.
The North Carolina Bar Association and Foundation’s response to Hurricane Helene exemplifies our commitment to the pursuit of justice for all. This difficult time provides a moment for members of our profession to stand with our fellow North Carolinians and utilize our specialized legal expertise for good, to provide the legal assistance necessary to aid in the recovery and rebuilding process.
Kimberly H. Stogner serves as president of the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Foundation.