A free disaster legal clinic for homeowners affected by Hurricane Ida opens Friday, October 29, 10 am - 2pm, at the Joe Brown Community Center, 5601 Read Blvd. in New Orleans.

Legal aid and pro bono attorneys will provide free legal assistance to answer homeowner’s questions related to FEMA claims and denial, insurance claims, successions/wills, contractor disputes, foreclosure, public benefits, family law, bankruptcy, tax, and more.

Parking is free to attendees. Attendance is limited to the first 100 participants. If capacity is exceeded, a signup list for callbacks will be created.

COVID protocols will be followed including mask-wearing, social distancing, and temperature checks. Interpreters for Spanish and Vietnamese speakers will be available provided through NOLA Ready.

Homeowners will be screened for services and referred to either Southeast Louisiana Legal Services or the various participating pro bono programs for services. Homeowners should be aware that there are some limitations on free disaster legal services. For example, a homeowner may not qualify for civil legal aid because they do not meet the income guidelines of the organization. Or assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where fees are paid part of the settlement by the court). Individuals with these types of cases are referred to the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Find Legal Help page that includes lawyer referral information.

SLLS, NOLA Ready, the New Orleans Pro Bono Project, Louisiana Appleseed, Loyola University College of Law, the GNO Louis A. Martinet Society, CORE, and the Louisiana State Bar Association’s (LSBA) Young Lawyers Division are hosting this event as part of National Pro Bono Week.

Resources

• Southeast Louisiana Legal Services: https://slls.org/

• Disaster Helpline 1-844-244-7871 The New Orleans Pro Bono Project: http://probono-no.org/

• Louisiana Appleseed - https://www.louisianaappleseed.org/

• Legal Information: https://louisianalawhelp.org/

• Louisiana Free Legal Answers: La.freelegalanswers.org

• Free Disaster Legal Tip Line: Text “subscribe” to 318-405-4185

• Find Legal Help Page: www.lsba.org/public/findlegalhelp/