Trial lawyers rush to aid Katrina victims.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina's devastation, calls poured into ATLA from members offering assistance. Members whose lives and practices had been disrupted or destroyed also turned to the organization for help. The association immediately set up a hurricane relief fund through Trial Lawyers Care, which was initially created to provide pro bono legal assistance to victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

ATLA members and staff responded generously, raising nearly $415,000 in the days and weeks following the storm. On September 15, at the beginning of the State Leaders Summit, many state trial lawyer association presidents, presidents-elect, and executive directors, as well as members of ATLA's Executive Committee, participated in a phone bank at ATLA headquarters to solicit contributions to the Trial Lawyers Care fund. Every penny raised--with no administrative expenses--will go straight to hurricane victims.

"Because trial lawyers spend every day working on behalf of people injured through no fault of their own, I am never surprised, but always humbled and proud, when my brothers and sisters in the trial bar open their hearts and homes and give from their wallets and reservoirs of talent to help those in need, as they have for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath," said Ken Suggs, ATLA president.

While financial assistance is the foremost need, according to the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama trial lawyer associations, ATLA has also responded in other ways.

List server. To help the affected states match offers of assistance with appeals for help, ATLA set up a Hurricane Relief list server on atla.org where members have posted offers of jobs, housing, office space, and technological assistance. The effort will continue as victims move beyond meeting basic needs.

Document library. The ATLA Exchange established a Hurricane Relief Document Library, providing forms and documents for free to help members revive their practices. Continuing legal education programs designed to train lawyers to help Katrina victims complete required Federal Emergency Management Agency paperwork were provided by Patton Boggs attorneys in conjunction with the state and local bar associations in Louisiana. Volunteers will receive CLE credit for their efforts. Materials used at these programs have been added to the document library.

Insurance claims task force. Bob Peck, president of the Center for Constitutional Litigation, ATLA's law firm, is chairing an American Bar Association task force to expedite and clarify the claims process for victims, provide pro bono mediation, work with state insurance departments to establish consumer-friendly rules, and provide information about the process. ATLA members are encouraged to offer their volunteer legal assistance through this effort.

New Lawyers Division. The NLD has also developed a relief effort, Operation Waveland NLD, to bring essential supplies to Waveland, Mississippi, and surrounding Hancock County--one of the hardest-hit areas. The town of 10,000 inhabitants was literally leveled, losing the historic downtown, hospital, police and fire departments, and city hall. Rebecca Langston of Jackson, Mississippi, is coordinating the effort with the NLD Executive Committee, working with a local church and the Red Cross.

With an initial $1,950 collected from NLD members, Langston opened a bank account designated for Katrina relief and purchased supplies from a wholesale warehouse. On the morning of September 14, she, her husband, and a group of new Mississippi lawyers, including David Gates, executive director of the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association (MTLA), loaded four trucks with supplies--two financed by NLD donations bound for Waveland, and two financed by MTLA donations bound for Hattiesburg and Soso.

"It went very well, and they were very pleased to receive the supplies," said Langston. "[Waveland residents] obviously need more supplies and help rebuilding their city, which will be part two of the NLD project." The second shipment followed two weeks later, as the NLD continued to collect money, baby food, diapers, clothing, and other immediate necessities. Langston is using her office as a repository for donated supplies and promises to ferry them to the affected areas on a regular basis.

Caucuses. ATLA's Women's Caucus has added its own "Sister-to-Sister" program to the relief effort. "There are many women attorneys along the Gulf Coast who have lost everything and are in desperate need of basic office essentials for their practices," said Rondolyn Wilson, manager of new lawyer and women lawyer programs at ATLA. The caucus is seeking donations of office supplies, such as desks, computers (new or used), and other equipment. The Minority. Caucus has also pledged its support to both the NLD and Women's Caucus efforts.

ATLA's aid will continue as long as the need exists. The association thanks its staff and members who have responded to the victims of this unprecedented natural disaster with energy and compassion.

How you can help

* To contribute to the Trial Lawyers Care fund, click on the link in the "Hurricane Katrina Relief" box on ATLA's home page at www.atla.org or go directly to www.atla.org/hurricanerelief/form.aspx.

* To join the list server (open to ATLA members only), follow the link on the home page or go directly to www.atla.org/Lyris/hurricane_response.aspx.

* Access the document library from the home page or go to www.atla.org/sections/hurricane.aspx#doc. Send your documents via e-mail to [e-mail] or on disc to ATLA Exchange, 1050 31st St., N.W., Washington, DC 20007.

* To volunteer pro bono services for the ABA effort, visit www.abanet.org/katrina.

* To help with Operation Waveland NLD, send checks, payable to Rebecca Langston, to Langston & Langston, 201 N. President St., Jackson, MS 39201.

* Donations of supplies for the Women's Caucus effort should also go to Rebecca Langston at the address above.