Reaching Communities in Crisis: Online Strategies and Resources for Disaster Recovery

• Saundra Brown, Lone Star Legal Aid, Houston, TX • Adam Friedl, Pro Bono Net, New York, NY • Liz Keith, Pro Bono Net, San Francisco, CA • Leah Margulies, LawHelpNY, New York, NY

Technology has played a critical role in disaster relief in the legal community, from mobilizing volunteers to providing critical information directly to the public. This session will discuss lessons learned from past disasters and several new technology initiatives to help respond to those in need with greater speed and efficacy.

ABA / NLADA 2014 Equal Justice Conference

Reaching Communities in Crisis:

Online Strategies and Resources for Disaster Recovery Panelists: Saundra Brown Lone Star Legal Aid Houston, TX sbrown@lonestarlegal.org Adam Friedl Pro Bono Net New York, NY afriedl@probono.net Liz Keith Pro Bono Net San Francisco, CA lkeith@probono.net Leah Margulies LawHelpNY New York, NY lmargulies@nycbar.org Brief Description: Technology has played a critical role in disaster relief in the legal community, from mobilizing volunteers to providing critical information directly to the public. This session will discuss lessons learned from past disasters and several new technology initiatives to help respond to those in need with greater speed and efficacy. Program Goals (what you will learn): By the end of this session participants will be able to:

1. Identify examples of how technology can support the delivery of legal services in disaster and emergency scenarios

2. Be familiar with new online tools and resources to support disaster response efforts and volunteer mobilization in their own community

3. Understand the staffing and technology resources required to support these efforts, and identify resources for replication.

Topical Outline:

I. Welcome and Introductions (Liz Keith)

II. LawHelpNY’s disaster response strategies and resources (Leah Margulies)

a. Introduction to LawHelpNY

b. The role of LawHelpNY in Sandy legal response efforts targeted to the public c. Leveraging social media and SEO strategies for online disaster outreach d. Staffing and supporting these activities

III. Supporting legal services advocates and pro bono mobilization (Adam Friedl) a. Sandy response efforts 18 months out b. PBN’s disaster response capacity-building initiatives c. FEMAAppeals.org national rollout d. Establishing a permanent Disaster Legal Response Network in New York

IV. DisasterLegalAid.org Initiative (Saundra Brown) a. Update on DisasterLegalAid.org initiative b. Model checklist for program response c. DisasterLegalAid pro bono opportunities guide d. Proposed “phase II” activities

V. Looking ahead: other ways to leverage technology in response and outreach efforts (Liz Keith) a. SMS / text messaging examples b. Mobile and web apps c. Online practice resources to support advocates and volunteers in the field d. Considerations for deploying technology in crisis contexts

Bibliography & Website Links:

1. www.LawHelpNY.org

2. LawHelpNY.org Toolkit: Leveraging Social Media and SEO for Online Disaster Outreach

http://www.lawhelpny.org/disaster-toolkit

3. www.DisasterLegalAid.org

4. www.probono.net/ny/nyc

5. www.FEMAAppeals.org

6. Disaster Response and Legal Technology (article by Bill Jones, Technology, Information and Content

Coordinator for the ABA Center for Pro Bono):

http://www.americanbar.org/publications/gp_solo/2012/january_february/disaster_response_legal_tec

hnology.html

Reaching Communities in Crisis: Online Strategies and Resources

for Disaster Recovery Equal Justice Conference 2014

Leah Margulies Project Director, LawHelp New York

Adam Friedl Pro Bono Net, Program and Special Initiatives Manager

Saundra Brown Manager - Disaster Relief Unit, Lone Star Legal Aid

Liz Keith Program Director, Pro Bono Net

Panelists

Leah Margulies LawHelpNY

LawHelpNY’s Disaster Response Strategies and Resources

Welcome to New York City October 30, 2012

86th & Lexington Station This was then

This is now—18 months later, currently scheduled to re-open by July 4, 2014

Breezy Point: Then and Now

My New York Legal Help blog, entries tagged Disaster Relief. Approximately 70,000 visits between when Sandy hit and the end of 2013.

New LawHelpNY blog launched this week: Rights, Education, Access, Law

In New York, there are two rebuild programs—NY Rising (NYS) and Build It Back (NYC) But to date, very few homes have been rebuilt.

Insurance, home and flood, has emerged as a top concern

The new LawHelpNY.org – Disaster Recovery and Relief highlighted

Tweeting in English

Spanish blog and Spanish Twitter

This just in: Proof of loss submissions extended to October 2014

Clinics this week

Launching this month!

Published end of February, 2014: Downloaded 652 times

Ten Trends

Five Tips

Old-fashioned way of doing outreach – but posted on flickr

Adam Friedl Pro Bono Net

Technology and Disaster Legal Aid: Lessons from Sandy and Next Steps

★PBN and the legal response to Sandy ★New Pro Bono Net initiatives ★Technology and disaster legal aid

Outline

• Sandy portal on probono.net/ny/nyc • Comprehensive resource library • Over 700 pro bono attorneys trained

• Sandy listserv and conference calls • 150+ listserv members • 50-70 regular participants in bi-weekly calls

• FEMAAppeals.org • Online FEMA appeal generator

PBN & the Sandy Legal Response

• Different victims had very different needs • Difficulty with government assistance • Efficient pro bono allocation difficult • Inequalities in storm’s impact and recovery

Disaster Lawyering Conference: Observations from 1 year later

• Need for attorney flexibility / coordination • Preparedness and response plans important • Efficient use of pro bono attorneys • Technology integral to disaster legal aid

Disaster Lawyering Conference: Lessons Learned

• Pro bono representation conflicts

• Lack of communication from gov’t agencies

• Cross-agency collaboration

• Insurance policy complications

Overcoming obstacles

• New York Disaster Legal Response Network

• Disaster Legal Aid National Advisory Group

• FEMAAppeals tool

Pro Bono Net initiatives

• Goals • Plan a more permanent network for New York • Institutionalize collaboration • Prepare the legal community for the next disaster

• Tentative Plan • May: kick-off reception • June: interest group meetings • July: formal network building • August: network launch

New York Disaster Legal Response Network

Using the NYC Pro Bono Center

Resources Events Guides & Checklists

News & Alerts Member directory

Pro bono & volunteer

opportunities

• Disaster legal response experts • Legal Services Corporation • American Bar Association • Legal services programs and law schools • Pro Bono Net

• Web-based effort to assist legal services and pro bono attorneys with disaster-related cases

• Hosted on DisasterLegalAid.org

Disaster Legal Aid National Advisory Group

• DisasterLegalAid.org/advisorygroup • Group information • Online form for question/inquiry submission • List of group members

• Attorneys with questions/inquiries complete online form

• Group members discuss questions/inquiries via listserv

• Designated group member responds to attorney

Advisory Group Year 1 Plan

DisasterLegalAid.org/advisorygroup

Online Question/Inquiry Submission

• FEMA has no standardized appeal • CBJC developed pro se form after Sandy • Pro Bono Net created online version

through Hotdocs/A2J • Generic version to be hosted on

DisasterLegalAid.org

FEMAAppeals Tool

• Institutionalized use of technology to assist in service delivery

• DisasterLegalAid.org

• Online training, preparation, resources, document assembly

Technology and disaster legal aid

• Less ad-hoc approach to using technology • Valuable work of Pro Bono Net partners

Technology and disaster legal aid

Saundra Brown Lone Star Legal Aid

DisasterLegalAid.org Initiative

Liz Keith Pro Bono Net

Looking Ahead: Leveraging Technology in

Response & Outreach Efforts

• Providing legal information, direct assistance and referrals to those in needed – and quickly

• Coordinating and supporting the legal community's response

• Mobilizing, training and supporting volunteers • Capturing and sharing knowledge of busy experts • Keeping volunteers informed and engaged as the long-term needs evolve

Where can technology help?

Twilio.org Rapid Response Toolkit

• Auto-responder for inbound voice or text messages

• Broadcast app for volunteers • Ringdown • Simple text-messaging HelpLine

• Used by Polaris Project for trafficking victims to send out a call for help

• SMS-powered survey

Twilio.org Rapid Response Toolkit

• Get local referral information

• Learn about upcoming clinics/workshops

• Appointment and deadline reminders

• SMS hotlines

Other uses of SMS / text messaging to aid survivors

Legal aid SMS initiatives underway in 5 states using Twilio and Mobile Commons

• Emergency alerts • Contact info for MEMA in 82 counties

• Active shelter information during a disaster

• Access to MEMA Twitter and Facebook updates without an account

App examples - MEMA

Expert checklists

• Earshot allows organization staff to receive and exchange messages, photos, completed forms, checklists, files and geographic information

• Used for gathering evidence, submitting field reports and coordinating personnel

Communication & coordination

Red Cross Volunteer App

Considerations

• Build your relationships and networks before • The immediate aftermath may not the time to introduce new tools

• Use tools your community is familiar with • Any tech-enabled response will depend on the communications infrastructure of the affected region

• What is your experience?

Questions?

Comments?

Thoughts? Thank you!