Author: pricelessmisc

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to Disaster Relief

Please note that this information is from 2018. If you are a Hurricane Florence survivor and would like Legal Aid’s help during recovery, please call 866-219-5262 to learn more about our services and eligibility. For more information about how Legal Aid may be able to help Florence survivors, click here.

Additional Counties Approved to Receive Federal Aid, Total Now Stands at 34

A pro bono legal services project of the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Legal Aid of North Carolina, American Bar Association, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency helps North Carolina residents affected by Hurricane Florence

RALEIGH · October 26, 2018 – A toll-free legal aid hotline is now available for survivors of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. The service, which allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer free of charge, is a partnership between the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Legal Aid of North Carolina, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with support from the North Carolina Bar Foundation.

Survivors of Hurricane Florence who have disaster-related legal questions or concerns may call 1-833-242-3549, the NC DLS assistance hotline activated by the North Carolina Bar Association. Callers should identify that they are seeking hurricane-related legal assistance, ask for Disaster Legal Services and identify the county in which they are located. Survivors who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal help.

Examples of legal assistance available include:

  • Assistance with appeals of FEMA and other benefits available to disaster survivors
  • Assistance with life, medical and property insurance claims
  • Help with home repair contracts and contractors, including fraud or scams
  • Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster
  • Assistance with consumer protection matters
  • Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems
  • Counseling on landlord/tenant problems
  • Emergency family law-related needs caused by a change in housing circumstances

The hotline is available weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, 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). Such cases will be referred to the NCBA Lawyer Referral Service (www.NCFindALawyer.org).

Major Disaster Declaration

A total of 34 North Carolina counties have been approved to receive federal assistance in the wake of Hurricane Florence. The counties are Anson, Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Union, Wayne and Wilson counties. Additional counties may be added.

People who sustained property damage as a result of the Hurricane Florence are urged to register with FEMA, as they may be eligible for federal and state disaster assistance. People can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or Web-enabled device at fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585 (TTY) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Eastern Time) seven days a week. Hurricane Florence survivors are also urged to call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 if there are any questions, they need clarifications or to inquire about status updates of their registrations.

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available for eligible applicants. SBA helps businesses of all sizes (including landlords), private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or damaged personal property. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries.

For more information, individuals may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

For more information on North Carolina’s recovery, visit the disaster Web page at https://www.fema.gov/disaster/3380, Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website, http://www.ncdps.gov/.

Beware of Fraud

Both FEMA and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office are warning North Carolina residents of the risk of fraud and common scams in the wake of the severe weather. Common post-disaster fraud practices include phony housing inspectors, fraudulent building contractors, bogus pleas for disaster donations and fake offers of state or federal aid. North Carolinians are urged to ask questions, and to require identification when someone claims to represent a government agency.

Survivors should also keep in mind that state and federal workers never ask for or accept money, and always carry identification badges with a photograph. There is no fee required to apply for or to receive disaster assistance from FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) or the state. Additionally, no state or federal government disaster assistance agency will call to ask for your financial account information. Unless you place a call to the agency yourself, you should not provide personal information over the phone as it can lead to identity theft.

Those who suspect fraud can call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 (toll free). Complaints may also be made to the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-877-566-7226.

Background

When the U.S. President declares a major disaster, FEMA, in cooperation with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, helps to establish a toll-free number for disaster survivors to request legal assistance. Funding for the toll-free line comes from FEMA under the authority of Section 415 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 100-707). The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division in turn partners with state bar associations and other legal organizations to recruit volunteer lawyers in affected areas to handle survivors’ cases. In North Carolina, the partners utilize the hotline offered by the North Carolina Bar Association, which provides legal information and referrals for civil legal issues. Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where attorneys are paid part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are referred to a local lawyer referral service. To determine whether an issue qualifies for free legal assistance, individuals should call 1-800-310-7029 to determine whether a particular issue qualifies.

Partner Organizations

The following organizations have joined forces to establish a toll-free phone line for North Carolina Hurricane Florence survivors to request free legal assistance, and to provide volunteer attorneys to handle cases arising from hurricane related damage.

North Carolina Bar Association

The North Carolina Bar Association is a voluntary organization of lawyers, paralegals and law students dedicated to serving the public and the legal profession. The NCBA has established a special website devoted to disaster-related resources: www.ncbar.org/florence/.

Legal Aid of North Carolina

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, non-profit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.

American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

The ABA YLD, the largest national organization of young lawyers, provides leadership in serving the public and the profession, and promotes excellence and fulfillment in the practice of law. Its parent organization, the ABA, is the national voice of the legal profession and one of the largest voluntary professional membership groups in the world.

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. Through an agreement with the American Bar Association, FEMA underwrites the cost of operating toll free legal assistance lines for survivors in areas designated as federal disaster sites.

National Disaster Legal Aid Online

NDLA (available at: disasterlegalaid.org) is a collaborative effort of Lone Star Legal Aid, the American Bar Association, the Legal Services Corporation, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and Pro Bono Net.

United Policyholders

United Policyholders (UP) (www.uphelp.org) is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) consumer advocacy group that specializes in helping disaster survivors with insurance claim issues. UP also trains case managers and legal aid lawyers to assist clients with insurance and disaster recovery matters.

Contacts

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to Government Benefits

RALEIGH · January 17, 2019 – If you receive Food and Nutrition Services benefits (food stamps), your February benefits will be available early, at 6 a.m. on Sunday, January 20, due to the federal government shutdown.

“However, participants should be aware that since there will be no [Food and Nutrition Services] benefits issued in the month of February, they should plan accordingly,” the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services warned in its announcement on January 11.

Read the announcement from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to Healthcare Access

Expert navigators available to help consumers enroll in ACA health insurance plans before open enrollment ends Jan. 31

MORGANTON, January 12, 2016 – Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Morganton office is holding a series of free enroll-a-thons (see below) in Alexander, Caldwell, Catawba and McDowell counties to help consumers enroll in affordable health insurance through the Affordable Care Act before the 2015-2016 open-enrollment period ends Jan. 31.

At the events, consumers can meet with certified health care navigators who are trained to help consumers understand the details of the plans available on the Health Insurance Marketplace, determine eligibility for financial assistance, complete the enrollment process and more.

The events are free and open to the public. Walk-ins are welcome, but consumers can schedule appointments by calling North Carolina’s toll-free navigator hotline at 1-855-733-3711 or visiting the Get Covered Connector.

To enroll in a health insurance plan, consumers will need to provide certain information for everyone who will be covered by the plan. This information includes social security numbers and dates of birth; names, addresses and contact information of employers; policy numbers for current health insurance plans (if any) and proof of household income.

Consumers without health insurance at the end of the open-enrollment period may be subject to a fine on their 2016 tax return. This year, the fine is increasing from $325 per person to $695 per person, or 2.5 percent of the consumer’s income, whichever is greater. Some consumers may be eligible to have the fine waived. Navigators can help consumers apply for waivers.

The enroll-a-thons in Newton and Hickory will be held in partnership with Catawba Family Care. The Marion enroll-a-thon will be held in partnership with the McDowell Health Coalition and the Council on Aging of Buncombe County.

Here is the list of upcoming enroll-a-thons:

  • ​JAN 13: Eastern Catawba Cooperative, Christian Ministry, 245 E. N St., Newton, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • JAN 16: Patrick Beaver Memorial Library, 375 3rd St. NE, Hickory, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • JAN 19: Addie’s Chapel United Methodist Church, 201 Ridley St., Marion, ​2-6 p.m.
  • ​JAN 21: CVCC Alexander Campus, 345 Industrial Blvd., Taylorsville, 1-9 p.m.
  • JAN 23: Caldwell County Library, 120 Hospital Ave. NW, Lenoir, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • JAN 30: Frye Care, 1781 Tate Blvd., SE #101, Hickory, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

# # #

The NC Navigator Consortium​ is a group of 14 health care, social service, and legal aid organizations that helps North Carolina consumers enroll in affordable health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act. The consortium is led by Legal Aid of North Carolina, a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to low-income North Carolinians. Members of the consortium are Access East, Capital Care Collaborative, Cape Fear HealthNet, Care Ring, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Cumberland HealthNet, HealthCare Access,HealthNet Gaston, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, MDC,Partnership for Community Care, Pisgah Legal Services and United Way of Greater Greensboro.

Media Contacts
Barbara Degen, Sr. Managing Attorney, Morganton Office, 828-437-8280 x2104
Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, 919-856-2132

The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity number CA-NAV-15-001 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.

Author: pricelessmisc

January 30, 2015 – The Durham law firm of Maxwell, Freeman & Bowman, P.A. has announced a gift of $2,500 to Legal Aid of North Carolina in honor of the firm’s former president, James B. Maxwell, chairman of Legal Aid from 2003 to 2004, whose retirement Jan. 1 brought to a close an extraordinary 48-year career in the practice of law.

“We hope this gift and Jim’s immeasurable contributions to North Carolina’s legal community inspire his colleagues throughout the state to make their own contributions to Legal Aid,” said John A. Bowman a member of the firm. “What better way to honor Jim’s service than by helping those who serve our fellow North Carolinians in need.”

Jim led Legal Aid’s board of directors at a seminal moment in the organization’s history. In 2002, independent legal aid offices around the state joined forces to create a single, unified, statewide organization called Legal Aid of North Carolina. Centralizing and standardizing the operations of multiple independent organizations was no mean feat, and Jim’s experienced leadership on the new board was instrumental in ensuring the effort’s success.

“We are incredibly grateful for the firm’s gift, and for Jim’s service to our organization and the broader legal community,” said George R. Hausen Jr., executive director of Legal Aid of North Carolina. “We benefitted from Jim’s leadership at a crucial time in our history and have continued to enjoy his partnership ever since. We wish him the best.”

Jim has long been recognized as a leader in North Carolina’s legal community. He has served as president of the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) and North Carolina Advocates for Justice. He has received the NCBA’s Dr. I. Beverly Lake Public Service Award and the North Carolina State Bar’s John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award.

Outside of work, Jim served his community as a board member for numerous civic and non-profit boards, and was a high school swimming coach for 28 years, earning hi​m a spot in the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame.

Learn more about James B. Maxwell by visiting the website of Maxwell, Freeman & Bowman, P.A., www.mfbpa.com.​

To make a donation to Legal Aid of North Carolina, visit www.legalaidnc.org/donate.

# # #

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at www.legalaidnc.org or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contact

Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, 919-856-2132, seand@legalaidnc.org

Author: pricelessmisc

Support Legal Aid by making a donation and using Amazon Smile

RALEIGH, Nov. 29, 2016 – Every year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Americans take a break from their holiday shopping sprees to celebrate Giving Tuesday, a social-media-driven day of giving that raises support for nonprofits that make a difference in our communities.

This year, Legal Aid of North Carolina asks you to celebrate Giving Tuesday by #GivingJustice. Make a donation today to help us provide critical legal help to 25,000 North Carolinians in need every year. We help victims of domestic violence escape their abusers, families secure safe and habitable housing, and consumers avoid scams, fraud and predatory lending.

Can’t afford to donate right now? No problem. You can support Legal Aid for free by doing your holiday shopping through Amazon Smile, a program that lets Amazon shoppers donate a percentage of their purchases to charities of their choice. Using Amazon Smile is easy: Click here to start shopping, or drag this link to your bookmarks for later. Purchase items as usual, and a portion of the amount you spend will automatically be sent to us as a donation.

Our clients are among the most vulnerable people in our state, and most have nowhere else to go for legal help when their basic human needs are threatened. In turn, we need your support to continue helping as many clients as we can. Please consider donating to Legal Aid or choosing us as your charity on Amazon Smile.

Author: pricelessmisc

RALEIGH · July 12, 2018 – We are extending our best wishes to Gray Wilson, as she begins her well-deserved retirement. Gray retired from Legal Aid of North Carolina earlier this year. She has been a technology specialist at Legal Aid of North Carolina since our founding in 2002, and she worked in legal services for more than four decades, including more than 20 years as a practicing attorney.

We have all benefited from Gray’s vast legal and technological knowledge. She was a trailblazer who innovatively combined these fields to find solutions and uses for technology to benefit our organization and clients. We will miss the passion for legal services that she evinced every day in her work and demeanor.

“There are a number of things that I miss, but most of all I miss interacting with all of my smart, committed colleagues within the legal services community,” Gray said recently. “I also miss the mental stimulation involved in the use of technology to further the mission of legal services programs.”

Gray, who has moved to Washington state, plans to travel and explore her new West Coast environment with her husband. She hopes to visit her son in Seattle often. She also may look into volunteer opportunities somewhere, when circumstances permit.

“Gray’s service to Legal Aid and her passion for providing access to justice using technological advances was inspiring,” said Valene Franco, managing attorney of our Winston-Salem office, where Gray was based. “She is truly missed.”

A Career of Service

Staff Attorney, 1974-1979

  • New Haven Legal Assistance (CT)
  • Concerned Citizens for Justice (VA)

Senior Staff Attorney, 1979-1986

  • Client Centered Legal Services (VA)

Executive Director, 1986-1993

  • Pisgah Legal Services (Asheville)

Technology Specialist, 1994-2002

  • Legal Aid Society of Northwest N.C. (Winston-Salem)

Technology Specialist, 2002-2018

  • Legal Aid of North Carolina (Winston-Salem)

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to NC Bar honors TeAndra Miller, head of domestic violence project

ASHEVILLE · August 5, 2019—The North Carolina Bar Association honored TeAndra Miller, the head of our Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative, with the Deborah Greenblatt Outstanding Legal Services Attorney Award at the association’s Pro Bono Awards Ceremony on June 20 in Asheville.

The Greenblatt Award is given annually to a legal aid lawyer who has made exemplary contributions to the provision of legal aid to North Carolinians in poverty. The award is named after the late Deborah Greenblatt, the former executive director of Disability Rights NC and an inspirational leader in the legal aid and disability rights communities.

“I am truly honored to receive the Greenblatt Award,” TeAndra said, “and I am equally grateful for the opportunity to do such important work on behalf of some of Legal Aid’s most vulnerable clients. My colleagues and I advocate for people whose lives are literally at stake, a fact which infuses our day-to-day work with incredible purpose and meaning—a true blessing.”

TeAndra has been a legal aid lawyer for nearly her entire 25-year legal career. In 1994, after earning her J.D. from N.C. Central University School of Law, she became a family law attorney with East Central Community Legal Services in Raleigh, the predecessor to our Raleigh field office. TeAndra left legal aid for private practice in 1996 but returned in 1999 and has focused on domestic violence ever since.

As the head of our Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative, TeAndra coordinates the delivery of legal services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault across the state. She ensures that advocates throughout our field offices have the training, supervision and resources necessary to provide consistently high-quality and compassionate representation to some of our most vulnerable clients.

She has built strong relationships with partner organizations and funders, and plays a major role in expanding our capacity to serve victims by securing and managing critical funding to support our advocacy. She also serves as the public face of our advocacy by conducting outreach and providing training to law enforcement, social services agencies, the larger legal community and other stakeholders at the local, state and national levels.

TeAndra  has served on a variety of local and statewide task forces that focus on domestic violence and sexual assault. She is currently a member of the N.C. Equal Access to Justice Commission, the Administrative Office of the Court’s Family Court Committee and the Wake County Fatality Task Force.

TeAndra’s parents inspired her to become a public-interest lawyer. Her father, Louis Martin, was a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow for a civil legal aid organization in Little Rock, Ark., in the 70s. He went on to serve as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and Deputy Director of the Maryland Commission on Human Relations.

When her mother, Delores Martin, was 32, Gov. Bill Clinton appointed her to serve as Acting Director of the Arkansas Department of Aging. She went on to direct the Aging Division of the Illinois Attorney General’s office and the Illinois Court of Claims. TeAndra and her mother were both sworn in to the U.S. Supreme Court at the same ceremony in 2009. 

TeAndra lives in Wake County with her husband. They have two daughters and one grandson.

Author: pricelessmisc

GREENSBORO · February 14, 2017 – The Greensboro Bar Association will add a twist to the concept of “bar leadership” at its annual beer-and-wine fundraiser for Legal Aid of North Carolina on Feb. 25 at the Greensboro Science Center.

The event will include a sampling of beers and wines from Greensboro’s Gibbs Hundred Brewing Company and Rioja! wine bar, and a raffle for prizes ranging from restaurant gift certificates to a night on a party bus.

Sponsors of the event include law firms, law offices and individual lawyers, as well as local businesses and other supporters.

Last year’s event was attended by 80 people and raised nearly $20,000 for Legal Aid.

Click here to register and buy raffle tickets.

Author: pricelessmisc

GREENSBORO · Feb. 13, 2018 – The Greensboro Bar Association will host its annual Beer-and-Wine Tasting fundraiser to benefit Legal Aid of North Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Greensboro SciQuarium.

The event will feature awards, raffles, dinner and – of course – drinks. Quaff quality wines from Rioja Wine Bar and sip specialty brews from Four Saints Brewing, Gibb’s Hundred Brewing Company, Joymongers Brewing Co. and Pig Pounder Brewery.

Hope to see you there! Cheers!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to Disaster Relief

Partnership among the North Carolina Bar Association, Legal Aid of North Carolina, American Bar Association, and FEMA helps North Carolina residents

RALEIGH · May 18, 2018 – A toll-free legal aid hotline is now available for victims of the April 15, 2018, tornado and storm (the “tornado”) in North Carolina. The service, which allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer, is a partnership between the North Carolina Bar Association, Legal Aid of North Carolina, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

Low-income survivors facing legal issues may call 1-833-242-3549, the assistance hotline activated by the North Carolina Bar Association. Callers should identify that they are seeking Tornado-related legal assistance, ask for Disaster Legal Services, and should identify the county in which they are located. Survivors who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal help. 

Examples of legal assistance available include:

  • Assistance with appeals of FEMA and other benefits available to disaster survivors
  • Assistance with life, medical and property insurance claims
  • Help with home repair contracts and contractors
  • Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster
  • Assisting in consumer protection matters, remedies and procedures
  • Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems
  • Counseling on landlord/tenant problems

The hotline is available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where fees are paid as part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are referred to a lawyer referral service.

MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION

A total of two North Carolina counties have been approved to receive federal assistance in the wake of the tornado. The counties are Guilford and Rockingham Counties. 

People who sustained property damage as a result of the tornado are urged to register with FEMA, as they may be eligible for federal and state disaster assistance. People can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585 (TTY) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Eastern Time) seven days a week. Tornado survivors are also urged to call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 if there are any questions, need clarifications, to inquire status updates of their registrations. 

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available for eligible applicants. SBA helps businesses of all sizes (including landlords), private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or damaged personal property. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries. 

For more information, individuals may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

For more information on North Carolina’s recovery, visit the disaster Web page at https://www.fema.gov/disaster/3380, Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website, http://www.ncdps.gov. 

BEWARE OF FRAUD

Both FEMA and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office are warning North Carolina residents of the risk of fraud and common scams in the wake of the severe weather. Common post-disaster fraud practices include phony housing inspectors, fraudulent building contractors, bogus pleas for disaster donations, and fake offers of state or federal aid. North Carolinians are urged to ask questions, and to require identification when someone claims to represent a government agency. 

Survivors should also keep in mind that state and federal workers never ask for or accept money, and always carry identification badges with a photograph. There is no fee required to apply for or to receive disaster assistance from FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), or the state. Additionally, no state or federal government disaster assistance agency will call to ask for your financial account information. Unless you place a call to the agency yourself, you should not provide personal information over the phone as it can lead to identity theft. 

Those who suspect fraud can call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 (toll free). Complaints may also be made to the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-877-566-7226. 

BACKGROUND

When the U.S. President declares a major disaster, FEMA, in cooperation with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, helps to establish a toll-free number for disaster survivors to request legal assistance. Funding for the toll-free line comes from FEMA under the authority of Section 415 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency assistance Act (Public Law 100-707). The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division in turn partners with state bar associations and other legal organizations to recruit volunteer lawyers in affected areas to handle survivors’ cases. In North Carolina, the partners utilize the hotline offered by the North Carolina Bar Association, which provides legal information and referrals for civil legal issues. Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where attorneys are paid part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are referred to a local lawyer referral service. To determine whether an issue qualifies for free legal assistance, individuals should call 1-800- 310-7029 to determine whether a particular issue qualifies.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

The following organizations have joined forces to establish a toll-free phone line for North Carolina Tornado victims to request free legal assistance, and to provide volunteer attorneys to handle cases arising from tornado related damage.

  • North Carolina Bar Association – The North Carolina Bar Association is a voluntary organization of lawyers, paralegals and law students dedicated to serving the public and the legal profession.
  • Legal Aid of North Carolina – Legal aid of North Carolina is a statewide, non-profit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.
  • American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division – The ABA YLD, the largest national organization of young lawyers, provides leadership in serving the public and the profession, and promotes excellence and fulfillment in the practice of law. Its parent organization, the ABA, is the national voice of the legal profession and one of the largest voluntary professional membership groups in the world.
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency – FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. Through an agreement with the American Bar Association, FEMA underwrites the cost of operating toll free legal assistance lines for survivors in areas designated as federal disaster sites.
  • National Disaster Legal Aid Online – NDLA (available at: disasterlegalaid.org) is a collaborative effort of Lone Star Legal Aid, the American Bar Association, the Legal Services Corporation, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and Pro Bono Net.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACTS

  • North Carolina Bar Association: Nihad Mansour, Pro Bono Staff Attorney, 919-677-0561, probono@ncbar.org
  • Legal Aid of North Carolina: George Hausen, Executive Director, 919-586-2130, GeorgeH@legalaidnc.org
  • American Bar Association, Brooks Jaffa, ABA YLD District 9 Rep., 704-442-1010 ext. 139, Bfjaffa@gmail.com