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November
29, 2005
National Bar Association Hurricane
Katrina Task Force
September
13, 2005
Hurricane Katrina Pro Bono Legal Services
and Volunteer Plan
Marlon
Primes, NBA Vice President for Sections and Divisions and
Co-Chairman of the NBA Hurricane Katrina Task Force
The
National Bar Association ("NBA") Hurricane Katrina Task
Force has been meeting to devise a national strategy to
address the tragedy in the gulf coast region. I am incorporating
many of the suggestions of task force members, the hard
work of the Houston Lawyers' Association ("HLA") and the
diligent efforts of other NBA chapters into this plan,
which was recently approved by NBA President Reginald
Turner and Task Force Co-Chairman Vanita Banks.
More
>
Statement
of National Bar Association President Reginald M. Turner
Regarding
Hurricane Katrina
The
National Bar Association (NBA) is poised to assist the people
of the Gulf Coast region affected by the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina. Our prayers are extended to members of
the National Bar Association residing in the region, and
to the hundreds of thousands of Americans suffering from
the destruction.
The
NBA is mobilizing the maximum resources available within
our organization to assist. We call upon our members to
contribute to the relief efforts of the American Red Cross,
and other local, state and national humanitarian agencies
providing food, water, shelter and other basic necessities
to hurricane victims. Each NBA member, affiliate chapter,
section and division is requested to contact the American
Red Cross by calling (800) HELP-NOW
or by visiting its website at http://www.redcross.org.
We ask that NBA members identify on calls or web responses
their membership in the National Bar Association so that
we may stand in unity with them in their relief effort.
There
are already some amazing stories of NBA members providing
extraordinary assistance to families in need. Like Judge
Cynthia Stephens of Detroit, the NBA Chaplain, who diverted
from her vacation to go to Houston to minister to the spiritual
and earthly needs of families transplanted from New Orleans.
Like Attorney Russell Wilson of Texas, who personally provided
food, water, clothing and shelter for a stranded family
of nine people, paying for them to continue to stay in temporary
housing from which they were about to be evicted. We truly
belong to a noble profession!
Finally,
the NBA is joining with its local affiliates, such as the
J.L. Turner Legal Association of Dallas, Texas and Houston
Black Lawyers Association of Houston, Texas whose relief
efforts are already underway as they tend to the specific
needs of people on the ground. The NBA is also joining with
the American Bar Association (ABA) to provide additional
pro bono legal services and to help lawyers re-establish
practices disrupted by the hurricane. Details regarding
these efforts will be posted in the coming days on the NBA
and ABA websites, www.nationalbar.org and www.abanet.org.
I encourage you to go to the visit these sites to help you
determine ways you can be of assistance.
The
NBA is the oldest and largest organization of attorneys
and judges of color in the world. The NBA was founded in
1925, and today represents over 20,000 lawyers, judges,
legal scholars and law students internationally.
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May 10, 2008
