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ACCESS TO JUSTICE REPORT
NOV 2022

To: LSBA Board of Governors
From: Monte Mollere, ATJ Director

This memo highlights information on the programs and initiatives of the LSBA’s Access to Justice
Commission, Committee and Department that may be of interest or relevance to the LSBA Board of
Governors. Only activities occurring since the last board meeting are included in this report. Should
you have any questions or require additional background on any item, I am happy to provide that
information.

1) Louisiana’s First Disaster Law Collaboration Summit held November 3-4, 2022

Hosted by the Louisiana State Bar Association's Access to Justice Program (LSBA) and Southeast
Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS), the Disaster Law Collaboration Summit will bring together
disaster responders from across the state to bridge the gap between legal aid and disaster response
groups. The Summit will take place over two days, with the first day focused on the critical role
civil legal aid plays before, during, and after disasters. Over 200 attendees are expected, including
disaster responders from government and non-government agencies, nonprofit organizations,
librarians, and community partners. The second day of the Summit will offer legal training for
Louisiana attorneys and legal aid organization staff who provide disaster response legal assistance.
Louisiana civil legal aid providers will receive substantive law training and CLE credit. Featured
speakers include Governor John Bel Edwards; Frank X. Neuner, Jr., Board of Directors of the
Legal Services Corporation; Casey Tingle, Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness; Congressman Garret Graves, Louisiana’s Sixth
Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives; and Stephen I. (Steve)
Dwyer, 2022-2023 President of the LSBA.

2) LSBA Participates in ABA’s National Celebrate Pro Bono Week the

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As a part of National Celebrate Pro Bono week October 24-29, 2022, the LSBA held its 9 annual
Lawyers in Libraries event. The Access to Justice Program coordinated over 140 events with 102
attorneys volunteering in “Ask-a-Lawyer” sessions where patrons asked legal questions in
person and by phone. Daily educational webinars were also broadcast on the Lawyers in Libraries
Facebook page on topics of interest–Renters’ Rights, Divorce & Custody, Estate Planning 101,
Disability Rights, and Small Successions. In total, over 71 library branches hosted events in 41
parishes.

Also as part of Pro Bono Week, Entergy hosted a multi-state Free Legal Answers clinic.
Participating states included Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Attorneys from Entergy
and Baker Donelson participated in the Louisiana event with the help of several students from
Loyola’s College of Law. Further, the Louisiana event was both in person and virtual. The nine
participating attorneys and four law students were able to answer 28 questions on the site during

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