Page 257 - 2019 Orientation Manual

Access to Justice Committee

Coordination and Evaluation

Over the past several years, the Access to Justice Committee has made a concerted effort to ensure
that the Committee’s work includes all members of our justice community by focusing efforts on
issues that are common to all providers. The Access to Justice Committee focuses on projects
which help integrate Louisiana’s network of civil legal services delivery. In examining the
progress made, Committee members recognize the benefits to clients when providers work
together to expand the capacity of all Louisiana providers. At the encouragement of funders and
providers alike, the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee has accepted
greater responsibility and agreed to provide leadership in building and strengthening our Louisiana
Justice Community. Previous committee efforts have brought service providers together to analyze
issues relevant to the coordinated delivery of legal services. The issues included: Self-Represented
Litigation, Client Access, Full Range of Services, Private Attorney Involvement, Resource
Development and Community Education and Involvement. The resulting concepts were
incorporated into the ongoing work of the ATJ Committee and subcommittees. In March 2015 the
ATJ Policy Committee convened an Access to Justice Summit bringing together a broad cross-
section of organizations and individuals who have been active with access to justice effort in
Louisiana. The Summit highlighted the successful access to justice efforts accomplished in
Louisiana through cooperation of the various organizations, identified issues which need
additional focus and discussed ideas and opinions of an evolving concept for an Access to Justice
Commission.

Access to Justice Subcommittees

Disaster Planning Subcommittee, Ann Gregorie, Chair

The Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA), in conjunction with the American Bar Association
Young Lawyers Division (ABA/YLD), the Louisiana Civil Justice Center (LCJC) and the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), coordinate the statewide disaster plan for legal
assistance when disaster strikes in Louisiana. As part of this plan, the LSBA maintains a webpage,
www.lsba.org/dr, as a portal for disaster information that is activated once the disaster plan has
been enacted. The subcommittee also works with Louisiana Appleseed to maintain a Disaster
Training Manual used as a source for training material and as a guide for those attorneys who
volunteer their time with disaster victims. In addition, the LSBA Disaster response website, the
LSBA also houses and maintains the the toll-free disaster hotline (1-800-310-7019) stipulated in
the statewide disaster plan. The hotline provides the appropriate legal referral information for those
who call.

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