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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2020
The guide will also direct those whose legal issues resulting from Hurricane Florence are still unresolved to local legal aid organizations. For those who may not meet legal aid eligibility criteria, the site will provide an online application for pro bono legal services.
The $44 billion in estimated damages and lost output from Hurricane Florence have been compounded by unmet civil legal needs created by the storm. This heavily impacts more than 639,093 residents eligible for civil legal aid in the 34 North Carolina counties designated as disaster areas. Lawyers are uniquely equipped to resolve many of these disaster-related problems and help return survivors to productivity and prevent future reliance on the government.
The online guide and the opportunity to apply for remote legal help is vital to the ongoing recovery of the counties impacted by Florence, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The information in the guide is presented by the PBRC, Disability Rights North Carolina, the Land Loss Prevention Project, Legal Aid of North Carolina, the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism & Community Service, and the North Carolina Office of Recovery & Resiliency. This project is funded by a grant from the North Carolina Community Foundation.
The Online Legal Guide to Florence Recovery and Hurricane Preparedness is the PBRC’s latest effort to ensure that those still dealing with legal issues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence can find the legal information and assistance they need to be better informed and prepared before the next storm.
About the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center
The North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center is a program of the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission, which is a commission of the Supreme Court of North Carolina working to expand access to the civil justice system for North Carolinians of low income and modest means. The PBRC, one of only a handful of similar statewide centers in the country, has two goals: (1) to develop pro bono projects with existing stakeholders statewide; and (2) to provide support for existing pro bono activities in the state, including recruitment, training, and communication.
About North Carolina Judicial Branch
The North Carolina Judicial Branch is an equal and distinctively separate branch and core function of government. More than 6,400 Judicial Branch employees statewide administer justice in courthouses in North Carolina’s 100 counties. The Judicial Branch budget for FY 2018–2019 was $553.2M, nearly 92% of which is used to pay salaries and the remaining 8% is used for operations. The Judicial Branch receives only 2.31% of the overall State budget.
About North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts
The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) is the administrative agency for the North Carolina Judicial Branch, providing administrative services to help the North Carolina court system operate more efficiently and effectively, taking into account each courthouse’s diverse needs, caseloads, and available resources.
Media Contacts
Charles Keller – O 919-890-1405 | M 704-607-0777
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