Katrina legal aid for Spring Break Commentary
Katrina legal aid for Spring Break
Edited by: JURIST Commentator

Elizabeth Seitz [University of Pittsburgh School of Law 3L in New Orleans]: "The Student Hurricane Network (SHN) is a national association of law students dedicated to providing long-term assistance to communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina (www.studenthurricanenetwork.org). In December, SHN facilitated sending 240 students from about 50 schools to the Gulf coast region. While the first wave of students was volunteering their time, I received an email from the ABA promoting involvement in the organization. As I approached my final semester at the University of Pittsburgh Law School, I saw an opportunity to apply my education and to encourage my fellow Pitt law students to join in this worthy cause.

16 Pitt Law students answered the call, and this week we will join hundreds of law students from across the country who are each dedicating their spring breaks to volunteer for pro bono legal and community organizations in the Gulf Coast. The majority of Pitt Law students will be in New Orleans, with one student in Gulfport, Mississippi. Specifically, our students will be working with Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) to provide physical aid and New Orleans Legal Assistance Center (NOLAC), Juvenile Court, Pro Bono Project, Justice Center — Louisiana Capital Assistance Center and Capital Appeals Project and the Mississippi Center for Justice to provide legal support. We will be documenting our experiences on JURIST, making posts throughout the week."

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