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LASP partners with ABA Young Lawyers Disaster Legal Services in response to Hurricane Ida

Pro bono opportunity to help low-income residents

By Marion Hoffman Fraley, Communications Director, Legal Aid of Southeastern PA

Hurricane Ida raged across Bucks County and southeastern PA on Sept. 1, creating a path of destruction of flooding and tornadoes that will be long-felt. And in July, a 100-year flood swamped Lower Bucks County. Legal issues related to the storms won’t dissipate overnight. In fact, storm-related legal problems are expected to continue for at least three years after the initial event and provide an opportunity for pro bono involvement to help low-income residents.

In response to Hurricane Ida and the federal disaster declaration, Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (LASP) is working with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division’s Disaster Legal Services Program and FEMA to provide disaster legal aid. Since 2007, the ABA YLD program has provided help in 45 states and more than 200 disasters.

In the immediate aftermath of the July storm, LASP attorneys staffed a legal resource table at a Temporary Resource Center at Keystone Elementary School, Croydon on July 20-21, attended by hundreds of residents. Since the federal disaster declaration following Hurricane Ida, LASP staff have met weekly with Shrushti Kothari, Project Manager, ABA YLD National Disaster Content and Resources, and former Staff Attorney in the Disaster Relief Unit at Lone Star Legal Aid in Houston, Texas. The weekly disaster legal aid meeting also includes FEMA officials, other PA legal aid programs, and a Legal Services Corp. (LSC) representative. Kothari also presented an all-staff training on identifying storm-related legal problems to LASP and other Pennsylvania and New Jersey LSC-funded legal aid programs covered by Hurricane Ida disaster declarations.

In October, LASP activated the legal aid Helpline for Hurricane Ida in PA, in collaboration with MidPenn Legal Services, North Penn Legal Services (NPLS) and Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA). FEMA requires one helpline per state per storm. Low-income Montgomery County residents, as well as people in the seven other counties in the federal disaster declaration, can get free legal assistance by calling 877-429-5994 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., or leave a message. Bedford, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia and York counties are included in the declaration.

Tesla Thomas, LASP Staff Attorney, and Joshua Goldblum, Bristol Managing Attorney, have opened and closed multiple storm-related cases based in Bucks County, including FEMA

LASP joined more than two dozen community nonprofits, government organizations and legislators at a Temporary Resource Center at Keystone Elementary School, Croydon on July 20-21, held in response to “100-year flood” on July 12. Hundreds of Lower Bucks County residents attended. Pictured: Tesla Thomas (at left), Staff Attorney based in Bristol, and Erica Briant, Supervising Attorney for the Community Engagement Unit.

applications and denials and landlord-tenant matters. Sara Planthaber, J.D., M.S.W., LASP’s Hurricane Ida Helpline Specialist, noted that as of Nov. 17, LASP has opened the highest number of storm-related cases based in Montgomery County.

Examples of legal help available may include:

• FEMA application and other benefits available to disaster survivors. The initial deadline, Nov. 10, was extended to Dec. 10. • FEMA denials • Help with home repair contracts and contractors • Replacement of identity documents (such as birth certificates and Social Security cards) • Consumer protection matters • Mortgage-foreclosure or landlord-tenant problems • Life, medical, and property insurance claims

In response to increased disasters, Legal Services Corp.’s Disaster Task Force developed a 94-page report in 2018-19 to address the legal impact of disasters on low-income survivors. Among the common legal problems in the wake of a disaster are landlord-tenant issues, public benefits, document replacement, title clearing, FEMA appeals, domestic violence, and consumer and fraud issues.

Attorneys and paralegals who wish to volunteer with LASP’s Pro Bono Program in any of these areas may contact Megan Reinprecht, LASP Community Engagement Unit Staff Attorney and Bucks County Pro Bono Coordinator, at 484-206-8101 or mreinprecht@lasp.org.

The LSC report encourages community-wide disaster planning and collaboration between the legal and emergency management communities. It states (on page 12):

“Despite legal aid’s potential in the aftermath of disaster, there can be a significant gap in the disaster-response landscape when there is a lack of a coordinated effort to deal with the legal needs of disaster survivors. Most emergency management and disaster-response organizations are unaware of the legal issues faced by disaster survivors and the particular needs of low-income communities. Legal services providers have deep networks in low-income communities and have experience creating access for people who face barriers to services and information.”

C. Shawn Boehringer, Esq., LASP Executive Director, noted, “This was a case where we responded to an emerging need. LASP is uniquely positioned to address many community needs.” 

ID Clinic presented by LASP’s Bristol Office and sponsored by Penn Community Bank.

Disaster legal aid resources:

• “Report of the LSC Disaster Task Force,” Legal

Services Corp.: https://www.lsc.gov/our-impact/ publications/other-publications-and-reports/lscdisaster-task-force-report

• Disaster Legal Services Program, American Bar

Association Young Lawyers Division: https://www. americanbar.org/groups/young_lawyers/projects/ disaster-legal-services/

• National Disaster Legal Aid Resource Center: https://www.disasterlegalaid.org/

• Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center: https:// www.ladrc.org/

• LASP’s Hurricane Ida page with local, state and U.S. resources: https://www.lasp.org/hurricane-ida

THE RED MASS

By Chris Serpico

On October 5th members of the Bucks County Bar joined together to celebrate the first-ever Red Mass held in Bucks County. At the invitation of Father Matthew Guckin, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Doylestown, approximately one hundred and fifty people gathered together at 5:00 PM to pray for the gifts of understanding, counsel and fortitude in the dispensing of justice in the courtrooms of Bucks County.

Although the Mass was held in a Catholic Church, its purpose was ecumenical in that it was intended to appeal to people of all faiths and religions. BCBA’s President Sean Gresh worked closely with Father Guckin in promoting the Mass and setting the groundwork for what is intended to become an annual tradition. In a podcast that was aired a week prior to the Mass, Gresh said, “Something we should all strive for is justice for the idea of justice’s sake. Regardless of how we worship, or who we worship, we can all agree that justice and mercy are principals that not only are of value to us as lawyers, but to society as a whole.” Father Guckin added that “we celebrate the Red Mass to join in prayer for a more just and merciful society.”

The Red Mass has a long and storied history in the Roman Catholic Church. It’s a Mass celebrated annually for all members of the legal profession, regardless of religious affiliation. Traditionally, lay persons from the community gather with judges, lawyers, and government officials to request guidance from the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice. It is a time for those in the legal profession to contemplate the power and responsibility of all those involved in the legal profession.

The timing of the Red Mass in the United States is always scheduled for the Sunday before the first Monday in October which marks the official opening of the Supreme Court’s yearly term. (Our Mass was held one day later, on the day the Supreme Courts convened). Even though the Mass is held at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., it is attended by people of all religious faiths, including Supreme Court Justices, members of Congress, the Cabinet and other government departments, including the President on certain occasions. The origin of the Red Mass can be traced to Europe in the Middle Ages when it was traditionally held to coincide with the start of the legal year. The term “Red Mass” was derived from the red vestments traditionally worn as a symbol of the tongues of fire attributed to the Holy Spirit that descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost. The first Red Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of Paris in 1245. From there, it spread to most European countries. The tradition began in England around 1310, during the reign of Edward II. Today the Red Mass is celebrated annually at Westminster Cathedral.

As the newly installed Pastor of Doylestown’s oldest Catholic Church, Father Guckin thought it appropriate inasmuch as his parish sits in the “County Seat” for him to try and institute the Red Mass here in Bucks County. He was able to prevail upon his longtime friend, Bishop Michael Fitzgerald, to travel to Doylestown for the evening to serve as the principal celebrant and homilist. As a recognized expert in canon law, and one of the few priests in the Philadelphia archdiocese with a law degree, Bishop Fitzgerald is uniquely qualified to speak on matters related to law and justice, and his homily called upon all lawyers to understand and appreciate the gifts they have been given by God and to use those gifts in a way that will promote justice.

On a personal note, as a thirty-five-year member of Mount Carmel, and a regular cantor at Sunday Mass, I was particularly honored to have been asked to lead the congregation in song at the Mass, and I selected psalms and hymns that I thought would fit with the theme of the service.

All those that I spoke with after the service agreed that the idea to institute the Red Mass in Bucks County was a good one, and there was a consensus that it should become an annual event. It is hoped that over time, more members of the legal community as well as the community at large will become aware of the Red Mass and participate in it for years to come. 