If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late

Watch a non-CLE free webinar replay that will take you through the step-by-step process of what triggers the Disaster Legal Services (DLS) program, how the program is implemented, and what that looks like on the back-end. The speakers will also take a closer look at the current federal restrictions on the DLS program in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss how states can implement their own state-wide COVID-19 hotline. 

No, this is not a five-year-past-due review of Drake’s second-best album bearing the same name. Currently, the country is still grappling with ways to combat the Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). We quickly learned that COVID-19 challenges everything we thought we knew about preparedness and disaster response and recovery. Legal issues arising from a natural disaster are typically predictable in subject matter and are geographically isolated. However, a pandemic increases the size, scope, and scale of legal issues and raises unique legal questions. For example, how do we address urgent legal needs if the courts are closed, or how do we address the increase in domestic violence arising from shelter-in-place orders? Before we get into the legal issues, a more basic question persists: Are you equipped to work through a disaster or pandemic? Below are three things you can do now to avoid a crisis during the next major disaster/toilet paper shortage.