services will be referred to the Vermont Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service. If a volunteer Disaster Legal Assistance Project attorney is registered with the Lawyer Referral Service, and the persons seeking assistance requests that Lawyer Referral Service refer the case to the volunteer lawyer, the volunteer lawyer may undertake the representation.
Included in this manual is an overview of disaster-related issues and resources, a
description of the process of providing legal assistance to disaster victims, information you may need to help answer frequently asked questions on issues such as housing, insurance, unemployment compensation and other relevant issues, as well as an appendix including: Case Intake and Closure Forms, copies of relevant articles and statutes, important telephone numbers, and legal services contact numbers.
We have also included an interview checklist to help you identify problems and
legal issues faced by the individuals and families affected and information to help you make sure the information you collect and the assistance you provide can “follow” those that you help throughout the course of the recovery ahead.
Sources of Legal Assistance The Disaster Legal Assistance Project hotline, 800-889-2047, is the state-wide
intake number for Vermont Legal Aid, Legal Services Law Line of Vermont, Vermont Volunteer Lawyer Project, and several other legal assistance projects in the state. The hotline can route all individuals and households with legal issues to the appropriate source of legal assistance. If you have any questions about the Disaster Legal Assistance Project hotline, please contact Angele Court at the:
Vermont Volunteer Lawyers Project 274 N. Winooski Ave Burlington, VT 05401 1-800-639-8857
acourt@lawlinevt.org www.lawlinevt.org/vvlp
Other resources include:
The Vermont Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service at 1-800-639-7036 or via email at
www.vtbar.org;
Mary C. Ashcroft. Esq. Pro Bono Coordinator at 802-775-5189 or via her email at
mashcroft@vtbar.org
Commitment A common question asked by volunteers relates to the time commitment involved.
First, by volunteering to provide assistance for victims, you are agreeing to provide your ii
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