details the steps to be followed in assessing the disaster victim’s needs, legal assistance requirements, and in documenting your assistance and follow-up for the client (Disaster Legal Assistance Interview Checklist and Intake Forms).
2) Intake procedures. In the event of a disaster, intake forms for disaster victim interviews will likely be provided by the VBA, please refer to the website, or create your own if the website is not accessible. The intake form should be completed at the beginning of each interview and signed by both the person being interviewed and the interviewing attorney. The completed intake forms will be collected at the end of each Clinic and maintained by the VBA.
3) Handling the victim’s legal problems. You should document the disaster victim’s responses on the intake forms, all of your contacts and actions taken on behalf of the client, and the outcome of your efforts. Please keep track of the amount of time spent on each case.
4) Volunteer! You can sign up in advance with the Vermont Volunteer Lawyers Project to provide legal services in the event of a disaster at
www.lawlinevt.org/vvlp . After a disaster has occurred, check the website of the Vermont Bar Association at
www.vtbar.org or at Vermont Legal Aid at
www.vtlawhelp.org for calls for volunteer attorneys, and respond!
5) Review Resources. This manual is only the beginning of resources available to you and your advice clients in a disaster. Check the resource guide chart in the back of the manual for websites of state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations. Visit the website of Vermont Legal Aid at
www.vtlawhelp.org where updates will be posted. Other useful information may be found at the Vermont Bar Association at
www.vtbar.org., and on the Vermont Judiciary webpage at
www.vermontjudiciary.org. Also, reach out to your colleagues via list-serves, phone calls and e-mail.
Many victims have suffered and will continue to suffer great personal trauma, so
every effort should be made to be sensitive to their feelings and behavior, and every effort should be made to be responsive to their needs. Our thanks go out to each and every person who volunteers to assist a disaster victim. You can provide the legal help so desperately needed in a time of crisis.
Sincerely,
Mary Ashcroft, Esq. Amber Barber, Esq. Margaret Frye, Esq. Jessica Radbord, Esq.
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