Special Message from the Executive Director of the North Carolina State Bar

Greetings Friends,

The situation in the North Carolina mountains following the massive flooding in the region last Friday from Tropical Storm/Hurricane Helene is devastating. For those you who attended the SCBP held in Asheville in 1995: this beautiful mountain town is irrevocably changed. It is heartbreaking. I know that Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia are also feeling the impact of the storm, and I extend my heartfelt sympathy and concern to your citizens and communities.

The situation in the NC mountains is particularly dire right now because, being an inland, mountain region, no one was prepared for this kind of event. People are without power, water, cell service, passable roads, etc., all amidst tremendous destruction of homes and businesses.

We are anticipating an unprecedented need for lawyers to help victims of the storm with the many legal problems that will arise including landlord/tenant issues, consumer fraud, and most specifically FEMA applications. To this end, we have obtained a "Katrina order" from the NC Chief Justice (attached) that permits lawyers licensed in other states but not in NC to temporarily register with the North Carolina State Bar to provide pro bono legal services to indigent residents of NC who are victims of Helene. I have attached the form to file with our membership department to obtain permission for this limited practice. Once registered with us, we will share the lawyer's name and contact information with Legal Aid of NC and other non-profit agencies that are working on the legal aspects of disaster relief. They will contact the lawyer with pro bono service opportunities.

Please share the order and the form with your membership or as you otherwise deem appropriate. Any volunteer lawyers who can help our beloved mountain communities will be so greatly appreciated.

The storm has had no impact on me personally as it only brought about 5 inches of rain to the Raleigh area of NC. However, members of our governing council, friends, and some family members who live in the mountains were impacted. Of the folks I have been able to contact, all are alive and with little or no damage to their homes; however, all are without power, water, and cell service. We do know that at least two NC lawyers died during the storm.

Let me know if you have any questions about the order or the application form. Thank you for helping us to get the word out.

Warm regards,
Alice

Alice Neece Mine
Executive Director
North Carolina State Bar
217 E. Edenton Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
O: (919) 828-4620
M: (919) 265-4584

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