Disaster Relief Pro Bono

Thank you for your interest in volunteering your time and expertise to aid in the hurricane recovery of our struggling Tampa Bay community!

Our region has been subject to unprecedented devastation following the impact of numerous hurricanes, and the legal needs of our most vulnerable communities are still surfacing.

While we work closely with the community through immediate and long-term recovery, we will reach out to our volunteer base with any appropriate volunteer opportunities as they develop.

Please be patient as we assess these unmet needs, as recovery will endure for years. Thank you again for your willingness to serve the community!

Bay Area Legal Services' Disaster Relief Team is dedicated to long-term recovery for hurricane and disaster survivors.

We are a disaster recovery program focused on providing services to survivors of natural disasters, hurricanes, and even health pandemics.

Our services are available to eligible residents living in Florida. Displaced disaster victims, as long as they are currently living in Florida, are encouraged to apply for our services through the Florida Disaster Legal Aid Helpline.

Our team readily provides legal services for disaster survivors, but also offers unmet social services needs through a dedicated case manager. Because of our widely-cast net of service, we can provide extensive assistance to needy clients (from bankruptcy to roof repairs).

Disaster Training Resources

Disaster relief cases can span the spectrum of legal issues. Bay Area Legal Services' Disaster Relief Team has compiled several resources to help volunteer attorneys familiarize themselves with some of the most common problems facing our disaster relief clients. We encourage you to review these materials and provide feedback in a short 5-minute survey to help our team make improvements.

The pro bono training resources include five videos and links to additional resources:

• Landlord/Tenant Issues (Video)
• Homeowner Issues (Video)
• FEMA (Video)
• Contractor Issues (Video)
• Assignment of Benefits (Video)
• Additional Resources (Links)

If you are interested in learning more about pro bono training opportunities or would like to take on a disaster relief pro bono case, please contact Jason Susalla – jsusalla [at] bals.org.

To continue our services and expand our ability to help survivors, we need your help!

We need volunteer attorneys who are willing to assist individuals impacted by natural disasters. No legal specialty is required, as numerous types of legal issues arise from disaster impacts. We also welcome any level of involvement, as we have plenty of clients simply in need of consultation and drafting simple legal documents – aside from those needing involved representation.

If you are interested in reviewing our disaster-related case summaries for pro bono assistance, you are encouraged to register to volunteer and select "Disaster Relief" when submitting your form.