UB Law Students, Advisers Travel to New Orleans to Provide Civil Assistance to Hurricane Victims
January 4, 2008
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
Twelve students from the University of Baltimore School of Law, joined by faculty and staff advisers under the auspices of UB's chapter of the Student Hurricane Network, will travel to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast from Jan. 6-12 to assist victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as they attempt to resolve civil disputes resulting from or exacerbated by these unprecedented natural disasters.
The group's work, which is guided by the national Student Hurricane Network, potentially will involve family law matters, neighborhood disputes, property claims and other matters that have lingered since the hurricanes struck the coast in 2005. Recent changes in civil law in the region, specifically Mississippi's lifting of its moratorium on mortgage foreclosures, could lead to new disputes that the students will help resolve. At the same time, they will gain valuable insights into the legal process, and enrich their educational experience in a real-world setting. On the network's recommendation, UB's chapter will work with the New Orleans-based Pro Bono Project for guidance and organizational backing in support of the involved students. The students also will be supervised by a team of UB law faculty, including Stephen Harris, J.D. '63, distinguished attorney-in-residence in the Steven L. Snyder Center for Litigation Skills, Amaza Scott Reid, an adjunct faculty member at UB, and Center for Families, Children and the Courts staff member Patricia Schminke.
Rebecca Celotto, a second-year law student in the School of Law and a lead organizer of the trip, said she is looking forward to delving into the kinds of problems that hurricane victims are encountering, long after the shock of the disaster has worn off across the rest of the country.
"We need to remember that things are not all better in the Gulf, and there's a lot of work still to be done," Celotto said. "Families are having problems, homeowners are having problems, and we can help take care of them. They are not forgotten in the eyes of the law."
This is the third year that UB has been involved in hurricane relief efforts. Shortly after the storms hit, the School of Law offered "academic shelter" to regional law students displaced by the storms. Then, last year it sent a group of students to participate in clearing out unresolved criminal cases. The school also started its own chapter of the Student Hurricane Network, and various faculty members from across UB participated in scholarly activity as well as on-the-ground efforts to improve the situation. Of the dozens of students who have become involved, many report that the experience has changed their outlook on the law and what it can accomplish.
An article on the students' 2007 efforts, "Serving 'Katrina Time,'" was recently published in the School of Law's magazine, Nota Bene.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the School of Law, the Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts and the Merrick School of Business.