This subcommittee is tasked with the ongoing coordination and implementation of the LSBA’s Justice Community disaster response through partnership with ABA-YLD Disaster Liaison, Pro Bono Organizations, Louisiana Appleseed, Louisiana Legal Services Providers, Law Schools, and other stakeholders.

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Activities

• Updated and revised the Louisiana State Bar Association Access to Justice Committee's Disaster Plan for Legal Assistance.
  
• Provides ongoing content for the LSBA Disaster Response webpage which includes the LSBA Disaster Plan, Disaster Volunteer resources (such as training materials and webinars), and instructions for creating a displacement record in case of a disaster.
  
• Coordinates the updating of the Louisiana Disaster Volunteer Training Manual through Louisiana Appleseed volunteers.
  
• Provides annual outreach and awareness to public interest organizations
  
• Coordinates development of Disaster Response Teams through YLD and local Pro Bono Organizations

Examining the legal needs of Louisiana residents and the ability of the legal providers in the Justice Community to meet these needs, this committee will identify those needs which cannot be met through current methods or resources. Working with various community partners, the committee attempts to develop mechanisms for responding to these gaps in justice.  Several proposed and ongoing ATJ Program projects are part of the work of this subcommittee.

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Activities

• Commissioned a statewide survey of unmet legal needs faced by Louisiana citizens in 2017. The 2018-19 report identified the most prevalent areas of legal needs, which are consumer and finance, employment, family law and disaster relief. The highest percentage of unmet legal needs (over 60% failed to receive help for these problems) are healthcare, juvenile problems, housing, immigration, education and government benefits.

• The survey asked where people went to get legal assistance. Respondents answered legal aid (24%), online legal help (17%), pro bono attorneys (15%), but many did not know where to get help (44%).

• Report Recommendations:
• Education to increase awareness of legal resources
• Coordinated limited resource re-assessment
• Development of coordinated funding to address specific unmet needs
• Collaborative efforts to develop a triage system to quickly identify the most appropriate resource to respond to particular critical unmet legal needs

This subcommittee is tasked with support of activities coordinated through local pro bono entities to engage the private bar and judiciary in pro bono efforts, develop activities which support increased involvement and to recognize those who actively provide volunteer legal services.

The subcommittee will focus on the implementation of the recently developed Pro Bono Action Plan and the National Pro Bono Celebration.

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Activities

• Conducts an annual pro bono summit at which a pro bono action plan is constructed with local pro bono entities and works to implement initiatives included in the plan. 
  
• Supports local pro bono programs and staff
  
  
  • Provided online training for pro bono staff and attorney.
    
  • Develops template CLE presentations for local pro bono
    
• Encourages pro bono participation
  
  
  • Conducted “Do Good, Do Well, Do Pro Bono” education campaigns to support pro bono work.
    Conducted Pro Bono Heroes awareness campaign
    
  • Developed Pro Bono Toolkit for Judges and worked with Supreme Court to encourage judicial support for pro bono
    
  • Previously created an informational video to encourage and promote pro bono service.
    
  • Encouraged law firm involvement in pro bono through development of model pro bono policies for law firms
    
• Recognizes statewide Pro Bono volunteer efforts by conducting annual LSBA Pro Bono Award Presentation and Reception
  

The In Forma Pauperis Subcommittee was established to advance the understanding of In Forma Pauperis (IFP) issues and work on solutions to the challenges existing in application of the statutes while balancing the interests of interested parties, including Clerks of Court, Public Interest Organizations and the IFP litigant. While originally housed under the ATJ Commission, in August 2018, the Commission decided that the work of this committee should be taken on by an ATJ Committee Subcommittee instead, which could support a coordinated litigation plan.