Boots on the Ground: Brooks Savage, Brad Piland Lead YLD DLS Efforts
Belonging is more than a feeling; it is a commitment to stand together and serve our communities in their greatest times of need. As young lawyers in North Carolina, our purpose stretches beyond our individual practice areas to a shared responsibility of providing meaningful and immediate support when disasters strike. The North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (NCBA YLD) embraces this purpose through service, championing initiatives that respond to the most urgent legal needs across our state.
One of our most profound responsibilities, in partnership with numerous other organizations, is leading disaster legal services efforts in North Carolina. Our role is to ensure that communities affected by disasters receive access to pro bono legal aid, empowering those who might otherwise be without recourse. When Hurricane Helene –the largest disaster North Carolina has faced in recorded history – devastated our state, the YLD sprang into action. This extraordinary response, driven by young lawyer volunteers, is a testament to our division’s leadership and unwavering dedication to service.
This year’s theme, “Belonging with Purpose,” resonates deeply through our disaster legal services work. The efforts of the YLD exemplify how we use our collective strength to make a difference. Our ability to mobilize quickly, coordinate with partners, and connect people with critical legal resources highlights our ongoing commitment to being leaders in service, turning belonging into impactful, purposeful action.
Brooks Savage and Brad Piland, Co-Chairs of the Young Lawyers Division Standing Committee on Disaster Legal Services, have been at the forefront of these efforts. Their leadership and the hard work of countless volunteers and legal services professionals have ensured that the legal community responds effectively and compassionately to those impacted by Hurricane Helene. In the remainder of this column, Brooks and Brad share the incredible work that has been accomplished and the ways in which our YLD members continue to make a meaningful impact. Their insights highlight the importance of our mission and the enduring spirit of service that defines our division.
Brooks Savage, her devoted companion Bailey, and Brad Piland.
Disaster Legal Services (DLS) is a Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) Individual Assistance (IA) Program that provides pro bono legal services for low-income individuals who are unable to secure legal services to meet their needs as a consequence of a major disaster. DLS is administered through the states in partnership with the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association (ABA). Once the DLS Program is authorized by the ABA and FEMA for a specific disaster, the NCBA YLD, North Carolina Bar Foundation (NCBF), Legal Aid of NC (LANC), Pisgah Legal Services (PLS), and other state and local partners administer DLS for the State of North Carolina. The last major disaster for which the DLS Program was activated in North Carolina was in response to Tropical Storm Fred in 2021.
NC DLS activation in response to Helene, which made landfall in NC as a Tropical Storm on or about September 25, has been an incredible team effort with state and national partners. NC DLS operations are active, spearheaded by young lawyer leadership and bar association and foundation staff, and have been ongoing since September 28 when the Major Disaster Declaration was approved by President Biden.
NC DLS has made significant progress since DLS hotline activation on October 2, including: recruitment of over 1,500 DLS volunteers (including about 511 out-of-state attorneys); managing DLS case referrals and coordinating DLS case management with state partners, including LANC and PLS; coordinating attorney volunteer staffing at FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs); hosting weekly all-partners coordination calls and coordinating weekly working and committee calls; and creating and organizing training materials and resources for volunteer attorneys, including a disaster law CLE to be held on November 21.
There are numerous opportunities to volunteer with NC DLS. Attorney volunteers assist disaster survivors with disaster legal issues (such as filing/disputing FEMA and insurance claims, navigating housing recovery matters, and advising on contracts and contractor issues). Malpractice insurance coverage is provided to attorneys, paralegals and law students who volunteer through the NC DLS Program.
If you are interested in serving as a practice area expert volunteer to provide expertise and support for pro bono attorney volunteers who are representing Helene survivors with disaster legal matters, please contact [email protected]. If you would like to volunteer in-person at a FEMA DRC or would like to accept a case referral for a disaster legal issue and assist a survivor pro bono (largely remote-based work), please sign up using the online interest forms. For a complete listing of DRC locations, visit the North Carolina Tropical Storm Helene page on FEMA’s website.
Notice: DO NOT SELF DEPLOY TO DRC SITES: DRC staffing assignments must be scheduled in advance through NC DLS and coordinated with FEMA and other national and state partners.
Many thanks to those who have volunteered and expressed interest thus far with NC DLS.
Collins Saint is the 2024-25 chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.