Originally posted on The Florida Bar News on January 9th, 2025.
A roundtable discussion that convened leaders from across Florida to explore strategies for enhancing legal aid for disaster survivors was recently hosted by Community Legal Services in October 2024 at its Orlando office.
The event united representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Access to Justice, Osceola County Emergency Management, bar associations, and legal aid organizations, all dedicated to addressing the unique challenges faced by Floridians in the aftermath of disasters.
Among the attendees were:
- Ashlea Edwards, president of The Florida Bar’s Young Lawyers Division;
- Donny MacKenzie, executive director, FFLA;
- Shrushti Kothari, vice director of implementations for the ABA Young Lawyers Division’s Disaster Legal Services Program;
- Jeff Harvey, CEO of Community Legal Services;
- Leslie Powell-Boudreaux, executive director, Legal Services of North Florida;
- Bethanie Barber, executive director, Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association;
- Jena Hudson, deputy director, Bay Area Legal Services; and
- Kristine Hansen, disaster grants program counsel, Office of Program Performance, Legal Services Corporation.
Full article at: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/strengthening-disaster-legal-aid-florida-leaders-convene-for-collaborative-roundtable/