Seattle University School of Law student Nora Hendricks is one of only eight people selected for the Equal Justice Works (EJW) Disaster Resilience Program student fellowship this summer. The students work alongside other EJW fellows as they help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
Hendricks, a rising 2L, will focus primarily on eviction defense cases in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, assisting 2022 EJW fellow Patrick Doell of Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center. The pair will help those who are experiencing issues with housing security due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"When a tornado swept through Nashville in March 2020 while I was living and working there, I saw firsthand how disasters do not affect everyone equally and how lower income communities were often overlooked during the city's recovery and rebuilding process,” Hendricks said.
“This summer, I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn more about how to most effectively respond to disasters from a legal aid perspective and how to ensure that those who are left most vulnerable after a disaster are able to access the legal assistance they need.”
The Disaster Resilience Program mobilizes Fellows and Student Fellows (law students) to provide free civil legal aid in disaster prone areas to ensure vital legal services are accessible, comprehensive, and responsive to the unique needs of individuals, families, and communities so lives can be stabilized and communities rebuilt to be more resilient. Following completion of the program, participants earn a $5,000 stipend.