Above the Law interviewed Haynes and Boone, LLP Associate Punam Kaji on the legal aid pro bono initiative she helped to orchestrate as the chair of the Asian Pacific Interest Section (APIS) of the State Bar of Texas.
Above the Law reported that in mid-October, APIS organized and co-sponsored Hurricane Relief Legal Training with a coalition of diversity bar organizations and community groups at South Texas College of Law Houston.
According to the story:
Their training focused on ways to help with Hurricane Harvey relief, specifically instructing attorneys and others in the community on how to manage the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) appeals process. But other issues such as language access and cultural barriers were topics of discussion as well for the 44 attendees. …
As Harvey’s downpour was still draining, her inbox started flooding with emails from other lawyers. Even attorneys whose homes were damaged were asking, “What should we be doing right now to help?”
As the chair of APIS, Kaji felt compelled to help focus its attention on a project they could do with several other community organizations. Helping with Harvey relief was also very personal for her as well. The week before Harvey hit Houston and the surrounding areas, Kaji had just relocated to Dallas from the ravaged region. This training allowed her to be there in spirit to help after the catastrophe. …
Excerpted from Above the Law. To read the full article, click here.