The Austin Young Lawyers’ Association (“AYLA”) is planning a fundraiser for lawyers affected by the tornado in Joplin, Mo. The fundraiser is similar to last year’s beer tasting with judges event, except this year we will have the explicit humanitarian goal of raising money for the tornado victims.
You may be asking: “why a fundraiser for lawyers?”
It’s simple, really. In a small city like Joplin, you have a lot of small firms and solo practices. While organizations like FEMA and the Red Cross are providing disaster relief aid, it’s unlikely that they are helping attorneys with disaster recovery of their practices. Even with business interruption coverage, lawyers will need plenty of assistance to their practices up and running. And, lawyers don’t work in a vacuum. When a law practice is destroyed by a natural disaster, its clients suffer as well. The lawyers we want to help are professionals working to help people and businesses in the same disaster stricken area. In the wake of a natural disaster, the citizens of Joplin will undoubtedly need representation to help with insurance claims and probate issues, as well as a continuation of handling cases and claims already in process before the tornado struck.
Lawyers do a lot of things which make civil society function, and helping the lawyers of Joplin means helping the people of Joplin get back on their feet. It’s a $20 donation to get in the door and drink some beer with judges. However, please give whatever you can in order to help with AYLA’s humanitarian outreach.
CEO & General Counsel
Prism Risk Management, LLC 