Editor’s Note: The State Bar of Texas is providing a daily collection of important links, blog posts, and media stories to keep its members and the public informed of the latest news and resources related to Hurricane Harvey relief and recovery efforts.
If you have been adversely affected or wish to assist a colleague, please take a moment to complete the State Bar of Texas’ Hurricane Harvey assistance survey.
If you would like to donate money to the hurricane relief effort in Texas, you can give through the Texas Bar Foundation by clicking here.
If you are an attorney who wants to help by giving brief advice, limited-scope service, or full representation to Harvey survivors, please complete the form at texasbar.com/attorneyvolunteer.
State Bar Disaster Resources for Attorneys — Information on this page includes recovery plans, court closures, court orders, and other items.
State Bar Disaster Resources the Public — The State Bar of Texas legal hotline — (800) 504-7030 — helps people find answers to basic legal questions and connects them with local legal aid providers following declared disasters.
Latest Harvey News
Lawyers set up cots, pick up trash at Harvey shelters — With the sun shining and Hurricane Harvey moved out of Houston, some firms have reopened Houston offices for lawyers and staff who can drive there safely. But with flooded-out Texans continuing to pour into shelters, some Houston lawyers are fitting their legal work into days filled with volunteer tasks such as setting up cots at large shelters in Houston or helping neighbors salvage belongings from flooded houses. (Subscription required) — Texas Lawyer
Plant explosions, spills test industry’s response to Harvey — Explosions that rocked a Texas chemical plant after it was inundated by Harvey’s floodwaters are raising questions about the adequacy of industry preparations for the monster storm and stoking fears of more accidents in the days ahead. — Houston Chronicle
Austin, other Texas areas see some Harvey-related gas shortages — Motorists in Austin and statewide have been encountering increasing numbers of “No Gas” signs when they try to fill up, evidence of the battering Hurricane Harvey delivered to the Gulf Coast’s huge energy complex. — Austin American-Statesman
How panicked drivers are making North Texas gas shortages worse — In the short-term, gas shortages are often created by the panic of people keeping their tanks topped off. This sudden demand throws off the supply. — The Dallas Morning News
More than 500 complaints filed with Texas A.G. over Dallas gas prices — Attorney General Ken Paxton warned gas stations against overcharging customers in the wake of Harvey. Some gas stations in Dallas have posted gas prices between $6 to $8 a gallon, according to complaints made to the attorney general’s consumer protection division. — San Antonio Express-News
For low-income Texans, a tougher road to recovery after Hurricane Harvey — There’s no doubt the lives of tens of thousands of Texans have been upended by Hurricane Harvey, but it’s low-income Texans who will face a tougher road to recovery. — The Texas Tribune
Harvey’s destruction will test employers’ pay, leave policies — The destruction wreaked by Hurricane Harvey on Houston and greater southeast Texas will close businesses for an undetermined amount of time and potentially leave out of work tens of thousands of people stuck in shelters or grappling with flooded homes. (Subscription required) — Texas Lawyer
Authorities brace for wave of hurricane-related fraud — As high water spreads from Houston through Texas and Louisiana, authorities are bracing for an inevitable wave of fraud and other criminal activity set into motion by Harvey’s punishing rains. — The Washington Post
Business beware: Harvey cyber scams targeting the generosity of employees — Unfortunately, even as the disaster brings out the best in so many, it brings out the worst in others. In this case in particular, it’s cyber thieves: online attackers and cyber scammers who are using email and social media to try and capitalize on and profit from the generosity of would-be charitable donors. (Subscription required) — The Texas Lawbook
Harvey flood victims face uphill battle suing governments — A 2016 Texas Supreme Court ruling and lessons from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina point to a difficult road ahead for Houston-area residents seeking to hold county and other governmental bodies liable for flood damage from Hurricane Harvey. — Bloomberg Law
Harvey victims and lawyers take note: 5 years after Hurricane Sandy, lawyers still working cases — As legal aid and volunteer lawyers in Texas begin providing legal advice to thousands of Texans with Hurricane Harvey property damage, similar work continues in New York—nearly five years after Hurricane Sandy hit the Eastern Seaboard. (Subscription required) — Texas Lawyer
First curfew arrests made, plus 41 arrests for lootings — The Harris County Precinct 6 Constable’s Office has made the first arrests for curfew violations — with two of the men caught violating curfew outside their own home, the most recent court filings show. — Houston Press
Animals affected by Harvey get much needed help from around the country — Cities from around the country have pitched in to help our four legged friends in Texas. — Sinclair Broadcast news wire
Corporate lawyers: TX AG Paxton’s defense of pro-insurance industry law is misleading, wrong — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and lawyers representing large and midsized businesses in the state are providing contradictory information about a new law governing people’s rights to legally challenge insurance companies decision in paying property owners in storm-related losses. (Subscription required) — The Texas Lawbook
Houston’s legal community offers free services to Harvey victims — The Houston Bar Association has expanded its LegalLine to assist those impacted by Hurricane Harvey and has set up a toll free number for Texas residents outside the Houston area. — Houston Public Media
Houston Bar to offer legal assistance to those impacted by Harvey — The Houston Bar Association (HBA) is responding to the questions and legal needs of those affected by Hurricane Harvey in a number of ways. For updated information on legal aid and other services, visit www.makejusticehappen.org/Harvey, or call 713-228-0732 or 713-759-1133. — Texas Bar Blog
State Bar of Texas in the News
Hundreds of lawyers, law students, and paralegals step up to help Harvey survivors — As of Thursday morning a total of 1,150 individuals had filled out the State Bar of Texas volunteer form to offer a variety of assistance to Harvey survivors. Of those, 556 are licensed Texas attorneys, 469 are lawyers licensed in other states, 78 are law students, and 47 are paralegals. — Texas Bar Blog
State Bar of Texas joins with ABA, FEMA to assist Harvey survivors — The State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association (ABA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other organizations have partnered to help provide legal and recovery assistance to people affected by Hurricane Harvey. — Texas Bar Blog
Bachelorette promotes State Bar of Texas hotline — This may be the State Bar’s first People magazine mention: “Fellow State of TX bar members, let’s help some folks out who really need it,” Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay wrote, providing fans with the State Bar of Texas Disaster Legal Hotline and a website with more information.
— People.com
Hurricane Harvey: Court order allows Wisconsin lawyers to help in Texas — The State Bar of Texas is connecting volunteers with disaster-related service opportunities. State Bar of Texas President Tom Vick sent a message to members calling on them to assist their colleagues and to volunteer to assist members of the public as they begin to put their lives back together. — Wisconsin Bar blog