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.

Important Harvey Links

If you are an attorney who has 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

In Focus: Legal assistance for Harvey victims (video) — State Bar of Texas President Tom Vick sits down with Elizabeth to talk about free legal assistance for Harvey victims and what people can do to keep their finances protected. — Spectrum News

Texans nervous that FEMA will shift attention after Hurricane Irma — Now, with FEMA likely to have two major disaster fronts simultaneously in Texas and Florida, anxieties are high that resources will be spread thin and people here will fall through the cracks. (Subscription required) — Houston Chronicle

Texas lawyers step up to offer free legal advice in wake of Hurricane Harvey — About 90 Baker Botts lawyers and their in-house attorney clients stepped up Thursday night to field at least 175 calls from Texans who had legal questions related to damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. (Subscription required) — Texas Lawyer

Harvey damage sidelines Houston courthouse for months — The busiest criminal courthouse in Texas will be closed for up to nine months to repair damage from Hurricane Harvey, and 900 criminal trials will be delayed for at least a month, officials said this week. — Courthouse News Service

After prosecutors fled flooding courthouse with a rope, Harris County courts finally (sort of) reopen — For the first time since Harvey dumped its relentless rains on Houston, the Harris County courts are back up and running Monday — albeit with judges, lawyers and various criminal justice agencies scattered around different buildings, having to share courtrooms and offices. Simply put, local criminal justice officials are about to get a little more cozy than usual. — Houston Press

First they fought the storm; Now, they fight their landlord — In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, many beleaguered South Texas residents are facing demands to pay rent on apartments that are uninhabitable, or that they can’t even get to. — NBC News

Seeking speedy recovery from Harvey, Abbott brings city, county $135M in FEMA funds — Saying he was aiming for a “land speed record” on recovery from Tropical Storm Harvey’s devastation, Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday handed out more than $135 million in advances from the federal government to Harris County and the city of Houston, the first chunk of what officials hope will be a sustained, expedited response to one of the worst natural disasters the country has ever seen. — Houston Chronicle

3 FEMA disaster recovery centers opening in Houston area — As the shelter population ebbs in the Houston area two weeks after Hurricane Harvey flooded thousands out of their homes, government agencies are shifting their focus to helping residents obtain federal assistance to rebuild their lives. — Houston Chronicle

Feds, Texas offer choices for students homeless after Harvey — Michael Evan Hilburn says he can’t wait to start kindergarten this week at a school about 20 miles from the Houston shelter where he and his father have been living since Harvey devastated the city. — The Associated Press

Analysis: Hurricane Harvey: Employer considerations in office closures and reopenings — Whenever emergency situations such as Hurricane Harvey cause office closures and such offices are subsequently reopened, Texas employers must remember several points to stay compliant with employment laws. — Texas Bar Blog

Baytown conducting damage assessment — The City of Baytown is assessing damage in the wake of Harvey. Baytown Planning and Development Services Director Tiffany Foster said the city has dispatched teams to look at damage. — The Baytown Sun

Friendswood police warn against price gouging, scams — As Friendswood lifts the curfew designed to prevent looting in flood-affected areas at 6 a.m. Sept. 7, the city’s police remind residents that the aftermath of a natural disaster and the process of rebuilding can bring new problems. — Houston Chronicle

Video: How to respond to suspected scams or price gouging — The State Bar of Texas released a video about how to respond to suspected scams or price gouging. — Texas Bar Blog