from November 1,1970 through May 14, 1971. This latter graph was included because it would indicate that the activities appear to be on the increase.

From where I sit, it appears to me, that there is a definite need to extend the Economic Opportunity Act, so as to continue to provide legal services to the poor people in our area. Without the help of OEO our program would have to be discontinued or drastically curtailed. I do not believe that such action would contribute to the tranquility of our community. I am satisfied that it would be resented by the poor people who have come to rely on our program to provide legal services.

Now, I would like to briefly comment on the role that our program played, in helping the victims of a natural disaster. I believe that these comments are relevant to the pending legislation, because it is entirely possible that future disasters will occur, and the existence of a viable legal services programs in or in close proximity to the affected area, can be a resource to be mobilized by the Federal Government in its efforts to assist the disaster victims.

As previously stated our staff and facilities on August 3, 1970, (the date hurricane Celia made its landfall on the Gulf Coast near Corpus Christi, Texas) consisted of a director, two staff attorneys, four secretaries and two offices. Both of the offices were only slightly affected by the hurricane and were restored to operating condition by noon Wednesday, August 5.

Wednesday afternoon, August 5, 1970, I was personally contacted by a team from the OEO Regional Office and advised, that our program would be responsible for organizing and providing legal assistance to the hurricane victims not only in Nueces County but in San Patricio and Aransas Counties adjoining us on the north.

I was advised that there were no funds then available to finance this effort other than the funds remaining in our grant for Program Year D which was about to end August 31, 1970. Fortunately our program had not utilized all of its budget, and it appeared that there would be about $10,000 in funds to finance the initial stages of our efforts to meet this commitment.

The recent experience of Lubbock in handling the legal assistance problems created by a tornado which had struck that city in the spring of 1970, served as a starting point in our planning. One of the lawyers initially involved with that disaster and who was still involved was contacted and he was brought to Corpus Christi on Saturday, August 8, 1970, for consultation. The directors of the various OEO funded programs, in Texas were contacted, and a request to borrow bilingual members of their staff was made. This request resulted in the loan of four lawyers for various periods from one week to three weeks. Our program agreed to and did pay the travel and per diem expense of these attorneys. In addition to these attorneys, we obtained the services of six VISTA attorneys for about ten days. In addition to this temporary staff, we hired five attorneys, two of whom were then licensed to practice in Texas, the other three were awaiting admission to the Texas Bar. Of the five additional attorneys temporarily employed three are still on the staff by virtue of a supplemental grant, subsequently received to assist our program dispose of the additional caseload created by hurricane related matters.

On Thursday afternoon, August 6, I attended the initial meeting of all mobilized Federal Programs called by Mr. George Hastings, Regional Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP). At this meeting each Federal Agency represented was asked to give a status report on its capabilities and what it had done to date. At this meeting the OEO representative among other things stated that his agency through the Legal Aid Society of Nueces County would be responsible for providing legal assistance to those hurricane victims who were too poor to otherwise obtain the service.

On Friday, August 7, Richard Murray, Assistant General Counsel of OEP, personally contacted our office. He was advised of what we had done up to that time to try and mobilize the manpower necessary to meet the demand it was anticipated would be placed upon the program. At this meeting, Mr. Murray advised that there were no funds authorized or available to assist in providing legal services to hurricane victims. As a result of our experience, provision has now been made to make such funds for legal aid available for future disasters through the OEP. He also advised that in Lubbock the local bar association agreed to provide legal services without charge to any victim of the hurricane for hurricane related problems, regardless of their ability to pay for such services. Mr. Murray was advised that the decision to provide legal assistance without regard to ability to pay was a Bar Association decision.

On Friday, August 7, 1970, OEP called and said they were opening three one stop Disaster Relief Centers in Corpus Christi on Saturday, August 8, 1970, and a little later intended to open four such centers in San Patricio County, and our program was requested to man a legal aid station in each such center. The president of the local Bar Association was contacted on August 7, 1971. He was of the opinion, that because many of the members of the Board of Directors were recovering from the affect of the hurricane it would be impossible to obtain a quorum for a special Board meeting. He thereupon orally authorized the Director of the Legal Aid Society to proceed with his plans to provide the assistance requested by OEO and OEP, using his discretion as to qualifications of applicants, and the use of trained but unlicensed personnel to man legal aid stations.

Our program manned the three centers here in Corpus Christi from the time they were opened until they were closed. We never were able to man the four centers in San Patricio County, except on a circuit riding basis. During the period that these stations were manned no accurate record was maintained of all the persons who contacted the lawyer. A record was made and a file opened on only those whose problem needed follow up attention. A conservative estimate of the number of persons at these various centers to whom legal advice was only given, would be in excess of 1,500.

The emerging legal problems related to the disaster were almost immediately identified. They generally fell into the following categories: problems that had to do with insurance on either the victims home, personal property such as furniture, clothing or personal belongings, mobile home or automobile; problems that involved the victims relationship with his landlord; problems that involved the victims interest in real property upon which a SBA Loan was being sought. A color coded check list of these various categories was prepared to facilitate the making of a memorandum of the initial interview relative to the problem. A supply of these check lists were provided to the attorneys at any outreach station. The young lawyer responsible for preparing these check lists and organizing this effort was a native of Corpus Christi who was at that time employed as a VISTA attorney in Little Rock, Arkansas, and who at my request came to Corpus Christi for a weekend at no expense to our program.

By the time the Lubbock attorney arrived on Saturday morning, August 8, 1970, we were already engaged in manning the Corpus Christi Disaster Centers, and were endeavoring to organize our efforts to meet the anticipated deluge of clients which would be coming to our permanent offices. The Lubbock attorney was awed by the destruction which was evident on the trip in from the airport. He said it reminded him of Lubbock after the tornado magnified a hundred times. He reviewed our efforts to date and indicated that we were on the right track. He suggested and assisted in the preparation of a handbill both in English and Spanish which alerted the citizenry to beware of certain practices by unscrupulous contractors and insurance adjusters which in all probability would emerge, and urging them to consult their lawyer or if they could not afford a layer to contact the legal aid society. These handouts were printed and distributed at all of the outreach centers as well as at the neighborhood centers maintained by the community action agency.

The Lubbock attorney predicted that the people would first be concerned with filling their immediate needs for food, clothing and shelter. That they would not concern themselves with their legal problem until sometimes later, and therefore the demands on our program would not begin to reach its peak until 60 to more days after the disaster. His prediction was quite accurate, because the daily demand began to reach unmanageable proportions about the latter part of September 1970, and it has been continuing at that rate ever since. The graphs attached hereto support this prediction, and it is a lesson that could be of value to future programs concerned with providing legal services following a disaster. The organized bar was contacted and a request made that we be permitted to refer cases to the membership to be handled by them on a voluntary nonfee basis. The matter was brought before the membership at a meeting on August 24, 1970, and thereafter 262 cases were referred to the members of the bar for handling. The referral was made by using the current list of the membership. The referral was from A to Z and no attempt was made to eliminate any name on the list. Some lawyers refused to accept a referral, others were unable because of conflict to handle the case referred but indicating a willingness to accept another referral. By and large the response was quite generous and the service

provided by the private bar was most valuable. Most of the cases were successfully concluded and resulted in settlement of their claim, or satisfactory resolution of their problem. A few of these cases are still pending.

In addition to the services provided by the organized bar in accepting referral of cases, the Bar Association undertook to man and did man additional outreach centers in three target areas in Corpus Christi. This effort was initiated by a member of the Legal Aid Society's Board in cooperation with the President of the Bar Association. Our secretarial staff was engaged in recruiting private attorneys to staff these various centers. They set up a schedule for each center, and thereafter reminded the scheduled lawyer the day prior to his commitment to staff such center. Apparently his activity was premature, or there was a break down in communications with the residence of the target area, because the number of people to use this service was disappointing and it was discontinued after about a ten-day trial.

During the period from August 3, 1970 through December, 1970, our program opened approximately 846 files which involved hurricane related matters. Since the first of the year we continue to have clients referred to us daily by the Small Business Administration. These SBA matters appear to be increasing, we have had a total of 265 since January 1, 1971. During the first two weeks in May, we have had 81 of these referrals. An explanation of this increase may be found in the fact that for a period of several months from December through January the SBA was out of money and it was delaying the closing of any loans. In February they began again to close disaster loans, and the demands made on our program by SBA lenders has been increasing. Graph III would tend to reflect this increase in traffic at the central office.

Much more could be said about what our program contributed in the way of a resource, not only to the victims of the hurricane who were poor, but to those who were in need of counseling at a very difficult time. In the interest of time I will conclude by saying, that ours was the first Federally Funded Legal Service Program which was in being and located at the site of the disaster. Because we were there, we provided the nucleus around which the legal services effort for the hurricane victims was organized. I am satisfied that OEP, the Red Cross, SBA HEW, HUD, and all the other agencies concerned with administering to the needs of the victims of hurricane Cecilia, will bear witness to the fact that their job was made a little easier because of our presence.

It is hoped that the performance of our program following this disaster will provide one more reason why the Legal Service Program should be continued. Thank you for letting me make this presentation. If you have any questions, I will be more than happy to try to answer them.