Details: This training introduces participants to the statewide Disaster Attorney Toolkit.  The recently updated toolkit is a robust response to recent presidentially declared FEMA disasters, local peacetime emergencies, and small-scale community crises in Minnesota.  Attendees will learn how and why the toolkit was created, how to access it, common legal issues that arise during disasters, and the types of resources available to the legal community in Minnesota during disaster recovery.  Presenters will explain how disasters intersect with multiple areas of the law and share recent examples of disasters in Northern Minnesota to highlight the value and real-world application of the toolkit's contents.  This training is ideal for any and all legal professionals interested in a broad overview of disaster legal topics and who want to be better prepared to respond when a disaster impacts their community and practice.

Presenters: Claire Hardi is the Disaster Preparedness & Response Coordinator at Justice North.  Claire received a Master of Public Administration from Northern Arizona University and spent ten years performing policy analysis and outreach in the public and nonprofit sectors in the northern Arizona and the Great Lakes areas before joining the disaster team at Justice North.

Kayla Niedzielski is the Disaster Relief Coordinator at Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota.  Kayla attended North Dakota State University and received her degrees in Emergency Management and Pre-Law. Before joining LSNM, she worked for the Port of Corpus Christi's Emergency Manager.  She has also conducted research on rural vulnerability and aid distribution for FEMA. 

Ian Cady is an Attorney with Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota.  For the past two years, Ian has focused in the areas of family law, landlord-tenant, and disaster law during his time with LSNM.

Jude Schmit is an Attorney at Justice North, out of the Brainerd and Duluth offices but helps cover the entire 11-county region.  His practice has focused on housing and public benefits with a recent shift to disaster relief.  He recently wrote an article for the Mitchell Hamline Law Review, "Witnessed From the Justice Bus: Covid Drove Equal Justice Off the Road, But Technology Grabbed the Wheel and is Steering Us into the Future."  The article explores the various measures taken by Justice North to help close the gaps in justice occurring throughout rural Minnesota.

Location: Zoom

CLE: 1 hour of Standard CLE credit to be applied for