Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz is from Puerto Rico. She was living on the island, studying for the bar exam, when Hurricane Maria struck in 2017.
After the devastating storm, she saw firsthand the legal and administrative challenges people faced – applying for relief aid, negotiating with insurance, or replacing vital documents.
Ortiz-Ortiz: “I started helping a family member whose apartment was damaged navigate FEMA’s requirements because she only spoke Spanish. And after that, I also helped my employer at the time in applying for the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program. And I was struck by the length of the process and the numerous requirements.”
Her legal expertise helped her provide much-needed assistance, and the experience helped shape the path of her career.
Today, Ortiz-Ortiz is a vice director of the American Bar Association’s Disaster Legal Services program, which provides free legal aid to survivors.
Ortiz: “It means a lot to be able to kind of understand the tragedy of a disaster and be able to use my skills as a lawyer to do something to support that recovery.”
And she says there’s a growing need for free legal services – in multiple languages – as disasters grow more common in a warming world.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
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