Law students offer legal aid to Helene survivors
The team went to western North Carolina during spring break to help with FEMA appeals and insurance disputes.
While many college students sought relaxation during spring break, eight UNC School of Law students traveled to the mountains of western North Carolina to assist communities still recovering from Hurricane Helene. The team provided free legal consultations March 10-13 to residents struggling with FEMA appeals, insurance disputes and rebuilding complications.
“We were able to serve a good number of people,” said Meghan Moran ’16, ’19 (JD), director of pro bono initiatives, whose leadership recently earned UNC School of Law recognition as the only law school nationwide named a 2024 Pro Bono Leader by the American Bar Association.
The trip began on March 10 with team-building on an Alpine coaster. That evening, Carolina Law alumni Jim Deal ’74 and Tucker Deal ’14 joined the students for dinner, sharing their firsthand experiences as western North Carolina residents affected by Hurricane Helene. Jim Deal, chair of the Law Alumni Association nominating committee, strongly supported the students’ efforts to help his community.
Following comprehensive training in disaster-related legal issues and trauma sensitivity, the students established legal clinics in Burnsville on March 11 and Boone on March 12. They worked from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at each location, guiding residents through complex legal processes that often emerge in disaster recovery.
Between client consultations, students worked on additional cases under the supervision of Legal Aid of North Carolina attorneys, who helped identify community members with the greatest needs.
“It’s so humbling to talk with a person and address their legal concerns, especially as a student!” said third-year law student Mandy Mericle, a Pro Bono board member who coordinated the trip. “For me, these experiences remind me of why I came to law school in the first place.”
The trip also highlighted the critical shortage of legal services in rural areas. Cole Voorhies, director of public interest and government advising, who accompanied the group, noted this opportunity for students to experience rural practice firsthand.
“There are simply not enough lawyers serving those areas of the state,” he said. “This trip not only offered assistance to communities impacted by the storm but also got students thinking about what it means to practice in an underserved rural area.”
Learn how the UNC-Chapel Hill community has mobilized to support those impacted by the storm.
For 25 years, UNC School of Law’s Pro Bono program has connected students with North Carolinians who cannot afford legal representation. This tradition of service has prepared generations of lawyers who understand their professional responsibility to give back to their communities.
“Wherever there is need, we definitely want to be helping to address those needs,” Moran said, pledging the school’s continued service to communities throughout North Carolina.
