An Epic Katrina Documentary by Spike Lee

Dear Law Students,

One year ago, hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As the natural and man-made disasters engulfed the region, the nation turned its attention to the storm’s immediate aftermath. However, a year later, the crisis continues.

Today, lass than half of pre-Katrina New Orleans residents have been able to return home; over 70,000 of them are living in 240-square foot FEMA trailers (which are particularly vulnerable during the hurricane season) and many people are still waiting for trailers to be delivered; the state’s charity hospital system is in shambles and psychiatric care is non-existent; most of the Lower 9th Ward is still without potable water; 6,000 criminal defendants await trial, many of whom do not have attorneys; 60 percent of the businesses within the city limits have probably not reopened; federal officials have doled out only about 40 percent of the $110 billion promised to the Gulf Coast; not a single dollar of federal funds to rebuild houses has made it to Louisiana homeowners; and renters have been virtually left to fend for themselves.

But the numbers do not tell the whole story. The pain, the frustration, the anger, the desperation and the anguish are still as real today as they were in the days after the tragedy first unfolded. The Gulf Coast residents have not forgotten – they are still living the tragedy. And we cannot forget, either.

We are calling on students at every law school in the country to watch Spike Lee’s epic Katrina documentary, “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.” Spike Lee’s film captures the uncertainty in the region that is felt deeply in people’s lives. The documentary explores the range of emotions, even a bit of humor. Many of the scenes are painful to watch, but as a country we must bear witness to the ongoing crisis that faces our fellow Americans.

Law students possess a unique set of skills that are in dire need throughout the hurricane-affected region. The Student Hurricane Network (SHN) was created to link these skills with the pressing need that persists. Since last fall, over 1,000 law students have been involved in pro bono trips to the region, research projects, and educational efforts, but the legal needs are so massive that we are calling upon others to join us. Your work can immediately address the pressing legal challenges faced in the Gulf Coast region.

SHN is working on four program areas: 1) coordinating pro bono trips to the region, 2) drafting research to address the present novel legal issues in the region, 3) planning a federal lobbying effort, and 4) matching law students with displaced residents on a one-on-one basis. We are calling on law students to get involved in each of these projects, and we are also eager to support any hurricane-related work that you are planning or coordinating at your school.

Please watch the film “When the Levees Broke” on HBO on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 starting at 8:00 pm EDST. If you are not able to watch the documentary at this time, consider finding someone with HBO “On Demand,” and watch it at will. Then please visit www.StudentHurrianceNetwork.org to learn how you can bring your skills to bear on the ongoing crisis, and contact StudentHurricaneNetwork@gmail.com to get involved.

Looking forward to working with you,

Joseph M. Bruno, Bruno & Bruno, LLP
Louella Givens, J.D., member of LA Bd. of Elementary and Secondary Education
Vanita Gupta, civil and human rights attorney
Damon Hewitt, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
Morgan Williams, Tulane University Law School class of 2007