To offer support and relief to the obliterated areas of the Gulf Coast, most volunteers offer services to its desperate victims by rebuilding shattered homes, distributing needed supplies and cleaning up debris.
However, the University of Iowa is sending 45 of its law students down to New Orleans this spring break to provide much needed legal relief aid to the victims of hurricane Katrina.
The students will leave March 10 and return March 19, and will work with families providing pro bono legal services during the week.
"This is a great way to help victims as well as provide hands-on experience to law students," said Dan Feltes, a third-year law student at the University of Iowa. "It's a good thing to get a taste of public service."
Feltes, who organized the trip, said that many of the New Orleans evacuees have been charged for utilities without living in their homes.
"As law students, we are equipped with the knowledge that could help many of the evacuees," he said.
Feltes organized the trip with help from Iowa third-year law students Anne Weakly and Jeff Scudder, and second-year law students Sehee Foss and Saray Bermeo.
According to Feltes, the university will take as many students as can be afforded.
At this time, 45 students plan to attend the trip, but Feltes said the number could increase.
Although the trip will be brief, Feltes said students will work to help as many clients as possible.
The legal services provided will range from helping victims fill out paper work for federal assistance to criminal defense cases.
Feltes noted the "Katrina fatigue" currently facing victims of the hurricane, saying there has been a big drop in both financial donations and physical labor help.
"People don't realize that it's still a big issue," he said, and he said he hoped many victims will be helped with the number of students attending the trip.
In addition to the University of Iowa's student relief efforts, the University of Wisconsin has 17 law students also planning to spend their spring break providing legal relief to hurricane victims.
"Three of those students will be traveling to Lafayette to work with Acadiana Legal Services, and the remainder of the group will be traveling to New Orleans," said Ambrea Bigley, one of the trip coordinators.
Bigely said the students will be divided into groups, each with a different task.
"Four students will be working with a Worker's Rights group, five will be working with local attorneys helping to gut and paint the homes of juvenile court staff, and four students will be doing physical labor," she said.
UW has supported the students' efforts by donating vehicles that most of the students will use for the trip, which will last from March 12 to March 17.
While in New Orleans, some UW students plan to stay with three students from Tulane who attended the UW last semester, and the remainder will stay in FEMA tents.
