disaster RECOVERY should not depend on privilege, proxmity to power, or procedural fluency

In the aftermath of a disaster, most people are met with systems that are difficult to understand, slow to respond, and not built with their realities in mind. Recovery often depends less on the scale of loss and more on someone’s ability to navigate red tape, produce specific paperwork, and make sense of complex aid processes- usually while displaced, grieving, or without internet or power. Our work is rooted in the belief that legal information should be a public resource, not a gated service.

Emergency Legal Responders (ELR) empowers communities to protect their disaster rights, access critical recovery resources, and advocate for equitable disaster relief. Through education, advocacy, and strategic partnerships, we work to eliminate systemic barriers in disaster recovery and ensure that impacted communities can navigate complex aid processes and rebuild with resilience.

We are a New Orleans-based nonprofit of attorneys, organizers, and educators who respond across the Gulf South and beyond. We connect people, providers, and grassroots leaders with the legal knowledge and tools to navigate recovery systems, assert rights, and prevent long-term harm.