News Article

Pro Bono at Womble Carlyle

NEW ORLEANS – Two women sit in the small library of the New Orleans Legal Aid Center and talk about their family history, as Womble Carlyle attorney Susan Giamportone listens and jots down notes.

Down the hall, Tripp Greason, the firm’s Pro Bono Director, completes a similar exercise with another family who, like the first, saw their home damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Attorneys John Still, Kevin Pigott and summer associate Tina Thomas also interview clients elsewhere in the building.

Womble Carlyle attorneys are providing pro bono legal assistance to low-income victims of Hurricane Katrina. Attorneys are helping clients obtain succession papers, which are needed to qualify for FEMA and state aid as well as homeowner’s insurance.

On a recent afternoon, Greason met with an elderly New Orleans woman accompanied by her granddaughter.

The woman’s story is common in the New Orleans Legal Aid office, but it is no less heartbreaking. She and her husband bought their home shortly after he returned from World War II. He never made much money working as a custodian, but they built a life together, raising three children. Before the husband died nearly 30 years ago, he made sure his home was paid for, so that his family would have a place to live.

But the family never updated the deed – "I never knew I needed this until (Hurricane Katrina) happened," the woman said.

Now, the family home is in need of repair. Katrina punched a gaping hole in its roof, a hole that hasn’t been fixed in nearly a year because the family lacks the money. They would qualify for FEMA assistance—but only if they can show succession.

That is the task Womble Carlyle attorneys have been assigned. Greason meets with the woman and her granddaughter to gather information which will be useful in establishing their rightful ownership of the property.

The granddaughter has prepared a typed list of the children and grandchildren, along with their dates of birth and addresses. The widow also brings along the original title her husband received when he first bought the home.

"Great; this will help a lot," Greason said.

Giamportone’s case is relatively straightforward. Two sisters wish to claim succession on a home owned by their late parents. They have two brothers who also have a stake in the home, but they have agreed to set aside their claims and allow their sisters to remain living at the home.

The women don’t have a deed, but they do have a will from their parents, which outlines their desire to see the women get the home. The women say they haven’t talked with an attorney previously about the succession process. So Giamportone patiently walks them through every step, explaining what must be done and what further information the sisters need to collect.

More work remains to be done on these cases and these two families represent only a tiny fraction of the homeowners in New Orleans who need legal assistance. But these families are one step closer to repairing their homes and rebuilding their lives.

"In the months since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, many companies, organizations and individuals have offered their help to the people of that region," Greason said. "We’re honored to be a part of that effort."