Originally released on November 12, 2024. Legal aid staff in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina discuss their wide-ranging hurricane response efforts on Talk Justice. In the wake of devastating hurricanes in the southeast, legal aid organizations are mobilizing to provide emergency assistance and recovery services. The legal aid providers stress the importance of legal services becoming engrained in the disaster response ecosystem so that other recovery organizations know to refer people to legal aid, and legal aid knows where to refer clients with non-legal issues. Hosted by Ron Flagg
Ronald S. Flagg was appointed President of the Legal Services Corporation effective February 20, 2020, and previously served as Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel since 2013. He previously practiced commercial and administrative litigation at Sidley Austin LLP for 31 years, 27 years as a partner. He chaired the firm’s Committee on Pro Bono and Public Interest Law for more than a decade.
Lesley Albritton is the Chief of Staff of Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC). Previously, she served as Project Director and Managing Attorney of the Disaster Relief Project at LANC. Ms. Albritton led LANC’s response to Hurricanes Matthew, Florence, and Tropical Storm Fred. Ms. Albritton serves on the boards of the NC Housing Coalition and the NCVOAD. She was named a 2019 Leader in the Law and is a 2024 recipient of the North Carolina 50 Most Influential Women Award.
Peter Dennis is the Regional Managing Attorney for Florida Rural Legal Services’ Fort Myers office, which covers Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, Desoto, and Glades Counties. Having worked both domestically and internationally, Peter has spent the majority of his career working with vulnerable, underserved populations, focusing on public interest law. A long time Florida resident, Peter received his BA in Political Science from the University of Florida and his JD from New York University School of Law.
Mike Monahan is an experienced public interest attorney and veteran access to justice professional. Mike has been a member of the State Bar of Georgia since 1989 and has for the past 27 years served a dual role as director of pro bono services for both the Georgia Legal Services Program and the State Bar of Georgia.
Jason Susalla is the Managing Attorney of Bay Area Legal Services’ Disaster Relief Team, a team focused on community engagement and direct legal services for disaster survivors. Jason began his supervisory role of the disaster relief team in 2018, while it was a project under the BALS’ Volunteer Lawyers Program. Currently, Jason focuses on legal aid’s integration into the disaster relief community, developing innovative partnerships, and oversight of a statewide hotline for disaster survivors.
