Student Hurricane Network (SHN)

Room: 08, PIRC Office  (Lower Level)
Telephone: 212.636.6952
Email: shn@law.fordham.edu 

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Law Students Working Within the Post-Katrina Legal Landscape
The Student Hurricane Network Annual Report, October 2005-October 2006 (PDF)

The Student Hurricane Network was formed in the fall of 2005 in response to the massive legal problems unearthed by the disaster of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast. The organization was founded by law students, with Fordham students playing a significant part, to mobilize the skills and energy of law students nationwide to provide critically needed legal services to individuals and community organizations in the Gulf Coast. The national network (studenthurricanenetwork.org) has grown to the 100+ schools and 1000+ students that encompass it today.
 
The Fordham chapter has been especially active. We sent 28 students to New Orleans in 2006 year to volunteer with several different legal organizations which needed assistance. Our work has had a real impact: we played a role in stopping the bulldozing of homes in the lower 9th ward in violation of a temporary restraining order, resulted in the release of over 50 residents who had been unjustly held in jail, documented the conditions of immigrant workers in New Orleans which will give rise to a workers center and increased resources to defend basic labor rights (see study), and did voter rights work. See reports of our work.

This past year, during winter break, Fordham sent a strong delegation of 32 students, faculty and an administrator to New Orleans and Mississippi.

Fordham's SHN is the recipient of the 2006 Eugene M. Keefe award presented by the Student Bar Association to the person, or group, that has made the most important contribution to the Fordham community.

National SHN is the recipient of the LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell® Exemplary Public Service Award and Fordham SHN members were present in Washington, DC in October 2006 to receive the award.

Fordham SHN plans to continue to work on projects for organizations who continue to need support, by providing "remote" research assistance while here in NYC, organizing contingents to the affected areas, and engaging in advocacy for fair and equitable rebuilding.