Category: Natural disasters

The Role of Pro Bono in Land and Environmental Justice in Hawaiʻi

By PBI Intern Catherine Titzer Introduction Although often romanticized as a tropical paradise by the mainland United States, Hawaiʻi faces profound and complex legal challenges, particularly in the areas of land and environmental rights—challenges that many residents, especially Native Hawaiians, struggle to advocate for due to systemic barriers and limited access to legal resources. Pro bono legal work has played an important role in addressing these challenges, empowering Native Hawaiian communities and other residents to navigate legal systems, protect their rights, and advocate for sustainable solutions to land and environmental issues. Pro Bono Regulations in Hawaiʻi Hawaii, like several other

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Pro Bono & Natural Disaster Recovery: Interview with Alameda County Bar’s Tiela Chalmers

By PBI Intern Julianne Alejos Pro Bono Institute (PBI) had the great fortune to interview Tiela Chalmers, the Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel at Alameda County Bar Association, on how pro bono efforts may provide necessary support in natural disaster recovery. The success of the Alameda Legal First Responders program (ALFR) demonstrates how pro bono addresses the rise in demand for an effective disaster legal response network. “Ten years ago, we were still focused on earthquakes,” explains Chalmers, “and we still are working hard on that, but the fires shifted us significantly.” Over the course of 2022, a total

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