[THREAD] I’m attending the @LSCtweets briefing on #COVID19.

Legal aid providers are anticipating a ‘tsunami of unmet legal needs’ immediately after the eviction moratoriums and unemployment benefits run out.

It will not only be those who had been turning to legal aid in the past, but a skyrocketing inflation of those newly economically disadvantaged
in the corona crisis.

(Remember, despite heroic efforts, many legal aid providers only had funding to address 50% of qualified people seeking legal aid BEFORE THE CORONOA CRISIS. What that looks like after the crisis keeps these agencies up at night.)

Updates from directors of agencies, like @MICH_legalaid, is encouraging. These are legal aid agencies that had foresight to shift to cloud-based services. Legal aid agencies remain open throughout the U.S., even where legal services have not been deemed essential.

Legal aid agencies are seeing explosions in unemployment, housing, and public benefit cases. Many of these cases still require in-person appearances. Legal aid lawyers are representing their clients zealously, in spite of the personal risk.

A great summary of the @ABAesq coordinated response to the corona crisis by @JPMNOLA, current @ABAPresident. See more here: https://www.americanbar.org/advocacy/the-aba-task-force-on-legal-needs-arising-out-of-the-2020-pandem/

Sidenote: It’s interesting how many judges have a court room as their virtual backgrounds.

Courts are the first responders in many public crises. Addiction, mental health, and domestic violence all get triaged by courts. These problems occur more frequently when the economy slumps. Courts are first to get budget cuts just when we need more - @BridgetMaryMc #lawst

During the last recession, civil cases were left out to dry. Constitutional requirements for criminal trials meant that anything else was short-changed when court resources were slashed by legislatures. - Tani Cantil-Sakauye of @CalCourts

Courts are learning in days that which would normally take years. Rapid change is the silver lining to this dark cloud. - @BridgetMaryMc