(Jackson, MS / June 12, 2014) Wendy H. Ellard of Baker Donelson has been appointed to serve as the Vice-Director of the Disaster Legal Services Team for the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association (ABA). She will serve a one year term in this role beginning August 2014.
The ABA's Young Lawyers Division (YLD) is the largest young lawyer organization in the world and strives to serve the public, the profession and local communities. Through the Disaster Legal Service Team, the ABA Young Lawyers Division and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) work to provide immediate legal assistance to disaster survivors who cannot afford a lawyer. Disaster-related legal issues involve areas such as bankruptcy, contract and contractor problems, landlord/tenant and wills and insurance. Since 2007, the ABA YLD has responded to more than 100 declared disasters across the U.S.
Ms. Ellard, an associate in Baker Donelson's Jackson, Mississippi office, primarily practices in the areas of disaster recovery and state public policy. She has extensive experience with legal and regulatory compliance issues under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Recovery and Emergency Assistance Act and assisted public and provide non-profit entities in navigation of the complex federal and state regulatory frameworks following Hurricane Katrina. Ms. Ellard has unique knowledge of previous policy applications and interpretations of FEMA's Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Programs, and she provides clients with support and guidance regarding eligibility criteria and regulatory requirements so that are able to more effectively navigate the federal grant process.
A 2007 cum laude graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law, Ms. Ellard is a member of the Capital Area, Mississippi and American Bar Associations. She is also an active member of the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association and is a member of the National Emergency Management Association.