Pro Bono Spotlight: Brooks Savage and Brad Piland, NC Disaster Legal Services

By Sidney Thomas

Elizabeth “Brooks” Savage

When legal professionals are nervous or not sure how they can help those impacted by a disaster, Brooks’ words come to mind. “One act of service (no matter how small you self-perceive it to be) can make the world of difference for a disaster survivor who needs trusted counsel after experiencing such severe loss.” Brooks has worked in disaster relief for several years from working at Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Disaster Relief Project as a W.C. Dawson Fellow and Staff Attorney to serving as an Assistant General Counsel in the Disaster Recovery Division of the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management. Throughout her career in disaster recovery, she has served survivors directly to alleviate legal barriers with FEMA, insurance, and displacement matters and provided outreach and education on disaster legal issues. Notably in response to Hurricane Helene, Brooks is a volunteer leader with NC Disaster Legal Services (DLS), where she works closely with state and national DLS partners, recruits and trains volunteer legal professionals and coordinates DLS operations for clinics, FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers, and case management, just to name a few responsibilities.

Brooks is committed to improving the health, safety, and well-being of her fellow North Carolinians, and expands this commitment beyond her public service career through volunteerism in disaster recovery. She recognizes the critical need to meet survivors where they are. Brooks spends a great deal of time traveling to disaster-impacted areas, and in doing so “deepens connections with individuals that she has previously assisted and also works with local leaders and community groups for long-term recovery planning.” Disaster law is not a typical area where a lawyer can gain extensive practice experience. With such a unique skill set, she is committed to sharing her disaster law knowledge and experience to serve individuals impacted by natural disasters and help other legal professionals do the same. When asked about the reason she commits to making time for this pro bono work, Brooks stated, “I’ve responded to numerous disasters so far, and it is in these critical response moments that I am brought back to the feeling, in my heart, that this work is very much what I have been placed on this earth to do.”

Brooks is a member of several committees and works with several projects in addition to her leadership roles. Brooks represents the NCBA Young Lawyer’s Division (YLD) as the ABA District 9 Representative and co-chairs the DLS committee of the YLD. She is also a member of the Open Door Fellowship and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging committees. Additionally, she is a member of the NCBA’s Government and Public Sector Section, Administrative Law Section, and Construction Law Section. Brooks is actively involved with the ABA Disaster Legal Services program, NCBF NC Free Legal Answers, NCBF 4All-Lawyers on Call, and the WCBA/10th Judicial Bar District’s Public Service Committee and Entrepreneurship Clinic.

Brooks’ dedication speaks volumes and has been acknowledged with several awards that represent her dedication to public service, including the 2019 Outstanding Student Commitment to Pro Bono and Public Service Award and the 2019 Public Service Certificate of Appreciation presented by the NC State Bar. She has been named Star of the Quarter twice by the YLD. While she is just one attorney, she expresses so much gratitude to the NCBA/NCBF staff, NC DLS partners and leaders, and all the pro bono volunteers who have helped with disaster recovery efforts.

Brad Piland

When you think of disaster, you generally think chaos, devastation, or overwhelming challenge, but then there is relief, and that’s where Brad Piland comes in. Brad has worked in disaster relief for several years from working at Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Disaster Relief Project to the Office of General Counsel at the Department of Public Safety. Currently, Brad advises on recovery and mitigation efforts for natural disasters in North Carolina. Specifically, he helps impacted citizens navigate recovery efforts with the understanding that it’s a long process.

When asked about the reason he commits to making time for this pro bono work, Brad stated, “Mainly, I believe I’m in a better position than most to help people because of my experience. It’s definitely a niche field.” Brad also gave tremendous gratitude to the projects and people at Legal Aid and Elizabeth “Brooks” Savage for their support and knowledge in disaster legal services. Brad emphasized that there aren’t many attorneys who are familiar with this field, but there are attorneys who specialize in certain legal areas that could help people, and that’s where other attorneys and paralegals come in.

While Brad’s profession and position as co-chair of the Disaster Legal Services (DLS) committee of the Young Lawyer’s Division focuses on disaster relief, he also finds the time to co-chair the Pro Bono Committee of the Young Lawyer’s Division. One initiative that they have implemented this year is “Clear the Queue” to help NC Free Legal Answers. This is a resource for all North Carolinians and those impacted by natural disasters. Brad hopes that the DLS and the Pro Bono committees can in some small way help those impacted by Hurricane Helene and all citizens of North Carolina.

Brad was awarded the Fall 2024 Star of the Quarter from the North Carolina Bar Association’s Young Lawyer’s Division. To those who know him, he doesn’t say much, but his efforts do not go unnoticed. When asked about his biggest takeaway after helping someone through this project, Brad said, “This is not limited to one person, but more of a general impression. I’ve been struck by the selflessness of the survivors I’ve met. A lot of them have had significant, sometimes catastrophic impacts from this storm, and often their first thought is to a neighbor or a friend who they believe has it worse. There’s a tremendous sense of community there. It’s a physically beautiful place out there, but it’s really the people that make the area special.”

If anyone reading this needs help or knows someone who does with Hurricane Helene, the hotline telephone number for Disaster Legal Services is 1-866-219-5262.