Patricia Gerrich

When more than 250 Hurricane Katrina evacuees arrived at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, many had no idea of the whereabouts of members of their immediate families, much less the legal problems they would be facing.
“Many people we saw during the first few weeks were still in shock,” said Patricia Gerrich, director of the Volunteer Lawyers Program, and winner of the Sharon A. Fullmer Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award. “They needed direction to start getting basic help for food and clothing and a place to stay.”
In short time, Ms.Gerrich, contacted the State Bar of Arizona and volunteered to organize more than 100 attorneys to help the evacuees, many of whom lacked even identification, qualify for disaster relief assistance and/or to manage mortgages, landlord/tenant disputes or the deaths of relatives.
Helping the less fortunate is not a novel concept for the Phoenix resident. Her mother Bernice Wittig, 83, dedicates her free time volunteering for her church, hospice and various blood drives, and the urge to assist the vulnerable was inherited by her daughter.
Ms. Gerrich holds a master’s in social work from the University of Wisconsin, in addition to a law degree from Arizona State. She had almost 20 years of experience assisting the disabled in her work for the non-profit groups Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest and the Arc of Arizona, before heading the Volunteer Lawyers Program, which provides pro bono legal work for lower income families and individuals.
A feeling of gratitude overcomes her when speaking about her experiences with the people displaced by Katrina. She is grateful for the “outpouring of generosity” from fellow lawyers, to evacuees for their thankfulness, and to attention paid to Volunteer Legal Services as a result of their work.
The duty of helping evacuees reestablish their lives is still being performed. Some were forced from the Gulf Coast a second time when Hurricane Rita, which caused $10 billion in damages, hit in September 2005.
The functions performed by the volunteer legal force will encourage similar action by other lawyers in the event of future disasters, such as more hurricanes or forest fires during the summer months, she said.
Ms. Gerrich has served as the executive director of the Volunteer Lawyers Program since 1994. The group also conducts programs dedicated to those suffering from mental illness, HIV/AIDS, and to victims of domestic violence.
She was named the Pro Bono Coordinator of the Year by the National Association of Pro Bono Professionals in 1999. In 2002, she was given the Legal Access Award of the Arizona Chapter of the American Jewish Committee.
The Sharon A. Fullmer award is named in honor of another Volunteer Lawyers Program employee from Prescott.