Law students from across the country formed the Student Hurricane Network (SHN), a national association dedicated to providing assistance to communities affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The legal questions and problems facing the individuals and communities throughout the Gulf Coast region were monumental in scale, and remain so even now.
SHN dissolved at the national level in 2005, but the Chicago-Kent SHN organization has continued to support and organize Chicago-Kent students who are interested in providing assistance to legal agencies. In an effort to respond to the evolving and diverse needs of the community in New Orleans and other communities our organization has formally changed our name to the Student Humanitarian Network.
SHN works with students at Chicago-Kent to coordinate travel and fundraising efforts for service trips to New Orleans. SHN is also pursuing opportunities for students to volunteer at legal organizations in the Chicago area, as well as volunteer opportunities within the community. These trips provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about pro bono service and public interest law. They also give students a chance to build relationships with each other and with other law students from around the country.