About Haiti and Another Good Thing about my Job

It started with murmurs around the office about the tragedy in Haiti. Stories of the bodies in the streets, the vast homelessness, the destruction beyond possible comprehension.

Then there were phone calls to the Managing Partner who has family there inquiring as to their safety and "how can we help?"

An email followed from Managing Partner to all The Firm, thanking them for the expressions of concern and listing three reputable organizations where we can donate funds if we so choose.

The Managing Partner's email started a barrage of emails with places to donate - Oxfam, various Jewish organizations, how to donate through a simple text message on your phone, and places holding food drives.

Once again the Firm rallied around things more important than legal precedent, contracts, billable hours or office politics. Once again the good people of My Firm reminded me why I like it here so much, (even if it's freezing in the winter) - because the people here care about more than themselves, more than the law.

We are "Big Law" and we do earn a lot of money - I admit it. It's nice to know that we're quick to give it away, too.

Won't you join us? Here are just a few of the choices available:

• American Red Cross P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013, or made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or online at http://www.redcross.org/.
• http://crs.org/ Catholic Relief Services - see the "donate now" button on the top right of home page
• Oxfam: http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressrelease/2010-01-13/large-earthquake-haiti
• American Jewish World Service (www.ajws.org/haitiearthquake);
• American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (http://www.jdc.org/),
• American Jewish Committee (www.ajc.org/haitifund)
• B'nai B'rith International (https://secure.ga1.org/05web_relief_donatins).
• The U.S. State Department has created a means to donate to the Red Cross for Haiti relief efforts. Simply text “90999” with the word “HAITI” and $10 will be charged to your cell phone bill.
• Via twitter, Haitian musician and UN Goodwill Ambassador Wyclef Jean is asking for donations to his organization Yele Haiti. Text the word “Yele” to 501501 to donate $5 to relief. You can also tweet the following message to spread the word: @wyclef: Haiti is in need of immediate AID please text Yele to 501 501 and donate $5 toward earthquake relief. Learn more about Yele Haiti’s work through an Americas Quarterly interview with Wyclef Jean.
• If you are interested in sponsoring a New York-based team of doctors and paramedics experienced in disaster relief who are working to get to Haiti, please contact aqinfo@as-coa.org.
  

Edited to add: The firm is matching our individual donations up to $50,000 which, given the size of our firm, should hopefully be accomplished easily. I think the firm also made a separate donation of $25,000, but I'm not positive. A certain not-so-accurate law blog which had the audacity to hijack one of my blog entries last summer reported the 25,000. Not sure what the source of info was.