“I’m a lawyer, so I guess I rescue people when they’re in trouble.”
—Robert Fickman, Houston

When the full scope of the Hurricane Harvey tragedy became evident, I was struck by the enormity of the disaster. I wondered how people like me, people in the law business could survive such a challenge. I wondered how people like me could deal with loss of homes and property, perhaps the loss of loved ones, and the possibility of not being able to practice law for many months.

What are they doing to make a living without a courthouse? What about the tall-building lawyers with lots of employees depending on a paycheck? How are they handling the financial stress? What does the future hold?

How are they juggling the lawyer stress with the personal stress? Does insurance cover the losses? I sent many dispatches asking these questions, but I learned little about how lawyers were coping with post-Harvey Houston. There were no whiners.

Some shared the initial shock of dealing with the crisis, some were grateful for relief efforts, but most who responded were more concerned with the plight of others affected by the storm.
Hurricane Harvey heroes emerged.
—Chuck Lanehart, Lubbock