While many college students are using their spring break to bask on a beach — 45 University of Iowa law students are taking a working spring break in New Orleans. Third-year law student Ann Weakly told Radio Iowa before she left that they’ll be helping out with hurricane recovery.
Some of their work will involve legal projects. She says there’s a voters rights project, there’s a project to work with people who have employment law issues and people who have housing issues. Weakly says the students will also dig in and do some manual labor.
Weakly says they’ll go into homes that have been damaged by the winds or flooding and will gut the homes. She says this work should save the people between four and seven thousand dollars per home. Weakly says the students look to gain something from this trip. She says they’re hoping that the students will get interested in public service and the way law can help people out.
Weakly says they hope people will take away a pride in helping others. Weakly says students are giving of themselves. Weakly says most of the students are in the financial position to donate a lot of money right now, but she says they can give of their time. Weakly is from Illinois. The students return to Iowa on Sunday.