UPR Resiliency Law Center

Who are we and what do we do?

The UPR Resiliency Law Center is an initiative aimed at shifting the balance of power to local communities in order to ensure that disaster recovery and rebuilding in Puerto Rico is effective, fair, and resilient. To achieve this, we will establish an advocacy center for disaster recovery and climate change awareness, train students, lawyers and other professionals in legal techniques for a resilient recovery and to fight climate change and, also, provide counseling, legal representation and education to individuals and leaders of communities affected by natural disasters and climate change.

The Center focuses on three mayor components: capacity building, advocacy center and legal services. Through our capacity building program, we will train students, lawyers and other professionals on federal recovery funds, contracts and advocacy techniques, building the capacity of local organizations to participate in federal funds and programs, and also advocate for an inclusive and just recovery. On the other hand, the advocacy center will work to promote an effective and equitable recovery and climate risk reduction and awareness, resulting in projects for faster recovery. And lastly, the legal services are to provide counseling and legal representation to entities that are in the process of getting grants and contracts for recovery and to prevent climate change.

The work in the Center will promote a faster recovery in Puerto Rico, ensuring a just and resilient distribution of aid to promote wealth creation among disfranchised communities. We are striving to develop in this way a repeatable framework for future disaster recovery in Puerto Rico and a more active and educated community in processes of advocacy and good governance.