Adam Doerr Featured in Super Lawyers Magazine for Pro Bono COVID Relief Effort

Adam Doerr led a team of Robinson Bradshaw attorneys in an effort to get financial relief to overlooked, low-income families when the state's Extra Credit Grant Program allocated checks to families for childcare and remote schooling supplies during the pandemic.

“Basically, if you filed a tax return and said you were a resident and you reported a child, you got the money automatically,” Doerr told North Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine. However, low-income families who don’t file tax returns were required to apply within a short window of time in order to receive the funds. That process was not well publicized, so these families did not receive the help they needed.

Doerr and his colleagues filed an official complaint that stated the program violated the state constitution, and requested a preliminary injunction to make sure the relief funds were attainable for people who needed them. The complaint led to a six-week extension for North Carolina residents to apply for the grant, and then the Robinson Bradshaw team quickly got to work to get the word out.

“Eighteen different attorneys and staff members dedicated over 600 hours,” Doerr said.

They worked with nonprofits to spread the news and hired a public relations firm to set up a website and call center. Their efforts paid off when more than 15,000 families were able to apply for the grant within the extended deadline.

The North Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine article is available here.