Lawyers offer free help in NYC

US lawyers offering their services free of charge to help families prove that relatives have been killed in the World Trade Centre attacks have told the Gazette of the many problems associated with the work.A group of 130 volunteer lawyers have begun work helping families of the estimated 6,453 people missing to compile affidavits establishing that their missing relatives were at the twin towers when they collapsed.

Arrangements to fast-track insurance claims have been made.Teams of lawyers from top firms such as Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy are among those helping the victims' families.Jeffrey Tsang, an associate at Clearys, told the Gazette that the problem with confirming deaths in the disaster was the lack of bodies.

'Very, very few bodies have been recovered so far, and many will never be found,' he said.

'For families to claim social security benefits and insurance policies, they need death certificates.

In many cases the dead person was the main breadwinner in the family, so this is a matter of some urgency for them.'The New York City Law Department's newly established World Trade Centre unit has set up a 'drop-in centre' staffed by volunteer lawyers working five-hour shifts.

Mr Tsang, who helped two women who had each lost a child in the attack, said the experience was more emotional and upsetting than he expected, but added: 'The disaster has affected the whole city, and as a lawyer this was the most effective thing I could do to help.'New York law firms have also been shifting desks to make room for lawyers from rival firms left without office space.

Clearys, which was forced to abandon its offices by the twin towers, has taken a floor of Latham & Watkins' office.

It is paying Latham's costs and overheads.Other firms, such as Debevoise & Plimpton and Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, have provided space for Clearys staff.Thacher Proffitt & Wood, which was based in the World Trade Centre, was offered temporary, rent-free space by eight firms, but found permanent space instead.Victoria MacCallum