Scott Kahan Helped Launch 9/11 Pro Bono Planning Movement for 400,000 Exposed
Updated
Updated · Wealth Management · Sep 11
Scott Kahan Helped Launch 9/11 Pro Bono Planning Movement for 400,000 Exposed
1 articles · Updated · Wealth Management · Sep 11
Summary
Scott Kahan said his post-9/11 work organizing free financial planning for victims’ families helped spark a pro bono movement that still shapes the profession 25 years later.
Congress created the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund within weeks of the attacks, and families needed help with claims, estate issues and compensation calculations as some advisers and lawyers charged steep fees.
Through the Financial Planning Association in New York and Washington, Kahan worked with Trial Lawyers Care to build volunteer support, while the Foundation for Financial Planning promoted the effort with full-page ads.
Mark Johannessen wrote in a 2021 testimonial that before 9/11, pro bono financial planning was largely aspirational; the response to the attacks gave the field broader legitimacy and accelerated its growth.
Kahan said the mission has since widened to cases from military deployments to domestic violence, while 9/11’s health toll still grows—about 9,400 deaths among 400,000 people exposed to toxic conditions.