Stop by the Exhibit Hall and visit with all 20 exhibitors during the conference. Also, don’t forget to play the exhibit hall game and get entered to win prizes during raffle drawings on Thursday and Friday. Copies of the game flyer are in the program books and at the NLADA Membership Booth.
Thursday May 15, 2025 7:30am - Saturday May 17, 2025 10:00am EDT Lobby Level
Biases are internal processes everyone relies on to readily process information we have been taught, or experienced. This training will provide the tools needed for you to take the first step in being a better advocate for yourself, your team, and most importantly, for the clients we serve.
Community Justice Workers (CJWs) are trained advocates who provide critical legal advice, assistance and representation in underserved communities. With several states implementing CJW programs, this session explores how the Frontline Justice with support from Ascendium Education Solutions has convened a national taskforce to discuss how best to design and implement low-barrier, competency-based curriculum and credentialing pathways for community justice workers that have the ability to scale to meet community demand and built a justice workforce of the future.
Thursday May 15, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT Continential 8
As legal self-help websites grow, generative AI chatbots offer efficiency and accessibility but raise ethical, practical, and technical concerns. This interactive session explores deploying AI in sensitive areas like family court, focusing on ethical issues, policy implications, and decision-making frameworks to ensure fairness, equity, and effectiveness.
Thursday May 15, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT Continential 2
Recognizing that legal technology may help legal aid narrow the justice gap, the State Bar of California hired consultants to assess grantees’ operational efficiency and develop a statewide legal technology initiative for its 115 grantees. Panelists will discuss how to replicate this assessment and statewide initiative to other jurisdictions.
Thursday May 15, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT Plaza Room A
Supporting law students to pursue paths to legal services is critical. Many diverse students enter school pursuing this path but get lost along the way. We will explore how legal services, law schools and stakeholders provide financial support and encouragement to help students make a commitment to access to justice.
Thursday May 15, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT Plaza Room B
The MIE Roundtable allows legal services Executive Directors and Managers to discuss difficult challenges and pressing concerns confidentially, and to benefit from their colleagues who have experience and learning to share. This session moves the community as a whole forward toward better management, resulting in better services to clients.
Thursday May 15, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT Golden Gate 6
This panel serves as a follow-up to Mountainqueer: Name Changes and More in Appalachia presented at EJC in 2024. Participants will learn how Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, University of Kentucky College of Law, and Legal Aid of West Virginia continue to collaborate and operate name change clinics in Appalachia.
Thursday May 15, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT Golden Gate 7
The world of multimedia outreach seems to be changing almost on a daily basis. New platforms and tools emerge and become dominate, while others may lag behind or no longer be relevant to reaching the right audiences. In this fast-paced world how does your organization stay on top of messaging? This session will offer a quick guide to making the most out of your communications plan.
Thursday May 15, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT Golden Gate 8
Professional development is an important part of a program’s strategies to build capacity and increase retention among staff. Join this session to learn how to support intentional, meaningful, and effective professional growth. Consider and share your own professional development goals, addressing skill-building, substantive knowledge, personal growth, and career path objectives.
In today’s rapidly changing world, it's essential to turn our traditional volunteering recruitment model onits head. This action packed session will challenge you and your organization to reconsider how you attract and retain volunteers.
Using real-world case studies with strategies that are actually working in today’s landscape, we’ll explore innovative techniques, tools, and resources to ensure your team is equipped to drive positive change within your communities, while creating a volunteering experience that meets the needs of today's volunteers.
Thursday May 15, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT Continential 3
Learn how a legal aid program working with volunteer attorneys in low-income neighborhoods, both on an individual and group level, uplifts and advocates for many clients at once. Attendees will learn how they can develop and staff a geographically-focused project in an urban setting and invest legal support in low-income neighborhoods.
Thursday May 15, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT Continential 7
This session will be an interactive “art of the ask” training for fundraisers and executive directors, outlining the steps and materials needed to prepare for a successful fundraising solicitation. We will provide the tools for legal aid fundraising and executive staff to make face to face solicitations and also support board members in becoming successful ambassadors and solicitors for their legal aid organizations. We will also facilitate an interactive solicitation practice with a “mock donor” so attendees can practice the skills they are learning in real time.
"Right to counsel" for tenants facing eviction is a growing part of the access to justice landscape. Should that mean the same essentially unlimited right as it is on the criminal side or is a tiered strategy of legal assistance? How does each approach measure up with regards to effectiveness and sustainability?
A lack of estate planning is exacerbating housing and economic insecurities in older marginalized communities. Studies show that the lack of estate planning is due to a perception that wills, and other wealth transfer devices, are only for the rich. This session will highlight a legal services estate planning model.
Legal services can use AI to promote equity and justice by improving efficiency and accuracy. Maryland Legal Aid's recent adoption of an AI policy and the development of tools like mlaGPT can show how automation can streamline tasks, from document summaries to routine processes. This session will offer practical steps to implement AI while maintaining ethical standards.
Charlotte law firms built CLIMB (Charlotte Legal Initiative to Mobilize Businesses) to enable pr bono lawyers to aid marginalized and under resourced small businesses owners and entrepreneurs with free legal services. CLIMB especially provides opportunities for transactional attorneys – who balk at litigation-oriented work – to engage in significant pro bono assistance.
Thursday May 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT Continential 8
Housing courts have long been viewed as places of last resort, defined by their shortcomings and systemic power imbalances. Over the last three years, 24 courts set out to challenge this notion by launching eviction diversion programs that connect litigants with time, information, and resources to resolve their disputes in a less harmful way. Learn more about how these programs are reducing the number of eviction judgments, increasing trust and confidence in the justice system, and efficiently connecting litigants with legal aid and wraparound services.
In today's data-driven world, understanding and effectively utilizing data can significantly enhance the impact of legal aid services. This session will explore key data concepts and practical applications for legal services organizations. Using pro bono as a data subset, we will demonstrate how insights can reveal meaningful information about legal aid services.
Thursday May 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT Continential 3
Hear about current trends in debt collection lawsuit filings and discuss reforms that empower self-represented litigants to navigate their cases and assert their rights. In interactive groups, participants will apply new resources to analyze policies in their states and identify areas ripe for reform.
Thursday May 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT Continential 1
Legal Kiosks are computers located in public spaces providing access to legal services, removing technology and transportation barriers. Experience firsthand how our accessibility features can connect people with disabilities to legal information and services in their community. The session will cover software accessibility, physical accessibility, and user interface designs on a website that are WCAG compliant to ensure comprehensive access to all users. Watch demonstrations showcasing the kiosks' accessibility features, including optimal placement and design considerations for maximizing acc
Thursday May 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT Plaza Room A
Back by popular demand, the Ethics Quiz show will allow attendees to show off their knowledge about legal ethics issues facing legal aid and pro bono lawyers. Using reality-based scenarios and the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, quiz show emcees experienced in the field will challenge attendees with practice-based scenarios on subjects including ethical use of artificial intelligence tools, working with allied legal professionals and pro-bono lawyers, confidentiality concerns, immigration issues, working with allied legal professionals, and disability and language access issues.
Thursday May 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT Plaza Room B
Learn how to engage BIPOC Community members with outreach events designed in Talking Circle style to increase participation, awareness, and engagement with your firm on legal issues that impact the BIPOC community.
Explore how to use a creative blend of technology, pro bono management, and client empowerment to build capacity for discrete immigration legal services, bridge gaps in the immigration process, and apply creative solutions to improve access to justice for asylum seekers and low-income immigrants lacking full representation services.
Thursday May 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT Golden Gate 8
Demand for pro se support has increased while the pro bono attorney supply landscape has changed. This session will explore reasons behind this dichotomy and offer strategies for increasing self-represented litigant access to volunteer attorneys. Highlighted models include online legal clinics, legal assistance hotlines and other convenient limited scope engagements.
Thursday May 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT Continential 2
Panelists will introduce and demonstrate Purpose-Driven Board Leadership, a governance framework that helps governing boards of legal services organizations reimagine their roles to provide the strategic leadership and oversight that helps the sector better preserve and advance justice and equity.
Thursday May 15, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT Golden Gate 6
Learn about joint projects fostered by the AAA-ICDR Institute to explore real-world examples of how Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) can enhance access to justice. Gain insights into the AAA-ICDR Foundation's grant evaluation process and discover innovative ways ADR is being utilized to promote justice within and outside the court systems to make access to justice more equitable for self-represented, diverse populations.
Thursday May 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT Continential 8
Supervisors can be reticent to provide feedback employees need to improve their work and the quality of their organization’s legal services. This session will provide attendees with actionable and specific tips, tools, and a structure for adequately training and supporting supervisors to provide effective feedback delivery within their organizations.
Thursday May 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT Plaza Room A
This session will explore the vital role libraries play in addressing legal inequities through partnerships with legal aid organizations and pro bono initiatives. By leveraging library resources, these collaborations empower underserved communities, provide legal information, and support attorneys. Attendees will learn about successful projects, strategies to engage volunteers, and innovative ways to increase access to justice. Participants will gain actionable insights on creating impactful, sustainable partnerships to serve diverse client needs.
This session will identify the structural challenges incarcerated parents face when trying to connect with their children, introduce the myriad ways the legal field can provide support to these parents in civil proceedings, and provide practical tips for participants to better support incarcerated parents and their children.
Thursday May 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT Continential 7
Are you ready to explore how generative AI can revolutionize access to justice for prose litigants? Join us for a groundbreaking session where we tackle the pressing issue of legal representation gaps. Discover how innovative AI tools like Rentervention and Immpath AI are breaking down barriers, empowering individuals to navigate complex legal systems independently. Attendees will learn about the transformative potential of generative AI in providing personalized legal assistance, drafting documents, and offering real-time guidance.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) decisions striking down race-based affirmative action in higher education, a tidal wave of attacks on racial equity programs has emerged. Panelists will share strategies for mobilizing pro bono attorneys to defend and advance DEI and racial equity initiatives.
Thursday May 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT Continential 1
Learn practical steps for conducting intake process improvement projects, gaining insights into the critical stages of intake process mapping, stakeholder engagement, and the integration of technology with legal aid intake systems. Discover the common intake challenges identified during projects funded by LSC over the last five years and how legal aid organizations can apply the lessons learned.
Thursday May 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT Continential 3
This session will explore models for growth in pro bono units at three different civil legal services organizations serving a mix of metropolitan and rural communities. Participants will take time to envision growth in pro bono teams at their own organizations, what they hope to achieve, and concrete strategies to make it happen. While the session will focus on challenges experienced with expanding programs at civil legal services agencies, lessons will be applicable to firms and others looking to expand pro bono programs.
Thursday May 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT Golden Gate 6
Manufactured and mobile home residents face challenges, struggling to be recognized as legitimate communities. This marginalized community encounters complex, layered legal issues: personal vs. real property, repossession vs. foreclosure, and landlord-tenant vs. contractual relationships among others.
These homes are also overlooked both in disaster preparedness and response. This panel will explore these issues and discuss emerging disaster challenges for these communities, such as venture capital buyouts, that threaten what has long been considered the last affordable housing nationwide.
Learn how legal aid organizations use data, including case management system data, to inform litigation and non-litigation advocacy efforts and the allocation of scarce program resources. The Legal Services Corporation’s Civil Court Data Initiative, which increases the availability of data and analytics to legal aid organizations will be highlighted.
Thursday May 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT Plaza Room B
Using case studies from three different states, the panel will provide an overview of how utility debt—especially water, sewage, and trash debt—impacts low-income people, share legal strategies to challenge that debt, and provide examples of affordability programs that have helped reduce racial inequities in access to safe and affordable utilities.
Legal services organizations often have their own intake systems, making it confusing and time-consuming to find help. Maryland and Washington D.C. are improving this experience by coordinating intake for multiple organizations. Panelists will discuss the challenges and successes of developing and implementing these systems. In addition, panelists will share technology development and governance issues jurisdictions should consider when implementing a coordinated intake system.
Much like many of our colleagues across the country, our office grapples with vicarious trauma, stress, and anxiety which has exponentially increased post Covid-19. New Mexico Legal Aid (NMLA) will collaborate and present with Assistance Dogs of the West to introduce several approaches to mitigate trauma and other visible and invisible disabilities. Approaches will include group counseling, mental and physical health, and peer support dogs working to help mitigate secondary trauma in professionals such as attorneys, paralegals, administrative staff and first responders in law enforcement.
Thursday May 15, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm EDT Plaza Room B
Hear how a legal services organizaion's pro bono team took on a large issue and created a holistic approach to recruit and engage with a diverse group of attorneys. Options include brief service-- in person or virtually, and extended service. All include wrap around support from the legal services provider.
Thursday May 15, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm EDT Continential 7
Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that began during the racial reckoning of 2020, when the murder of George Floyd renewed demands for social justice, are being pulled apart by political and cultural shifts. In Utah, such legislation gutted DEI offices in a myriad of institutions and forced advocates to reframe. Hear how the Utah State Courts and the Access to Justice Commission are working to ensure that all Utahns have access to the promises and protections of our legal systems—that justice does not depend on your income, zip code, age, gender, status, identity, ability or the language you speak.
Thursday May 15, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm EDT Continential 1
Statewide civil legal needs assessments provide crucial data on unmet legal needs, barriers to accessing justice, and the lived experiences of underserved communities. These findings are valuable, but transforming the insights into concrete actions requires coordinated efforts across a broad spectrum of stakeholders. To foster meaningful change, it is essential to guide these diverse groups in reflecting on the assessment results and collaboratively developing strategies to address the identified gaps.
Thursday May 15, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm EDT Golden Gate 8
Starting a pro se self-help center sounds daunting—but it doesn’t have to be. In this session, we will share the story of how our program started a pro se self-help center using our existing staff and funding, and give participants the tools to start their own center.
Nonprofit attorneys and an impacted community member will discuss their experiences working in partnership to create, sustain, and support grassroots advocacy organizations and campaigns. This promising model benefits all parties by healing and empowering individuals, strengthening and supporting marginalized communities, and expanding organizational reach and impact.
Thursday May 15, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm EDT Golden Gate 7
This session will highlight successful collaborations between public interest organizations and private law firms aimed at advancing racial justice. Panelists will discuss significant wins, best practices, and lessons learned from challenges that have come from these partnerships and share insights on effective training and management strategies for coordinating pro bono projects across multiple law firms nationwide. This discussion will highlight how unity in action can transform challenges into opportunities to advance racial justice.
AI may have the power to democratize access to justice, but the path forward is complex. LSC’s Technology Initiatives Grant team will share many varied ways legal aid organizations are using AI tools to increase access to justice and enhance services to clients and self-represented litigants. The session will highlight use cases including how AI is used in internal/administrative tasks; legal advocacy; better help for SRLs; intake improvements; and more. Panelists will then lead a discussion related to replication strategies and other ways AI can enhance the work of legal aid.
Thursday May 15, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm EDT Golden Gate 6
The student loan crisis disproportionately impacts women, low-income, and Black borrowers, but few borrowers have access to legal help. This session will explore how legal aid organizations can learn from established models, such as newer programs in California and New York, to develop a student loan practice to assist borrowers.
Toxicity can undermine volunteer well-being, disrupt engagement, frustrate leaders, and ultimately hinder organisational success. This practical and inspiring session will explore the signs of toxic environments in organisations and offer real, actionable strategies for transformation. Through insightful examples and actionable takeaways, participants will explore how to create healthier, more supportive environments where volunteers feel valued, motivated, and empowered to make a lasting impact.
Thursday May 15, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm EDT Continential 2
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