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Friday, May 16
 

8:30am EDT

Advocating for Sexual and Reproductive Health Access and Expanding Critical Legal Support
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
This session provides practical strategies for attorneys and advocates working within LSC-funded organizations and pro bono initiatives to navigate restrictions on reproductive health assistance. Panelists will explore ways to support clients’ legal rights, assist clients in accessing health care, and provide helpful referrals while addressing related civil legal matters such as family law, domestic violence, and housing stability.
Speakers
NB

Nell Brimmer

U.S. Manager, Global Pro Bono, Center for Reproductive Rights
Nell Brimmer serves as the U.S. Regional Manager of Global Pro Bono at the Center for Reproductive Rights, where she oversees the development and implementation of pro bono strategies and partnerships supporting the organization’s domestic litigation and advocacy work. With over... Read More →
CB

Chris Buerger

Chris Buerger is NLADA’s Chief Counsel for Civil Legal Services. In this role, he advises programs on regulatory and compliance matters, particularly as they relate to LSC restrictions and requirements. He also assists members on emerging issues in legal aid related to technology... Read More →
JC

Jessie Campbell

Supervising Attorney - Compliance / Private Attorney Involvement, Lone Star Legal Aid
Jessie G. Campbell is the Supervising Attorney for Compliance and Private Attorney Involvement with Lone Star Legal Aid. Jessie frequently presents to the community on estate planning and probate matters; to pro bono attorneys on cultural competency, pro bono disaster response, and... Read More →
AC

Amy Checn

Senior Attorney, National Health Law Program
Amy Chen is a Senior Attorney in the National Health Law Program’s California office, where she works on sexual and reproductive health law and policy. Her California work includes improving access to pregnancy coverage and services and supporting implementation of California’s... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Union Square 19 & 20

8:30am EDT

Amplifying Client Voices: Practical Strategies for Curating and Elevating Client Stories
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
This session will highlight the importance of client stories in public messaging and explore practical strategies for identifying stories, communicating with clients, developing informed consent policies, and effectively elevating their voices. Done well, amplifying client stories is a mutually beneficial effort -- offering a platform to clients to share their lived experiences, and promoting the critical role legal aid plays in America.
Speakers
MD

Maria Duvuvuei

Special Projects Manager, Legal Services Corporation
Maria Duvuvuei is the Special Projects Manager for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). Prior to joining LSC, she served as Strategy Director of the mayoral transition committee for Shammas Malik, after successfully serving as Campaign Manager for his campaign for mayor of Akron... Read More →
KF

Kathryn Fanlund

Communications Manager, Legal Services Corporation
Kathryn Fanlund is Communications Manager at the Legal Services Corporation’s Office of Government Relations and Public Affairs. In this position, she works to communicate the critical role of civil legal aid and LSC’s mission to the media and the general public. Prior to joining... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Continential 8

8:30am EDT

Best Practices in Pro Bono Immigration
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
The session will provide an overview of best practices in immigration pro bono. Attendees will hear from practitioners in nonprofits and a large firm about their collaboration to provide pro bono services in immigration. The session will explore how to be ethical, creative, and efficient in building pro bono partnerships.
Speakers
SB

Stephanie Baez

Pro Bono Counsel, ABA Commission on Immigration
Stephanie Baez is the Director of Pro Bono for the ABA Commission on Immigration. In her role, Stephanie leads the Commission in its national pro bono work in supoprt of the Commission's mission of ensuring fair treatment and full due process rights for immigratns, asylum-seekers... Read More →
JG

Jenna Gilbert

Senior Director, Refugee Representation, Human Rights First
Jenna Gilbert is Senior Director of Refugee Representation at Human Rights First, where she oversees Human Rights First’s pro bono legal representation program, which provides indigent asylum seekers with high quality legal representation in the New York, Washington, D.C., and Los... Read More →
NS

Nareeneh Sohbatian

Pro Bono Counsel - Immigration, Winston & Strawn LLP
Nareeneh Sohbatian is Winston & Strawn LLP’s Pro Bono Counsel - Immigration. Ms. Sohbatian identifies needs and creates and implements procedures to address these needs in over 200 active immigration cases nationwide and oversees Pro Bono efforts in the California. She provides... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Continential 7

8:30am EDT

Building and Sustaining Effective Research Partnerships
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Effective research partnerships between civil justice researchers, practitioners and policymakers are critical for building evidence-based policies and programs. This session will explore diverse perspectives, including from legal aid, courts, and researchers, on how to build and sustain effective research partnerships to advance access to justice.
Speakers
MB

Matthew Burnett

Director of Research and Programs for the Access to Justice Research Initiative, American Bar Foundation
Matthew Burnett is Director of Research and Programs for the Access to Justice Research Initiative at the American Bar Foundation (ABF), a visiting scholar with the Justice Futures Project at Arizona State University, and an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center... Read More →
SD

Samantha DiDomenico

Director, Stout
Samantha DiDomenico is a Director in Stout’s Transformative Change Consulting group. Samantha has 10 years of experience providing consulting services to for-profit and non-profit clients in a variety of industries. She has expertise in understanding large, complex systems and data... Read More →
RS

Rebecca Sandefur

Director and Professor, Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University
Dr. Rebecca Sandefur is the Director of the Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics at Arizona State University and a Faculty Fellow at the American Bar Foundation, where she founded and leads the Access to Justice Research Initiative. In 2018 she was named a MacArthur Fellow... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Golden Gate 7

8:30am EDT

Developing and Sustaining Student Loan Practices in Legal Aid Organizations
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
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.
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Golden Gate 8

8:30am EDT

How to Create INTERACTIVE, INNOVATIVE, and EQUITABLE (and fun!) Training Sessions
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Most pro bono trainings, in-person and online, are dull and lecture-based with no interactive component. This session will teach participants how to liven up their training sessions and will lead by example, using fun techniques to effectively convey information to participants in both live and virtual trainings.
Speakers
CD

Christine Daleiden

Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Pacific Guardian Life
Christine Daleiden is a Commissioner on the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission and a board member of the Hawaii Justice Foundation, which holds and distributes IOLTA funds in Hawaii. She is also a committee member and past Chair of the Hawaii State Bar Association's Committee on... Read More →
PF

Patrick Fodell

Director, OneJustice
As a OneJustice Director, Patrick dedicates his time to the Pro Bono Training Institute, finance, and consulting opportunities related to succession planning and adult learning best practices. He has coordinated trainings and outreach efforts at the Watsonville Law Center, Legal Aid... Read More →
JH

Judy Hale

Pro Bono Manager, Neighborhood Legal Services
Christine Daleiden (she/her) Hawaii Access to Justice Commission Commissioner chrisdaleiden@aol.com Christine Daleiden is a corporate attorney in Hawaii. She serves as a Commissioner on Hawaii’s Access to Justice Commission and as a board member for the Hawaii Justice Foundation... Read More →
PW

Phong Wong

Pro Bono Director, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Phong Wong, Pro Bono Director at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. Phong oversees the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ pro bono work and coordinates its pro bono cases and projects, including the Pro Bono Training Institute. She also oversees the outreach, recruitment... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Continential 1

8:30am EDT

Intern to Staff Attorney: Strategies to Building and Maintaining Student to Staff Pipelines
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
This session will highlight innovative ideas and practices utilized by legal aid, law firm, and law school partners to build student-to-staff pipelines in order to meet hiring and pro bono demands. These ideas include the creation of internal fellowships, clinics, and innovative summer internships that incorporate mentorship, DEI principles, and public service.
Speakers
VR

Vidhya Ragunathan

Director of Pro Bono, Inner City Law Center
VIDHYA RAGUNATHAN, Director of Pro Bono, Inner City Law Center Vidhya is currently Inner City Law Center’s (ICLC) Director of Pro Bono. Prior to joining ICLC in 2015, she practiced complex commercial litigation at the law firms of Crowell & Moring LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP... Read More →
SS

Steven Schulman

Pro Bono Partner, Akin
Steven Schulman joined Akin as its first full-time pro bono partner in 2006, after serving as Latham & Watkins first pro bono counsel from 2001-2004. He has handled dozens of asylum and other immigration cases, with a particular emphasis on complex matters, such as those involving... Read More →
MT

Michelle Takagishi-Almeida

Director, Public Service Program, Southwestern Law School
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Plaza Room B

8:30am EDT

Law School and Order: Special Pro Bono Unit
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Learn how Legal Aid of West Virginia and West Virginia University College of Law collaborate to increase pro bono attorney assistance and mentorship through various legal clinics staffed by students and volunteers. The panel will share lessons learned that could be applied by other legal aid organizations and law schools.
Speakers
MR

Molly Russell

Pro Bono Supervising Attorney, Legal Aid of West Virginia
Molly Russell (she/her) is a practicing attorney with the Morgantown Office at Legal Aid of West Virginia, Inc. She is the Pro Bono Supervising Attorney, where she works with the private attorney involvement staff to recruit, retain, and educate pro bono attorneys statewide. Prior... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Plaza Room A

8:30am EDT

Navigating Change: Leveraging Common Change Styles and Strategic Frameworks
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
How can we skillfully manage change? Explore strategies by focusing on three common change profiles and three frameworks for skillful navigation at individual and organizational levels. Attendees will learn practical strategies to manage change dynamics, ensuring adaptive leadership in pro bono program management and beyond.
Speakers
KT

Kelly Tautges

Pro Bono Counsel & Director, Faegre Drinker
Kelly Tautges serves as Faegre Drinker’s pro bono counsel and leads the professional team that manages and supports the firm’s pro bono practice and community service activities. Before joining the firm, Kelly was the Chicago Bar Foundation’s (CBF) Director of Pro Bono & Court... Read More →
JW

Julia Wilson

Coach & Consultant, Julia Wilson Coaching
Julia R. Wilson is a leadership and team coach and nonprofit management consultant working with individuals and teams in civil legal services nonprofits around the country. She brings to her work over 25 years of experience in legal services, having served in a variety of roles from... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Continential 3

8:30am EDT

Supporting Students to Maintain the Pro Bono Pipeline
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Law students are an important part of the pro bono delivery pipeline. In this session, you will learn about how to engage students in pro bono delivery, including how to build partnerships to involve law students in pro bono and respond to urgent needs with law student assistance.
Speakers
AC

Allison Constance

Director of Pro Bono Programs, Legal Aid of North Carolina
Allison Standard Constance is the Director of Pro Bono Programs at Legal Aid of North Carolina, a position she has held since 2023. She worked as Director of Pro Bono Initiatives at UNC School of Law from 2016-2023, where she also served as an adjunct professor. She began her career... Read More →
ML

Marissa LaVette

Center for Pro Bono, American Bar Association
Assistant Staff Counsel, American Bar Association Center for Pro Bono
LS

Linda Seely

Pro Bono Counsel, Butler Snow, LLP
Linda Seely is a licensed Tennessee lawyer and listed Mediator. She served as the Director of the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section in Washington, DC until May of 2021 when she assumed her position at Butler Snow as Pro Bono Counsel. For 20 years, she served as Pro... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Union Square 15 & 16

8:30am EDT

Technology and Non-Lawyer Solutions to the Access to Justice Crisis
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
LIFT Wisconsin and Legal Link will discuss how their organizations increase access to legal information for low-income individuals by using accessible web-based tools coupled with training. These simple tools support the development of a cadre of community justice workers who can bridge the justice gap and empower community members to address civil legal challenges that too often create barriers to economic stability and wellbeing.
Speakers
EN

Erica Nelson

Executive Director, LIFT Wisconsin
Erica Nelson (she/her) has been working to advance social, racial, environmental and economic justice for over 20 years. Her work includes advancing practice and policy reform in child welfare and youth justice as well as leading efforts to address the systemic and structural drivers... Read More →
SS

Sacha Steinberger

Founder + Co-Executive Director, Legal Link
Sacha Steinberger is the Founder and Co-Executive Director of Legal Link. Prior to founding Legal Link, Sacha litigated worker’s rights and civil rights cases at Lewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker & Jackson, P.C. in Oakland, clerked for Federal District Court Judge Martin J. Jenkins... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT
Continential 9

10:00am EDT

50 Tech Tips
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
This fast-paced, engaging session will provide tips about free and low-cost technology relevant to the access to justice community. This will include advances in AI, new apps, remote work and collaboration tools, information security resources, add-ons for Gmail and Outlook, and more. Panelists will also explore how emerging technologies – such as artificial intelligence and machine learning – can be applied to the access to justice field in innovative, yet accessible ways. Technology leaders will emphasize practical, easy-to-use technology that helps legal professionals do their work more eff
Speakers
LJ

LaDierdre Johnson

Program Officer for Technology, Legal Services Corporation
JR

Jane Ribadeneyra

Senior Program Officer for Technology, Legal Services Corporation
Jane Ribadeneyra joined the Legal Services Corporation in 2009 and is a Senior Program Officer for Technology. She oversees technology initiative grants that improve access to high-quality legal assistance for low-income people throughout the United States and its territories. She... Read More →
AT

Angela Tripp

Program Officer for Technology, Legal Services Corporation
Angela Tripp is a Program Officer for Technology with the Legal Services Corporation. She is responsible for helping legal aid programs implement innovative technology projects that improve access to high-quality legal assistance for poor people across the country. She helps manage... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Golden Gate 7

10:00am EDT

Beyond Natural Disasters: Expanding Legal Aid's Role in Crisis Response
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Legal aid organizations in Texas, Iowa, and Oklahoma have long supported low-income clients affected by natural disasters. Their expertise is now crucial for addressing legal needs from crises like mass shootings, building collapses, and industrial accidents. This session explores how legal aid adapts strategies, develops scalable models, fosters collaborations, and provides holistic support to affected communities.
Speakers
JG

Josh Gaul

Managing Attorney, Iowa Legal Aid
Josh Gaul has worked for Iowa Legal Aid since August 10, 2009. He has served in the role of Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, and was promoted to Managing Attorney in 2020. He currently manages Iowa Legal Aid’s Disaster Project and Rural Justice Project for Older Iowans. Josh... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Union Square 22

10:00am EDT

Charitable Giving x Pro Bono. How Can We Help Make the Legal World Thrive?
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Talking about money can be tough! This session delves into the intersection of pro bono work and charitable giving at law firms. Participants will discuss strategies to enhance impact, including meaningful partnerships, innovative post-pandemic fundraising modalities, and collective action to advance access to justice for underserved communities.
Speakers
MB

Marnie Berk

Director of Pro Bono Programs, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Marnie Berk, Director of Pro Bono Programs, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) Marnie Berk is the Director of Pro Bono Programs at NYLPI where she runs the organization’s Pro Bono Clearinghouse. Through partnerships with the private bar, she connects New York’s... Read More →
DC

Diego Cartagena

President & CEO, Bet Tzedek
Diego Cartagena is the President & CEO of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a legal services agency founded by members of the Jewish community nearly 50 years ago and dedicated to providing free legal services to low-income individuals in Los Angeles County. Diego joined Bet Tzedek in 2012... Read More →
MM

Molly Meltzer

Director, Pro Bono, Brooklyn Defender Services
Molly Meltzer is the Director of Pro Bono at Brooklyn Defender Services ("BDS") which provides holistic defense and an interdisciplinary framework in the areas of criminal defense, family defense, immigration, and civil matters. In her role as Director of Pro Bono she develops and... Read More →
BW

Ben Weinberg

As Dentons’ Pro Bono Partner, Ben Weinberg helps manage Dentons’ substantial global pro bono program. Ben helps develop new pro bono initiatives with legal aid providers, nonprofits, and NGOs. He encourages and facilitates pro bono participation across Dentons and helps firm lawyers... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Union Square 15 & 16

10:00am EDT

Civil Hot Topics
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Speakers
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Golden Gate 8

10:00am EDT

Civil Justice Pathways to Foster Civic Culture
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
This session will explore how efforts to foster civic culture is strengthened by engaged and deliberate civil justice strategies. Panelists will present emerging consensus about practices that shape how we treat each other and care for our communities. Discussion will center around the Academy’s projects centered around democracy & justice.
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Union Square 19 & 20

10:00am EDT

Community Justice Workers: Insights from Emerging Research in Alaska and Beyond
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
This session will offer research insights and lessons learned from a 2022-25 National Science Foundation (NSF) CIVIC grant focused on scaling and sustaining community justice workers in Alaska, as well as the expansion of this program in other states.
Speakers
MB

Matthew Burnett

Director of Research and Programs for the Access to Justice Research Initiative, American Bar Foundation
Matthew Burnett is Director of Research and Programs for the Access to Justice Research Initiative at the American Bar Foundation (ABF), a visiting scholar with the Justice Futures Project at Arizona State University, and an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center... Read More →
SC

Sarah Carver

Co-Director, Community Justice Resource Center, Alaska Legal Services
Sarah Carver is Co-Director of Alaska Legal Services Corporation’s Community Justice Worker Resource Center (CJWRC). She started her legal career with ALSC as the sole staff attorney in the rural Nome, Alaska office. Since 2018, she has worked to build up the Community Justice Worker... Read More →
RS

Rebecca Sandefur

Director and Professor, Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University
Dr. Rebecca Sandefur is the Director of the Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics at Arizona State University and a Faculty Fellow at the American Bar Foundation, where she founded and leads the Access to Justice Research Initiative. In 2018 she was named a MacArthur Fellow... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Continential 3

10:00am EDT

From Legal Desert to Legal Oasis: Pro Bono Trends, Challenges, and Solutions
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Serving clients and communities in legal deserts requires more than bringing an attorney to them. To build trust, communicate with clients, conduct outreach, etc., staff and volunteers require a new type of cultural competency. This presentation reviews national pro bono findings before delving into real-world scenarios faced in rural Georgia.
Speakers
HB

Heidi Behnke

Statewide Project Manager, Georgia Legal Services Program
Heidi Behnke, MSc., PMP Statewide Project Manager, Georgia Legal Services Program (GLSP) Heidi Behnke is the Statewide Project Manager for Georgia Legal Services Program and has served with GLSP since 2013. Her role involves monitoring milestones/benchmarks, creating budgets, resource... Read More →
EG

Elsa Gottfried

Director of Compliance and Legal Innovation, Neighborhood Legal Services Program of the District of Columbia
Ashley is currently the Director of Compliance and Legal Innovation at NLSP but since her start in 2014, she has held various positions, from staff attorney to Managing Attorney for the Brief Services Unit. Ashley is responsible for making sure NLSP's policies and procedures are compliant... Read More →
ET

Ellie Tinsley

Pro Bono Coordinator, Montana Legal Services Association
Ellie Tinsley joined Montana Legal Services Association in 2020 as the Crime Victim Navigator and has served as MLSA's Pro Bono Coordinator since 2021. Additionaly, Ellie is a former Board Member of the Helena Area Community Foundation, and a mentor with the Girls Leadership Program... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Continential 1

10:00am EDT

Managing Remotely in a Post-COVID World
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Learn from a nonprofit and legal practice who built remote, distributed teams from the ground up. Discover best practices for remote management in the post-COVID landscape, assess your organization’s remote work systems, and learn how to enhance program and employee management with effective remote strategies.
Speakers
BD

Brad DeJean

Partner, Clean Energy Counsel
Brad has devoted his career to facilitating a sustainable-energy future. He believes the work Clean Energy Counsel does for its clients is essential to creating a brighter future for his children and for future generations. To Clean Energy Counsel, Brad brings decades of experience... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Union Square 23 & 24

10:00am EDT

Representing LGBTQ+ Clients and Families in a Changing Legal Landscape
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
This session will provide tools to increase cultural competency and ability to serve low-income LGBTQ+ clients in a rapidly changing social and legal climate. The session will cover key developments in the law, as well as important concepts and practice considerations relating to serving LGBTQ+ low-income clients.
Speakers
MG

Michelle Garcia

Deputy Director, New Mexico Legal Aid
Michelle Garcia J.D. (she/her/ella) is the Deputy Director of New Mexico Legal Aid. She is a graduate of Loyola University who is admitted to the New Mexico Bar, the Navajo Nation Bar, the State Bar of Louisiana, the Pueblo of Pojoaque and the Federal District Court of New Mexico... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Continential 2

10:00am EDT

The 2024 California Justice Gap Study: Utilizing Data and Research to Support Policy Initiatives
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
The State Bar of California’s 2019 California Justice Gap Study highlighted significant barriers to legal access for low-income Californians. A 2024 follow up study will update research and recommendations to address ongoing gaps to support policies that promote access to legal aid and pro bono service. The presentation will include discussions of the methodology, research, and findings of the 2024 study and how attendees may utilize data and research to drive policy initiatives to address the justice gap.
Speakers
LC

Lisa Chavez

Program Director, State Bar of California
Lisa Chavez is a Program Director at the State Bar of California, Office of Research and Statistics, where she leads teams in conducting groundbreaking research that supports the State Bar’s mission and strategic plan. As a strategic leader with extensive experience in quantitative... Read More →
EH

Elizabeth Hom

Program Director, State Bar of Calfornia
Elizabeth A. Hom is a Program Director at the State Bar of California, Office of Access & Inclusion, where she advances the State Bar’s efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system. Elizabeth supports administration of grants to legal aid organizations throughout... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Plaza Room A

10:00am EDT

Transforming Pro Bono Participation: Bridging the Gap Between Community Need and Attorney Interest
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
What’s really stopping attorneys from engaging in pro bono work? This session uncovers key barriers identified in national pro bono assessments and attorney surveys, challenging common assumptions. A senior pro bono counsel will share successful models that shift attorney mindsets, foster a culture of philanthropy, and provide law firms with the tools to boost pro bono engagement. Expect candid insights, success stories, and actionable strategies to energize your pro bono efforts and drive lasting change.
Speakers
JL

Julie LaEace

Senior Pro Bono Counsel and Director of Social Responsibility, Perkins Coie
Senior Pro Bono Counsel and Director of Social Responsibility Julie LaEace heads Perkins Coie's nationally recognized pro bono program. Leading a dedicated team, she fosters relationships with new and existing legal aid partners, sets strategy for the pro bono program and provides... Read More →
GS

Gretchen Slusser

President, thredpartners
Gretchen Slusser, PMP, is the President of thredpartners, a Chicago-based management consulting firm she co-founded in 2004. With over 20 years of experience as a subject matter expert in the areas of project and program management, data analytics and continuous improvement, coupled... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Continential 9

10:00am EDT

Upstreaming Justice: Non-Attorney Interventions and Community-Based Solutions to Civil Legal Gaps
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
This session explores innovative upstream models from Frontline Justice, the Center for Justice Innovation, and HealthBegins, focusing on non-attorney interventions to bridge civil justice gaps. Attendees will gain practical insights into applying these approaches to address unmet legal needs through preventive, community-based strategies and problem-solving projects in various courts.
Speakers
IJ

Ignacio Jaureguilorda

Director, Civil Access to Justice Initiatives, Center for Justice Innovation
Ignacio Jaureguilorda is the Director of Civil Access to Justice Initiatives at the Center for Justice Innovation. He has spent over a decade working to bridge the civil justice gap by building partnerships across the public and private sectors. Ignacio is the founding director of... Read More →
NN

Nikole Nelson

CEO, Frontline Justice
Nikole Nelson is the founding CEO of Frontline Justice. Prior to joining Frontline Justice, Nikole was the Executive Director of Alaska Legal Services Corporation, Alaska’s only statewide provider of free civil aid. During her 25 years in the field, she worked to build community-led... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Golden Gate 6

1:15pm EDT

Birds of a Feather: Finding Commonality to Build Impact
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
On the surface, it may not seem that a volunteer and their low-income client have a lot in common, but what simmers below the surface can define a successful attorney-client relationship. This session will identify factors that affect how volunteers assist clients and clients receive that assistance.
Speakers
SH

Samantha Howell

Pro Bono Director, Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc.
Samantha Howell is the Pro Bono Director at Three Rivers Legal Services. She has over a decade of experience in creating and managing pro bono programs, with experience at three statewide organizations, and over 20 years of experience with volunteer recruitment and management. Her... Read More →
AM

Aili Monahan

Director, Pro Bono Partnerships Project, Northeast New Jersey Legal Services
Aili C. Monahan is the Director of the Pro Bono Partnerships Project at Northeast New Jersey Legal Services. In her role as Director, she manages a team of five full-time pro bono staff in their mission to provide access to justice to residents of Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties... Read More →
AR

Ana Reynolds-Sprague

Pro Bono Coordinator, Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc.
Ana Reynolds-Sprague is the Pro Bono Coordinator for Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. (LASO) in their Oklahoma City office, where she works to expand LASO’s Pro Bono Program. While new to both the legal and pro bono world, Ana has been immersed in the Nonprofit world most of... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Continential 7

1:15pm EDT

Bridging the Divide in Legal Deserts: Data-Driven Solutions through Legal Incubator Programs
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Legal deserts—regions with limited access to affordable legal services—impact both rural and urban areas, leaving millions of middle-class Americans without options. This session will examine key data on legal deserts, explore contributing factors, and highlight incubator programs addressing the gap. Case studies from the Cleveland Legal Collaborative, Colorado’s Legal Entrepreneurs for Justice, and Purdue Global Law School will showcase data-driven strategies to expand affordable legal services and support sustainable practices in underserved communities.
Speakers
JB

Jessica Bednarz

Director of Legal Services and the Profession, IAALS
Jessica Bednarz is the Director of Legal Services and the Profession at IAALS. In this role, Jessica is responsible for leading the vision and strategy of IAALS’ work around innovation, regulation, reform, and evolution in the areas of the delivery of legal services and the legal... Read More →
KB

Kari Burns

Director of Professional Development, Tucker Ellis
HC

Hannah Catt

Adjunct Faculty Member, Purdue Global Law School
Hannah Catt, JD, LL.M., is an adjunct faculty member with Purdue Global Law School, teaching "Rural Legal Practice," a course that focuses on the need for attorneys in rural areas and the challenges and opportunities for students that may want to pursue rural practice. She holds a... Read More →
RP

Ryann Peyton

Executive Director, Legal Entrepreneurs for Justice
J. Ryann Peyton serves as the Director of the Colorado Attorney Mentoring Program (CAMP) and Legal Entrepreneurs for Justice (LEJ), lawyer professional development programs of the Colorado Supreme Court. A former litigator and a seasoned consultant and advocate on professionalism... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Continential 8

1:15pm EDT

Building Bridges: Enhancing Pro Bono Impact Through Strategic Partnerships with Experts
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Program Description: This session explores how strategic partnerships among legal services organizations, law firms, companies, and expert consultants enhance legal services. Participants will learn from real-world examples, discuss overcoming barriers, and gain practical tools to forge impactful alliances, ultimately improving access to justice for underserved communities.
Speakers
LD

Lisa Dane

Vice President, Charles River Associates
Lisa Dane Vice President Charles River Associates Ms. Dane is a vice president in the Risk, Investigations & Analytics Practice at Charles River Associates ("CRA"). She has over 25 years of experience conducting white collar investigations for law firms and multi-national businesses... Read More →
SD

Samantha DiDomenico

Director, Stout
Samantha DiDomenico is a Director in Stout’s Transformative Change Consulting group. Samantha has 10 years of experience providing consulting services to for-profit and non-profit clients in a variety of industries. She has expertise in understanding large, complex systems and data... Read More →
BH

Beth Hofmeister

Supervising Attorney, The Legal Aid Society
Beth Hofmeister is a Supervising Attorney in the Pro Bono Practice of The Legal Aid Society, the nation’s oldest and largest social justice law firm. Whether through individual representation, community-directed projects and clinics, or bringing significant civil rights litigation... Read More →
LJ

Lesley Johannesen

Senior Staff Attorney, Sanctuary for Families
Lesley Johannsen is a Senior Staff Attorney at the Narkis Golan International Child Abduction Initiative (the “NGI”) at Sanctuary for Families, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and other forms of gender-based violence... Read More →
EP

Erin Palmer

Associate Director, Corporate Pro Bono, Pro Bono Institute
Erin Palmer joined PBI in 2024 as the Associate Director of the Corporate Pro Bono project. Previously, Erin served as an ethics lawyer for the federal Judiciary, where she specialized in workplace accountability. She has also worked as a litigation associate at Clifford Chance US... Read More →
DS

Dara Sheinfeld

Counsel, Head of Pro Bono Litigation, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Dara Sheinfeld is Counsel and Head of Pro Bono Litigation at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. In this role, she helps manage the firm’s pro bono practice and supervises many pro bono matters, including federal Hague litigation, custody/visitation, abuse/neglect, child support, family... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Continential 2

1:15pm EDT

DV and Data Security: Common Data Security Assumptions Don’t Reflect Domestic Violence Realities
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Common data security assumptions don't always apply in the domestic violence (DV) context. With rampant breaches every year, there is a pressing need to focus on cybersecurity, for individuals, agencies working with survivors, and regulators looking at data protections. How can we ensure that data privacy and security policies, procedures, and rules all reflect the realities experienced by survivors? This session will outline how assumptions fail to account for the realities experienced by survivors; it will also offer suggestions for how to help clients concerned about these issues.
Speakers
MV

Maria Villegas Bravo

Fellow, Electronic Privacy Information Center
Maria Villegas Bravo is an EPIC Law Fellow focusing on international privacy law, government surveillance, and tech facilitated abuse. She is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, where she served as a law clerk in the First Amendment Clinic, the president... Read More →
EG

Eva Galperin

Director of Cybersecty, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Eva Galperin is EFF's Director of Cybersecurity. Her work is primarily focused on providing privacy and security for vulnerable populations around the world. To that end, she has applied the combination of her political science and technical background to everything from organizing... Read More →
JL

Jessie Lowell

Senior Technology Safety Specialist, National Network to End Domestic Violence
Dr. Jessie Lowell (they/them or she/her) is a Senior Technology Safety Specialist at Safety Net, the technology safety project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). They joined Safety Net as a Technology Safety Specialist in July 2022. They were previously an advocate... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Golden Gate 6

1:15pm EDT

Faith, Pro Bono, and Reproductive and LGBTQ+ Rights: Collaborative Advocacy in Complex Legal and Cultural Landscapes
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Join us for an interactive “art of the ask” training for fundraisers and executive directors. This session will outline the steps and materials needed to prepare for a successful fundraising solicitation and 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 that session attendees can practice the skills they are learning in real time.
Speakers
NB

Nell Brimmer

U.S. Manager, Global Pro Bono, Center for Reproductive Rights
Nell Brimmer serves as the U.S. Regional Manager of Global Pro Bono at the Center for Reproductive Rights, where she oversees the development and implementation of pro bono strategies and partnerships supporting the organization’s domestic litigation and advocacy work. With over... Read More →
MW

Ming Wong

Director of Community Justice and Access, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Ming Wong is NCLR's Director of Community Justice and Access where he manages several projects including the Legal Aid project, and the Rural Pride project. He has developed curriculum for legal aid organizations and pro bono providers on delivering culturally competent legal services... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Continential 1

1:15pm EDT

Lifting the Veil: What Nonprofits Need to Know When Working with Firms on Direct Representation.
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Engaging pro bono lawyers can increase your organization’s impact. It can also sometimes feel like more effort than it’s worth. This session will explore the ways in which pro bono lawyers add value while lifting the veil on pro bono practices at firms and legal services organizations to give you tangible practices for recruiting and mentoring pro bono attorneys for the greatest impact.
Speakers
JC

Jessie Campbell

Supervising Attorney - Compliance / Private Attorney Involvement, Lone Star Legal Aid
Jessie G. Campbell is the Supervising Attorney for Compliance and Private Attorney Involvement with Lone Star Legal Aid. Jessie frequently presents to the community on estate planning and probate matters; to pro bono attorneys on cultural competency, pro bono disaster response, and... Read More →
AC

Anne Chandler

Founding Executive Director, Texas Immigration Law Council
Anne Chandler is the Founding Executive Director of Texas Immigration Law Council. Anne’s lifetime work of advocating for the rights of immigrants has been recognized by the State Bar of Texas and the Christian Science Monitor. She served as on the boards of the Houston’s Immigration... Read More →
EH

Emily Heger

Pro Bono Immigration Attorney, Akin
Emily Heger serves as the Senior Pro Bono Coordinator at Akin where she helps facilitate the global pro bono practice with a focus of managing the firm’s humanitarian immigration docket. Emily was a 2019 Equal Justice Works Fellow co-sponsored by AT&T and Akin and hosted at Human... Read More →
SS

Steven Schulman

Pro Bono Partner, Akin
Steven Schulman joined Akin as its first full-time pro bono partner in 2006, after serving as Latham & Watkins first pro bono counsel from 2001-2004. He has handled dozens of asylum and other immigration cases, with a particular emphasis on complex matters, such as those involving... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Plaza Room B

1:15pm EDT

Litigants as Experts: Leveraging User Testing and Feedback in Legal Services
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Litigants are perceived as lacking knowledge, but they possess crucial insights into process barriers that service providers might not see. Through user feedback and testing, service providers can redesign processes and empower litigants. This session will share lessons from Maryland Justice Passport to enhance service effectiveness by leveraging litigants' expertise.
Speakers
NK

Nicole Kiker

Maryland Justice Passport Program Manager, Civil Justice, Inc.
Nicole Kiker has been the program manager for the Maryland Justice Passport (MJP) at Civil Justice, Inc. for over two years. She began her career as a Research Program Coordinator for the Poverty and Inequity Research Lab at Johns Hopkins University, where she focused on researching... Read More →
CN

Christian Noble

Special Counsel for Technology Initiatives, Maryland Judiciary
Christian Noble Esq., Special Counsel for Technology Initiatives, Access to Justice, Maryland Judiciary Christian is a Maryland-based attorney and amateur programmer who is always looking for creative and innovative technical solutions to enrich the lives of low-income people and... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Union Square 22

1:15pm EDT

Responding to the Evolving Funding Landscape for Legal Aid - Roundtable Discussion
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
This interactive session will include reports on developments related to state/territorial legislative funding initiatives aimed at increasing resources for civil legal aid. Updates will be provided on the ABA's data collection to support funding efforts and on potential federal funding that might be available at the state/territorial or local levels. Participants will share developments in their states/territories in a roundtable format and learn from others about what has worked, and not worked, in raising state/territorial legislative funding and accessing potential federal funding.
Speakers
SD

Shubi Deoras

Counsel/Director, ABA Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives
Shubi Deoras serves as Counsel/Director for the ABA Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives (a project of the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants (SCLAID)). She held the position of Assistant Counsel to the ABA Commission on IOLTA from 2014 – 2018... Read More →
JS

Jared Smith

Director of Programs, MIE
Jared Smith is MIE’s Director of Programs, a role in which he works to develop innovative remote and in-person trainings, engaging resources, and effective spaces for collaboration. In this role, he also supports private and legislative fundraising efforts, including by enhancing... Read More →
LS

Luise Stone

Deputy Director, Civil Legal Services & Member Engagement, NLADA
Luise Stone is the Deputy Director, Civil Legal Services & Member Engagement at the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA). She focused her career on public service and on advocating for sustainable long-term change, especially for those that are not given a voice. Starting... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Golden Gate 8

1:15pm EDT

Strategies for Managing and Growing Your Outreach Program: Integrating Technology, Representation and Belonging
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Enhance your outreach program with strategies that integrate technology, inclusive hiring, and social impact. This session explores project management tools, social media engagement, and data-driven decision-making—all through a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) lens. Learn best practices for recruiting diverse talent, crafting inclusive messaging, and building authentic connections. Gain practical insights to create equitable, impactful, and sustainable outreach initiatives that drive lasting change.
Speakers
SS

Sandra San Emeterio Fair

Law, Western New England University
Sandra L. San Emeterio Fair, Esq., is the Director of Community Outreach and Education at Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, where she leads efforts to expand access to justice for underserved communities. With nearly a decade of experience in community outreach, education... Read More →
AS

Aletheia Stratos

Executive IT Assistant, Statewide Legal Services of CT
Aletheia Stratos is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in technology integration, program management, and organizational improvement. As Executive IT Assistant at Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, she specializes in leveraging technology to streamline operations... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Continential 3

1:15pm EDT

Strengthening Guardianship Defense: Updated OAA Regulations and Legal Aid Innovations
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Legal aid providers can protect the rights of older adults by expanding guardianship defense programs and services. This session highlights the guardianship defense provisions in the updated Older Americans Act regulations and showcases the Guardianship Defense Cohort, a group of legal aid organizations that built capacity for this critical work.
Speakers
JB

Jim Berchtold

Senior Staff Attorney, Justice in Aging
Jim Berchtold joined Justice in Aging as a Senior Staff Attorney in 2022 to focus on issues surrounding guardianship reform and improvement, including the intersection of guardianship and equity. Jim is especially passionate about advocating for policies that promote the appointment... Read More →
EJ

Emily Jackson-Miller

Program Director of Crime Victims Legal Assistance Project, Michigan Advocacy Program
Emily Miller is the Program Director of the Crime Victims Legal Assistance Project at the Michigan Advocacy Program, which is a statewide civil legal aid team focused on providing free legal assistance to survivors of abuse, assault, neglect, and exploitation. Previously, she worked... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Union Square 15 & 16

3:00pm EDT

AI Co-Pilots for Eviction Defense, Reentry Services, and Beyond
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Learn about the new AI Co-Pilots that legal aid and court help groups are building to assist lawyers and paralegals with delivering high-quality and efficient services to more people.
Speakers
MH

Margaret Hagan

Executive Director, Legal Design Lab
Margaret Hagan is the executive director of the Legal Design Lab, an R&D lab for more accessible, intuitive, and engaging legal services at Stanford. She is a lecturer at Stanford Law School and Institute of Design (the d.school). She is a lawyer (JD, Stanford Law 2013) She teaches... Read More →
NA

Nora al Haider

Assistant Director, Stanford Legal Design Lab
Nóra Al Haider is the Assistant Director at the Stanford Legal Design Lab. Nóra is a multilingual lawyer and interdisciplinary researcher. She combines the fields of law, design, data and tech to increase access to justice and equity in the legal system. Nóra holds a Bachelor (honours... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Union Square 23 & 24

3:00pm EDT

Clerks & Magistrates & Referees, Oh My! Leveraging Pro Bono Volunteers to Drive Fairness and Accountability in Limited Jurisdiction Courts
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
What do expungement, debt collection, and name change cases have in common? 1) They are very important to the individuals with the case; 2) legal aid providers have limited resources to provide more help, and 3) the cases are often subject to the unpredictability of low and limited jurisdiction courts. This session will explore how three legal aid organizations have leveraged pro bono volunteers to provide targeted assistance to clients while advancing strategic advocacy efforts that have resulted in far-reaching improvements to court systems and the administration of justice.
Speakers
JC

Julian Castronovo

Deputy Director, LGBTQ+/HIV Unit, Legal Services NYC
Julian Castronovo has a J.D. from CUNY School of Law and is a Supervising Attorney at Legal Services New York City (LSNYC) in the Comprehensive Rights Unit. Julian provides representation to marginalized clients in an array of civil proceedings in New York City and helps coordinate... Read More →
SM

Sarah Munro

Director of Pro Bono, Michigan Advocacy Program
Sarah Munro is the Director of Pro Bono for Michigan Advocacy Program. In her role, she was responsible for launching and developing MAP's pro bono department, which facilitates pro bono case placement and programs in the five Legal Services of South Central Michigan offices and the... Read More →
MN

Mytrang Nguyen

Program Counsel, Pro Bono Innovation Fund, Legal Services Corporation
Mytrang Nguyen, she/her, is Program Counsel for Pro Bono Innovation at the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in Washington, D.C., where she is part of a team that manages LSC’s Pro Bono Innovation Fund. This $5 million annual competitive grant program invests in efforts to creatively... Read More →
MN

Maggie Niebler-Brown

Volunteer Legal Services Program Director, Legal Action of Wisconsin
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Continential 1

3:00pm EDT

Educating Legislators About Legal Aid 2.0
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
This session is designed to build on the workshops we have done for the past few years on how to explain legal aid as constituent services to legislators and their staff. Now that many LSC grantees and other legal aid programs have begun to develop relationships with their federal and state legislators and staff, we want to identify ways to build on and expand those connections, e.g., provide trainings for district caseworkers; involve legislative staff in community outreach efforts. The panel will include LSC grantee Executive Directors and civil legal aid practitioners with experience meetin
Speakers
CB

Carol Bergman

Vice President for Government Relations & Public Affairs, Legal Services Corporation
Carol Bergman has been the Vice President for Government Relations and Public Affairs at the Legal Services Corporation since 2012 and is responsible for managing LSC's communications and relationship with Congress, the executive branch, the media, and the public. Carol has been engaged... Read More →
RF

Ron Flagg

President, Legal Services Corporation
Ron Flagg was appointed President of the Legal Services Corporation effective February 20, 2020 and has served as Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel since 2013. He previously practiced commercial and administrative litigation at Sidley Austin LLP for 31 years, 27... Read More →
BB

Betty Bali Torres

Betty Balli Torres is Executive Director of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, the largest Texas-based funder of legal services to the poor, since October 2001. She has dedicated her professional career to public interest work. Betty started as a staff attorney at Legal Aid of Central Texas after graduating from the University of Texas School of Law. She has served as Executive Director of Laredo Legal Aid Society, Inc., Legal Director of Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, Managing Attorney of Legal Aid of Central Texas and staff attorney at Advocacy, Inc.nBetty is past President of the National Association of IOLTA Programs. She is Chair of the Hispanic Issues Section of the State Bar of Texas, co-chair of the ABA’s Working Group on Unaccompanied Minors, and past co-chair of Grantsmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. She serves on the boards of Management Information Exchange and Pro Bono Net., Executive Director
LT

Laura Tuggle

Executive Director, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services
Laura Tuggle has been the Executive Director of Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) since May 2014 after beginning her career at SLLS in 1993. She managed SLLS’ Housing Law Unit during the years immediately following Hurricane Katrina from 2005-2010. Laura has excelled in... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Golden Gate 6

3:00pm EDT

Ethics: Solve the problem that brought your client to legal aid with interdisciplinary legal services
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Speakers
CW

Carmen Wargel

Deputy Director of Systemic Advocacy, Lakeshore Legal Aid
Carmen E Wargel, LMSW, is the Deputy Director of Systemic Advocacy at Lakeshore Legal Aid where she leads interdisciplinary legal services to bridge the justice gap in our civil legal system. Carmen is a social change strategist, systems thinker, and interdisciplinarian at heart... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Golden Gate 8

3:00pm EDT

Food is Medicine: How Legal Aid Partners with Health Clinics to Improve Food Security
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Life is more expensive when you are poor, impacting health. Consistent access to nutritious food is a powerful tool to improve health.  This session explores how leveraging community partnerships and providing technical assistance to health care providers and CBOs, and legal assistance to patients, can improve food security and health.
Speakers
AG

Alexandra Gay

Staff Attorney, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
Alexandra Gay is a staff attorney at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA), where she focuses on public benefits advocacy, particularly issues related access to benefits for immigrant communities. NLSLA is a member of the Benefits Access for Immigrants Los Angeles... Read More →
LD

Lindsay De May

Staff Attorney, Neighborhood Legal Services of LA County
Lindsay is a Staff Attorney with Neighborhood Legal Services of LA County's Medical-Legal Partnership at Kaiser Permanente (LA Medical Center). Lindsay provides direct legal services to patients in a variety of civil legal matters, including housing, disability rights, public benefits... Read More →
FT

Frank Tamborello

Executive Director, Hunger Action LA
Frank Tamborello is Executive Director of Hunger Action Los Angeles. Executive Director, Hunger Action Los Angeles. He was born the 6th of 7 children in Houston Texas and spent his childhood in the town of Magnolia. After working as a photolithographer (a now near-extinct trade in... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Continential 3

3:00pm EDT

Justice Tech: New Horizons in Access to Justice
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
How can we break down silos and build resources and community between organizations committed to access to justice? Dive into the transformative impact of legal aid-justice tech collaboration. This session will explore the potential of ethical tech advancements to revolutionize the access to justice landscape.
Speakers
MM

Maya Markovich

Vice President, American Arbitration Association - International Centre for Dispute Resolution Institute
Maya Markovich is Vice President of the AAA-ICDR Institute and Executive Director of Justice Technology Association, bringing bold ideas for justice equity into practice. With a deep understanding of the intersection between technology, business and the legal system, Maya forges strategic... Read More →
KR

Kelli Raker

Associate Program Director for Law, Technology, & Entrepreneurship Programs, Duke University, School of Law
Kelli Raker, MA, serves as the Associate Program Director for Law, Tech & Entrepreneurship Programs at the Duke Center on Law & Technology. She supports multiple initiatives and programs including RAILS - Responsible A.I. in Legal Services, the Duke Law Tech Lab, the Legal Design... Read More →
SR

Shellie Reid

Manager, Legal Services National Technology Assistance Project
Shellie Reid is the Manager of the Legal Services National Technology Assistance Project (LSNTAP). During law school, Shellie sought opportunities to gain experience beyond the normal law school path. As an ATJ Tech Fellow, Shellie learned of the many career options available to students... Read More →
JS

Joanne Sprague

Director, Everlaw for Good, Everlaw
Joanne Sprague is a recognized social impact leader with expertise in scaling programs, partnerships, and campaigns globally. Her current role as the first-ever head of the Everlaw for Good program brings her passion for using the power of markets to address one of the world’s biggest... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Plaza Room B

3:00pm EDT

Preserving and Protecting Intergenerational Homes: A Holistic Approach to Tangled Titles
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
News about "Tangled Titles", aka "Heirs Property", seems to be everywhere these days. Learn how a coalition of legal services programs, volunteer attorneys, research and policy organizations, and the City of Philadelphia joined forces to preserve and protect inter-generational homes.
Speakers
RC

Roxane Crowley

Attorney, Philadelphia Legal Assistance
Roxane Crowley (she/her) is an attorney in the Consumer Housing Unit at Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) where she supervises the Tangled Title Team. The majority of her career has involved working on tangled title and heirs’ property issues. Her client work focuses on representing... Read More →
MF

Michael Froehlich

Michael Froehlich (he/him) is the Managing Attorney of Community Legal Service’s Homeownership and Consumer Rights Unit. He leads CLS’s work on behalf of homeowners and victims of predatory consumer scams. He represents clients in court and advocates before regulatory agencies... Read More →
JL

James Leonard

Commissioner of Records, City of Philadelphia
Jim Leonard is a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, who has spent most of his career in public service on behalf of the City of Philadelphia. He has served as the Commissioner of the City of Philadelphia Department of Records since 2016. As Commissioner, Jim serves as the Recorder... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Union Square 22

3:00pm EDT

Recent Developments in Racial Justice Litigation Post Students for Fair Admission (SFFA) v. Harvard
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
The SCOTUS decision abolishing affirmative action in college admissions profoundly affected racial justice litigation. The SFFA case was cited in legal attacks on Title VI disparate impact regulations, and several programs assisting minority businesses. Learn about these developments, current efforts to invalidate immigration laws due to intentional racial discrimination and the ways in which the decision profoundly affected other laws and programs that foster racial justice.
Speakers
NE

Nicholas Espirity

Deputy Director, Legal, National Immigration Law Center
Nicholas Espíritu is the Deputy Legal Director at the National Immigration Law Center and a graduate of the Critical Race Studies Program. His legal career has included challenges to President Trump’s travel ban targeting immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries and Arizona’s... Read More →
SF

Steven Fischbach

Litigation Director, Virginia Poverty Law Center
Steve Fischbach is the Litigation Director for the Virginia Poverty Law Center, the state support center for all civil Legal Aid programs in Virginia. In that capacity, Steve helps Legal Aid attorneys develop impact litigation cases, particularly in the areas of housing and racial... Read More →
SH

Sophia Hall

Deputy Litigation Director, Lawyers for Civil Rights
Sophia Hall is the Deputy Litigation Director at Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR), a non-profit legal organization founded at the request of President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. LCR is one of the largest and oldest organizations in New England... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Continential 2

3:00pm EDT

Strategic Assessment Tools for Pro Bono Programs
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Explore leading practices in strategic planning for pro bono programs, including tools to support dynamic frameworks for ongoing decision-making. Attendees will gain practical tools to assess and enhance their programs, set clear priorities, and navigate complex challenges with greater clarity and confidence.
Speakers
KT

Kelly Tautges

Pro Bono Counsel & Director, Faegre Drinker
Kelly Tautges serves as Faegre Drinker’s pro bono counsel and leads the professional team that manages and supports the firm’s pro bono practice and community service activities. Before joining the firm, Kelly was the Chicago Bar Foundation’s (CBF) Director of Pro Bono & Court... Read More →
JW

Julia Wilson

Coach & Consultant, Julia Wilson Coaching
Julia R. Wilson is a leadership and team coach and nonprofit management consultant working with individuals and teams in civil legal services nonprofits around the country. She brings to her work over 25 years of experience in legal services, having served in a variety of roles from... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Continential 8

3:00pm EDT

Where are they supposed to sleep? Leveraging Critical Public Defender Data in Non-Carceral Homeless Response
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Justice Sotomayer's oral commentary in Grants Pass ignited core belief systems of folks across the nation. As advocates for the indigent, we have a unique opportunity to act right now by using our widely untapped but existing data and community commitment to leverage partnerships and programs, like Continuum of Care (CoC), to impact the rise of homelessness and prevent continued punitive response.
Speakers
EC

Elizabeth Cadiz

Elizabeth Cadiz is Chief Public Defender at the Aurora Municipal Public Defender Office in Aurora, Colorado. The Aurora Municipal Public Defender is one of only a handful of Municipal Public Defender Offices in the Country. NLADA published a report on the office in 2021 after conducting... Read More →
Friday May 16, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Continential 9
 
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