2026 Equal Justice Conference

Across the country, Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) are transforming the way health systems address the social and legal barriers that undermine patient health. While most MLPs partner primarily with legal aid organizations, a more expansive model adds private law firms and corporate legal departments into direct collaboration with hospitals and health centers. These partnerships expand access to justice while offering lawyers uniquely meaningful pro bono opportunities. This session will spotlight VCU Health’s innovative MLP developed in partnership with McGuireWoods and Dominion Energy. VCU Health is the largest safety net hospital in Virginia with more than 13,000 employees and 1,000,000 annual outpatient visits, a Level 1 Trauma Center, and the region’s only full-service Children’s Hospital. Through this model, pro bono attorneys work directly with patients and families who are often seriously ill, navigating complex medical treatment, and would not otherwise have access to legal help but for their visit to the hospital. Attorneys collaborate closely with clinical teams, allowing them to address legal issues that directly affect health—such as housing, education, guardianship, immigration, and custody. Panelists will discuss how the partnership was conceived, structured, and operationalized, including McGuireWoods’ creation of a dedicated internal infrastructure and workflow for receiving, managing, and completing MLP referrals through the JusticeServer platform. The session will highlight key lessons learned in designing a scalable referral system; recruiting and training attorneys to provide services in five different areas of law; and sustaining engagement across a complex network of volunteers, corporate counsel, and hospital teams.  Attendees will gain practical, replicable strategies for building or strengthening MLP collaborations with private-sector partners—expanding the reach of civil legal aid, deepening pro bono engagement, and improving outcomes for patients and families. This panel is designed for law firms, legal aid organizations, health systems, corporate legal departments, and anyone interested in cross-sector models for advancing equitable access to justice.