Name: Legal Aid Funding Landscape & Roundtable Discussion
Start: 2026-05-14T13:15:00-0400
End: 2026-05-14T14:30:00-0400

Legal Aid Funding Landscape & Roundtable Discussion

Thursday May 14, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT

Symphony 6

This session will open with brief presentations about the current status of funding for legal aid including updates on federal grants, cy pres, iolta, and significant developments regarding state/territorial legislative appropriations and/or court fines and fees revenue. Also, updates will be provided on the ABA's data collection process to support funding efforts. Participants will then be invited to share their challenges and successes related to funding in a roundtable format and learn from others about what currently works/does not work when trying to increase resources for civil legal aid.

Speakers

Anne K. Sweeney

Chief, Civil Legal Services, National Legal Aid & Defender Association

Shubi Deoras

Counsel/Director, ABA Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives

Shubi Deoras has served 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) since 2017. She also held the position of Assistant Counsel to the ABA Commission on IOLTA... Read More →

Jared S. Smith

Director of Programs, Management Information Exchange (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 →

Bill Boies

Bill Boies is a Senior Counsel at McDermott, Will and Schulte. He focuses his practice on business dispute counseling, class action litigation defense and complex business litigation throughout the country.

Bill leads a McDermott pro bono program that advises national legal aid organizations, IOLTA programs and bar foundations about funding for legal aid programs, including obtaining cy pres awards from the undistributed residue of class action settlement funds. He frequently submits... Read More →

Thursday May 14, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Symphony 6

Sessions

2026 Equal Justice Conference

Anne K. Sweeney

Shubi Deoras

Jared S. Smith

Bill Boies

Attendees (67)

Get help with the event

2026 Equal Justice Conference

Anne K. Sweeney

Shubi Deoras

Jared S. Smith

Bill Boies

Attendees (67)

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