2026 Equal Justice Conference

Veterans without an honorable discharge from military service face impediments to accessing VA benefits, healthcare, education, and employment. Veterans of color receive a disproportionate share of less-than-honorable discharges. For those veterans, a discharge upgrade represents improved healthcare access and economic security. This session will use quantitative and qualitative research and analysis of recent administrative decisions to provide veterans advocates with promising practices for upgrade applications that sound in racial discrimination or harassment.

Joint this informal conversation to share and learn about work happening in legal services to build wealth, power and connection in neighborhoods across the country.

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.

This session explores how two legal providers from different regions design limited scope programs that meet diverse community needs. Featuring firsthand insights from pro bono coordinators and a participating volunteer attorney, attendees will learn how unbundling legal services empowers clients, engages attorneys, and expands access to justice. Discussions on ethics, program design, technology, and client empowerment will provide practical strategies and pathways to build sustainable, high-impact limited scope models that strengthen pro bono service delivery.

Many legal aid organizations don’t have dedicated communications staff — or they rely on split-duty staff juggling multiple roles. This workshop will introduce executive directors and grantee communications staff to the basics of media engagement and why it matters. Participants will learn how to build relationships with local reporters, establish a regular cadence for simple press outreach, and craft messaging that reinforces the essential role of civil legal aid. Presenters will share practical tips, templates, and examples that participants can take home and apply immediately to their own organizations.

More states are allowing various forms of practice for CJWs. Alaska’s Rule 43.5 allows CJWs to practice law in certain circumstances, including going to court. We’ll share how CJWs are trained for use of the waiver and the progress CJWs are making to end legal deserts for DV survivors.

Natural disasters disrupt clients' lives in many ways, affecting not only their homes and livelihoods, but also their continued receipt of public benefits. Learn how disaster-related payouts and relief programs can impact benefit eligibility as well as effective models for delivering legal services to disaster-impacted communities.