The countdown is on! One month to go until the 2021 Virtual Equal Justice Conference. For those of you who are unfamiliar with EJC, it is co-sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and National Legal Aid & Defender Association. The 2021 EJC is a unique national gathering of pro bono and legal services advocates that presents attendees with countless opportunities to build partnerships, learn, and earn CLE credits. Why should you attend EJC?
- Workshops: With over 60 workshops on topics such as racial justice, resource development, access to justice during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more, there are sure to be multiple opportunities to improve your practice and strengthen your local efforts at improving the delivery of legal services to poor and low-income individuals in need of legal assistance. View the agenda here!
- Networking Opportunities: This year’s conference will have almost 700 attendees from all over the country! EJC offers multiple opportunities for networking with your colleagues, including a Networking Lunch, Reception, and Speed Networking for law students and attorneys. EJC will surely prove to be an excellent opportunity to make connections and gain insight from colleagues in your field.
- Expert Speakers: EJC workshops feature expert speakers from across the country. EJC speakers are experienced leaders in the pro bono and public interest community, ready to share their expertise with our attendees.
- CLE Opportunities: Multiple CLE opportunities will be available.at the 2021 EJC. EJC will seek Continued Legal Education (CLE) credit in all jurisdictions that have mandatory CLE and legal specialization requirements and in which the EJC is an approved provider.*
- Daily Wellness and Social Opportunities: The last year has been challenging for everyone. Take advantage of various wellness and social opportunities available each morning during the 2021 EJC. Yoga and special networking opportunities are just a few examples of daily events. EJC will also feature a special “Conversation About, and With, LBJ” on May 3, discussing the administrations War on Poverty, the Office of Economic Opportunity, and civil rights initiatives, including select tapes of LBJ’s conversations and thoughts on these topics.
- Opportunities for Everyone: EJC features sessions on topics for everyone. This conference provides an opportunity for pro bono and legal services program staff, judges, corporate counsel, court administrators, private lawyers, paralegals, bar association leaders, law school pro bono directors, and many others to come together to receive training and address current issues facing the public interest community.
- Exciting Keynote Speakers: The 2021 Equal Justice Conference will feature keynote speaker Damon Hewitt, a long-time civil rights lawyer, social justice strategist, philanthropist, manager, and coalition-builder, who currently serves as the Acting President and Executive Director and Executive Vice President of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The closing plenary will feature keynote speaker Vu Le, a writer, speaker, vegan, Pisces, and the former Executive Director of RVC, a nonprofit in Seattle that promotes social justice by developing leaders of color, strengthening organizations led by communities of color, and fostering collaboration between diverse communities. Vu is the current Author of the blog NonprofitAF.
- Keep the Inspiration Alive: Gather inspiration from colleagues and speakers so that you can develop an action plan to apply all you have learned to your program. Attend sessions that will be helpful for your current projects, but also sit in on panels that may provide information to help you prepare for work to come. Use many of the ideas and models you will learn about to modify or enhance your own practice after the conference.
- Exhibitors: Virtual EJC will include exhibitors that you can learn from and connect with. Learn about innovative products, organizations supporting pro bono, and more.
- Community Connections (Safely!): While we cannot gather in person, virtual EJC offers opportunities to connect with the wonderful and welcoming pro bono and public interest community. View your time at EJC as an opportunity to both learn from your experienced colleagues and to start building a professional network that will help you achieve your programmatic goals.
We hope you will join us for this year’s Virtual Equal Justice Conference. Learn more and register here! Contact [email protected] for more questions and assistance.
*As virtual conferences and webinars have different accreditation requirements than live events, some states’ parameters will exclude the EJC from applying for and/or receiving approval for CLE credit. Currently EJC is not an approved Virtual/Webinar provider in Pennsylvania or Virginia and is not eligible to apply for course accreditation.