The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service (ABA) and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) invite you to submit a session proposal for the 2024 Equal Justice Conference. This conference aims to unite all components of the legal community dedicated to ensuring equal justice in the civil legal system for low-income individuals and communities. We seek proposals from legal services providers, pro bono and public interest programs, private lawyers, judges, and community members involved in access to justice initiatives. Together, we can strengthen our efforts to provide legal assistance to those in need.
Sessions focus on:
- expanding pro bono
- fundraising and development
- substantive law
- community lawyering
- client -centered advocacy
- racial equity and justice
- research and data
- management
- use of technology to address the justice gap
and much more.
Conference programming focuses on innovative strategies and collaborations within the equal justice community. We seek proposals that explore how we can best address inequities in our justice system by working together with private lawyers, legal aid programs, law schools, public service lawyers, judges, and other stakeholders. Proposals should highlight the most pressing legal needs of those who struggle to access justice.
General Guidelines
Proposal submissions are due no later than October 11, 2024
When selecting the one category that best describes your proposed session, please consider the following:
Pro Bono: sessions that focus primarily on engaging and managing pro bono volunteers to provide legal services.
Fundraising and Development: identifying, tapping in to and sustaining sources of funding.
Management: issues relevant to management of a nonprofit engaged in the delivery of legal services, from HR issues to board management to everything in between.
Diversity: examining how to nurture an inclusive and diverse working environment and serving diverse populations.
Substantive Practice Area: these sessions will build expertise in specific areas of law.
Research and Data: best practices for collecting, analyzing and utilizing data and information.
Technology: how can legal services providers effectively utilize technology to create capacity and expand services?
Panels
Panels should consist of no more than three persons plus one moderator.
Panels should not serve as a platform for promotion of an individual or project. Preference will be given to proposals that reflect a variety of perspectives on the core topic that will appeal to the broadest audience possible.
Presenters must register for the Conference by March 31, 2025, to present. Presenters not registered by this deadline will not be listed in the Conference Program. The primary presenter is to update any presenter changes no later than March 31, 2025. Changes after March 31, 2025, must be reported but may not be reflected in the Conference program.
Panelists should plan to present in person to ensure the best experience for attendees. Conference planners cannot guarantee the quality of internet connections to support virtual appearances.
Session Length
The vast majority of sessions will be 75 minutes long. Conference planners may consider a very limited number of 2.5-hour sessions, but the rationale for requiring a 2.5 hour time slot must be explicitly and strongly articulated.
Content
The conference aims to foster open dialogue among individuals with diverse perspectives on innovative and impactful collaborative models that address justice system inequities. We especially welcome proposals that explore various delivery models, including pro bono initiatives and issues of diversity and inequity.
Sessions should be designed to encourage discussion, problem-solving, and active participation. Avoid lecture-style presentations. Instead, focus on interactive methods that allow attendees to learn by doing.
When planning your session, consider the diversity of our conference attendees and the broader community. Strive to ensure that your panelists and materials reflect inclusion, diversity, and cross-cultural competence.
To support our attendees seeking continuing legal education (CLE) credits, incorporate substantive law and ethical issues into your session plan. This will help us maximize the number of CLE credits available for the conference.
Criteria for Selection
Conference planners consider the following when reviewing proposals for inclusion in Conference programming:
- Relevance of Topic: Is the topic of relevance, importance, value, and/or interest to the majority of our attendees?
- Session Outcomes Achievability: Is there alignment between the stated session outcomes and the proposal description?
- Quality of Submission: Does the proposal demonstrate quality, as measured by accuracy, clarity, comprehensiveness, and depth of demonstrated understanding of the topic?
- Engagement/Knowledge Transfer: Does the proposal provoke discussion, audience engagement, and/or facilitate knowledge transfer and development of new competency?
What to Expect After Submitting Your Proposal
You will be notified the week of December 11, 2023, whether your proposal was accepted. Please be patient. Conference planners anticipate receiving nearly 200 proposals and the selection process is always difficult given the quality of proposals submitted.
If accepted, your session will be assigned to one of the EJC Working Groups. A Working Group member will be designated to help guide you through the process. This person will be your primary contact and resource leading up to the conference.
Each accepted panel will receive a link to the EdHarvester platform and will be required to submit panelist names and information through the platform. Panels that fail to provide all information may be canceled at the discretion of conference planners.
If your proposal is accepted, ABA/NLADA reserve the right to make changes in the recommended presenters, program and materials.
Proposals that are similar in subject matter may be accepted and merged at the discretion of the ABA/NLADA.
Requirement for Supporting Materials
Each panel must submit materials by the deadline, anticipated to be January 27, 2025. Each workshop is encouraged to submit a single consolidated outline. Additional materials should also be provided as appropriate.
Each session presenter must complete a copyright permission form (to be provided) or secure permission from the appropriate author or publication.
Each session presenter must submit a short bio not to exceed 150 words. These bios will be submitted to state agencies when applying for continuing legal education accreditation.
Panelist Expenses and Registration
The Conference will provide meeting space, limited audio-visual equipment, publicity, logistical support and session evaluation. Continuing legal education accreditation, processing and reporting will also be provided.
If a proposal is selected:
- All presenters must register for the conference. No exceptions will be made. Presenters not registered for the conference will not be permitted to participate in the panel.
- Session developers and presenters who attend any session other than their own are required to pay the appropriate registration fee.
- All presenters are expected to be available for the majority of the conference dates in order to facilitate workshop scheduling.
- Financial support from ABA/NLADA is extremely limited and session developers and presenters are expected to support all expenses not described above.
- Organizations sponsoring a session are asked to support other related costs, including travel and lodging, or to assist the trainer(s) with obtaining support.
Session developers and presenters who attend only their session and no other part of the conference may apply for a “workshop only” conference registration fee waiver. If approved, they must register for the conference. Instructions will be provided separately to each waiver recipient. EJC staff will provide information about how to request “workshop only” waivers after proposal statuses have been announced.
Any meals or tickets to social events that are part of a full registration fee will be provided to paid, registered session developers and presenters. “Workshop Only” registrants who wish to attend the social or meal functions must purchase tickets separately to these events.
Submit Your Proposal
Ready? You can submit your proposal here.
Need some time to collaborate with others? You can view a PDF of the proposal form here.
Questions?
If you have questions, please email [email protected].