Equal Justice University 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI), algorithms, and related technologies are used extensively by governments, employers, landlords, educators, and others to make key decisions about the lives of low-income people, usually with devastating consequences. This session will explore the ways AI is determining how low-income people work, live, learn, and survive--implicating substantive issue areas of benefits, employment, housing, education, domestic violence, and child welfare--and introduce ways advocates can identify and oppose them.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will learn to identify the various ways AI is used to make decisions about key aspects of low-income people’s lives.
2. Participants will learn the primary obstacles to effective advocacy involving AI-related issues.
3. Participants will learn the general legal claims applicable to AI-related issues.

Building on the first session, Innovating Injustice, this session will discuss in detail the various advocacy tools to fight back against harmful uses of AI across multiple dimensions, including fair hearings, affirmative litigation, narrative advocacy, public education, and community activation. The session will offer in-depth case examples, audience participation, and group exercises to build an enduring framework for tackling all sorts of AI-related issues our client communities are facing.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the latest policy proposals that implicate the harms AI causes low-income communities.
2. Participants will learn about the leading strategies to fight back against AI-related harms.
3. Participants will learn a method to analyze AI-related harms to inform advocacy strategies..

The session would be a mix of informative lecture and interactive segments. For the instruction, the presentation would focus on common use cases and probable benefits of AI for attorneys in the non-profit sector; on the risks associated with engaging with and using AI; and on the ethical considerations attorneys should make when engaging with AI depending on how it is used.

Learning Objectives:

1. Common Use Cases for AI in the Industry 
2.  Considerable Risks Associated with the Use of AI 
3.  Ethical Considerations During Use of AI

I have provided several of these sessions for the Washington County Bar Association since 2019. I teach practical yoga poses that can be done in an office to alleviate stress. I teach breathing techniques that can be utilized in all aspects of law practice. Attendees also learn the importance of meditation in trauma healing and how it can serve them and their clients.

Learning Objectives:

1. Yoga is accessible to every body and age.
2. Yoga can greatly benefit lawyers in high stress work.
3.    Understanding of neuroplasticity and trauma's effect on the brain.

Navigating the world of grants can be complex and overwhelming. This two-part comprehensive workshop aims to demystify the process and equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to successfully secure and manage grants through an understanding of the entire grant cycle.

Whether new to grant writing or looking to refine your skills, each workshop session will provide valuable insights and hands-on experience. Join us to unlock the potential of grant funding for your organization that will make a lasting impact in your community.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the connectivity of the grant cycle, from effective prospecting and organizational alignment to program fit, proposal development, and post-award management for improved grant success. 
2. Apply practical tips and real-world examples to enhance your grant writing skills.
3.    Engage in interactive exercises designed to help you confidently navigate each stage of the grant cycle.

Navigating the world of grants can be complex and overwhelming. This two-part comprehensive workshop aims to demystify the process and equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to successfully secure and manage grants through an understanding of the entire grant cycle.

Learners will leave with relevant and practical approaches that they can implement into their grant development processes to improve grant success. Participants will have session notes, worksheets, and handouts to reinforce learning objectives, knowledge and skills.

Today’s law firms are more generationally diverse than ever before—with seasoned partners, Gen X leaders, millennial managers, and Gen Z associates all working side by side. Each generation brings unique values, communication styles, and workplace expectations that, if not acknowledged and aligned, can lead to miscommunication, conflict, lack of productivity and disengagement.

In this dynamic session, we’ll explore how to lead across generational lines with intention, empathy, and strategic foresight. We’ll unpack the generational norms that influence work ethic, collaboration, career growth, and leadership expectations—and examine how these play out in the culture of law firms. You’ll learn how to build inclusive systems that encourage mentorship, support cross-generational cohesion, and align diverse teams around shared goals.

From redefining feedback and communication practices to navigating technology adoption and succession planning, this session will provide actionable strategies to help each participant to not only manage generational diversity—but thrive because of it.

Takeaways:

1. Understand key differences, strengths, and generational norms across cohorts
2. Explore common intergenerational workplace tensions and how to resolve them
3. Explore common intergenerational workplace tensions and how to resolve them
4. Discover leadership practices that promote inclusion, innovation, and retention across generations
5. Whether you’re a executive, young attorney, paralegal, or intern this session will equip you to lead confidently and collaboratively in today’s evolving legal landscape.

This session is designed to empower legal professionals with the knowledge and tools they need to build a resilient digital security posture. We’ll explore the most common threats facing nonprofit legal services—from phishing attacks to data loss—and offer realistic, budget-conscious strategies for safeguarding your systems and client information.

Learn how to implement practical security measures, train staff effectively, and respond to incidents in ways that prioritize both legal compliance and client trust. Whether you’re managing technology for a statewide network or handling intake on the front lines, this session will help you strengthen your security without compromising your mission.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the specific cybersecurity risks facing legal aid organizations.
2. Learn affordable, high-impact digital security practices you can implement now.
3. Develop a culture of security awareness across legal and administrative staff.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify common gaps between client expectations and legal realities in divorce proceedings.
2. Explore effective communication strategies and tools that legal professionals can use to manage expectations and build trust with clients during emotionally charged family law cases.
3. Examine systemic and procedural barriers within the justice system that contribute to misaligned expectations.