2025 Poverty Law Conference: Full Schedule

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9:00am CDT

Empowering Crime Survivors with Web3 Technologies: Decentralization, Immutability, and Data Ownership

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT

Imagine escaping an abusive situation with no identification, no proof of the abuse you endured, and no access to a bank account. This is the harsh reality for many crime survivors whose abusers use coercion, such as destroying identifying documents and exerting financial control, to trap survivors in a cycle of abuse and vulnerability. Web3 concepts provide immutable (tamper-proof) decentralized (peer-to-peer governed) user-centric solutions such as self-sovereign identities, InterPlanetary File Systems (IPFS), and decentralized finance (DeFi).

When identifying documents are destroyed, it becomes difficult for survivors to prove their identity for employment, education, and accessing benefits like housing, food stamps, and medical care. Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) allows individuals to own, control, and access their digital identity, ensuring their identity remains intact even if physical documents are lost. Abusers often destroy evidence, such as voice messages, texts, social media posts, etc., that could corroborate abuse. This destruction prevents survivors from participating in justice processes, such as the investigations and prosecution of their abusers, or petitioning for protective orders. It also hinders access to restorative services, like domestic violence shelters or therapy for trafficking survivors, when survivors must prove their specific victimization. InterPlanetary File Systems (IPFS) enable users to securely store and share data, preserving evidence that can corroborate victimization and abuse. Many survivors escape with little or no credit history and are often barred from traditional financial services, such as opening a personal checking account. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) provides access to financial services without relying on a central authority. Through DeFi, individuals can borrow and lend money directly to each other, bypassing traditional barriers. Join this session to explore how these innovative Web3 tools can help create a safer, more supportive environment for crime survivors.

Speakers

Ugochukwu, Davina

Lone Star Legal Aid

Davina Ugochukwu is a staff attorney with Lone Star Legal Aid’s Justice for Human Trafficking Survivors program. The JHTS program was created in response to the unique civil legal needs that survivors of labor and sex trafficking face when attempting to stabilize their lives and... Read More →

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Room 412 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

9:00am CDT

Benefits 101: A Practical Guide to Assessing Basic Client Eligibility

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT

Room 408

A practical guide to assessing BASIC client eligibility for food stamps, TANF, SSI, RSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, MSP Medicaid, CHIP, other health benefits, Unemployment, and housing benefits.

Speakers

Jeff Larsen

attorney, Lone Star Legal Aid

woodworking, traditional music and singing in parts, Shakespeare, Social Security

Gloretta Thornton

Paralegal Supervisor, Lone Star Legal Aid

I have been with Lone Star Legal Aid for 49 years and I have been in the Public Benefits Unit in the Houston office all of that time. I truly enjoy helping people and my work with LSLA allows me to do that. I am the mother of 2, the grandmother of 4, and the great grandmother... Read More →

Kim Brown

Lone Star Legal Aid

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Room 408 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Benefits

9:00am CDT

The Current State of Disasters: What the FEMA?

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT

Room 415

This session will discuss the current state of Disaster Law/Services today. We will look at current administrative developments to FEMA as well as other federal disaster programs, such as CDBG/CDBG-DR. We will also examine the role climate change plays in the size and scope of disaster. Advocates also will be advised on their ethical responsibility to remain apprised of the current state of law and their duty to clients. Finally, we will discuss strategies for advocacy for today's natural disasters.

Speakers

Sapna Aiyer

Assistant Directing Attorney – Urban Legal Services, Lone Star Legal Aid

Sapna Aiyer is an Assistant Directing Attorney at Lone Star Legal Aid in Houston, TX. Lone Star Legal Aid represents qualifying low income clients in a full range of civil matters at no cost. Ms. Aiyer began her work at LSLA in 2007, working on disaster cases resulting from hurricanes... Read More →

Stephanie Duke

Supervising Attorney Disaster Resilience Team, Disability Rights TX

Stephanie Duke is currently a staff attorney at Disability Rights Texas and Equal Justice Works Disaster Resilience Program fellow. As the Protection and Advocacy agency for the state of Texas, Disability Rights Texas’ mission is to ensure individuals with disabilities know and... Read More →

Amanda Bosley

Managing Attorney - Disaster Relief Unit, Lone Star Legal Aid

Amanda Bosley is a Supervising Attorney and manages the Disaster Relief Unit at Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) in Houston, Texas. She also serves as Content Manager for the Advocates for Disaster Justice website, which provides legal help information to survivors and facilitates connections... Read More →

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Room 415 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Environmental and Disaster

9:00am CDT

Update on Defending Evictions in Federally Subsidized Housing & Public Housing

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT

Room 406

This session will focus on providing an update on rights of tenants facing eviction in federally subsidized housing and public housing. It will include an overview of HUD’s new regulations, effective January 13, 2025, on lease terminations for both federally subsidized housing and public housing tenants and caselaw developments. Time permitting, it will also include an overview of some of the major changes in the federal housing regulations relating to asset and income calculation, effective January 2, 2024, resulting from HUD’s implementation of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016.

Speakers

Fred Fuchs

Attorney, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid

Fred Fuchs is the housing group coordinator for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, where he oversees the program's housing work. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law where he teaches a housing clinic each spring. He received his law degree from the... Read More →

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Room 406 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Housing

9:00am CDT

Data-Driven Insights: Using Automation to Improve Client Satisfaction

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT

Salon E

Utilizing our case management system to automate the sending of sending satisfaction surveys, thereby allowing our clients to submit real time comments on the services they were provided. Our data teams analysis will provide data points on which law types, counties, age, gender and language had the most responses thereby allowing us to focus on underserved areas.

Speakers

Mary Molandes

Director of Case Management System Training, Lone Star Legal Aid

I'm a native of East Texas. I've worked for Lone Star Legal Aid for 25 years, with the last 20 years being the trainer for our case management systems. I also facilitate our Brown Bag Trainings and assist with compliance.

Nick Whitaker

LSLA

Ashley Oborn

Director of Data Analytics, LSLA

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Salon E 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Tech - Data

9:00am CDT

Empowering New Legal Professionals: Drafting Wills and TODDs for Low-Income Texans

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am CDT

Room 410

Join us for a dynamic and interactive session designed for beginner attorneys and paralegals looking to develop foundational estate planning skills tailored to the needs of low-income Texans. This session will provide a comprehensive overview of estate planning considerations unique to individuals with limited financial resources, including common challenges, client misconceptions, and best practices for addressing these issues.

Through a hands-on drafting exercise, attendees will review a fact pattern and practice drafting both Wills and Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs), gaining invaluable experience in navigating real-world legal scenarios. By the end of the session, participants will be better equipped to assist clients in securing their futures, protecting their assets, and avoiding common pitfalls in estate planning.

Speakers

Hannah Dyal

Attorney, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid

Hannah Dyal is an Equal Justice Works Disaster Resilience Program Fellow at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. She recently completed her first Equal Justice Works fellowship on the Disaster Recovery Legal Corps, the first disaster corps of its kind. Hannah has been working in disaster recovery... Read More →

Brittanny Perrigue Gomez

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid

Thursday August 28, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am CDT
Room 410 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Probate Estate and Wills

10:15am CDT

Navigating New Laws: Legal Strategies for Assisting Defendants in Driver’s License Reinstatement

Thursday August 28, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am CDT

Room 412

The Texas Legislature recently updated Code of Criminal Procedure 45 to 45A. This session will discuss those changes and how they can be utilized to more effectively represent clients trying to regain their driver's license.

Speakers

Justin Thompson

Program Director / Attorney, Beacon Law

Stephanie Marrone

Beacon Law

Sam Marsh

Beacon Law

Thursday August 28, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Room 412 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

10:15am CDT

A Lawyer's Guide to Children’s Medicaid and Managed Care

Thursday August 28, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am CDT

Room 408

Healthcare access plays an important role in a child’s over all wellbeing. Children who lack access to healthcare will have increased risk of poor health outcomes, developmental delays, and impact to their education. Programs like Children’s Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program also known as CHIP play such a huge role in ensuring that eligible children have access to proper healthcare coverage which leads to better developmental outcomes for their wellbeing. Furthermore, Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) are responsible for approving or denying medical claims for Children Medicaid recipients and can potentially be a barrier to a child's access to medically necessary services. In this presentation we will discuss Children's Medicaid and CHIP eligibility requirements, and what advocates can do if an eligible child has been wrongfully denied for these benefits. Advocates will also learn how access to these benefits for low-income families is vital to a child's ability to have positive health outcomes and development into healthy young adults. Our panelists will discuss the importance of Managed Care's role in a child's ability to access medical services after a determination of eligibility, and what advocates can do ensure MCOs are not a barrier to an eligible child's access to medically necessary health services.

Speakers

Elizabeth Green

Staff Attorney, Lone Star Legal Aid

Elizabeth Green is a Staff Attorney at Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) located in Houston, Texas. Elizabeth joined Lone Star legal Aid, which provides free legal assistance for low-income individuals dealing with civil law issues throughout the state of Texas about a year ago. Lone Star... Read More →

Cristina Palacios

Paralegal, Lone Star Legal Aid

Thursday August 28, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Room 408 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Benefits

10:15am CDT

Disaster Lawyering 5.0

Thursday August 28, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am CDT

Room 415

In 2025, climate justice remains a pressing issue, further complicated by evolving sociological and political challenges that impact funding for disaster resilience and response. As we confront the realities of climate injustice, public health emergencies, and both man-made and natural disasters, it is essential to acknowledge the increasing necessity for access to justice and legal resources.

Community lawyering and collaborative efforts are vital in building resilient communities and fostering relationships with both public and private partners. These endeavors empower communities, providing equitable opportunities for all. Legal aids frequently face resource shortages, which limit their capacity to support those in need. Nevertheless, by proactively engaging in disaster preparedness and refining our advocacy strategies, we can address the sociological inequities that disaster survivors often face. Proactive strategies, such as establishing pro bono and volunteer networks and collaborating with community partners, will be critical.

Given the current landscape, funding for disaster resilience and response may be subject to substantial changes. It is increasingly important to plan, structurally organize, and effectively apply disaster lawyering principles to ensure that all communities, especially the most vulnerable, receive the support they need.

Speakers

Stephanie Duke

Supervising Attorney Disaster Resilience Team, Disability Rights TX

Sean Jackson

Executive Director, Disability Rights Texas

Thursday August 28, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Room 415 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Environmental and Disaster

10:15am CDT

Eviction Advocacy and Challenging Illegal Lease Provisions through the DTPA

Thursday August 28, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am CDT

Room 406

Although federal law (the CARES Act) requires affordable housing landlords to give their tenants a 30-day notice to vacate, they often ignore the law and evict tenants a month early. The CARES Act defense still frequently works when attorneys spot the issue, but it is an extremely unintuitive law for pro se tenants. Determining CARES Act coverage has become more and more difficult as the various databases for affordable housing erode.

We can shift our eviction advocacy from defense to offense by using the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The DTPA makes it illegal to misrepresent rights in contracts; common leases used by affordable housing landlords misrepresent the landlord's right to evict, contradicting federal law. This session will discuss legal background, strategic advocacy angles, and seeking creative equitable remedies through the DTPA.

The session will also address using the same DTPA theories to attack other illegal eviction tactics, unauthorized fees, and illegal lease provisions outside of the eviction process.

Speakers

Benjamin Gerzik

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Community Revitalization Project

Thursday August 28, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Room 406 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Housing

10:15am CDT

Generative AI as a Tool for Litigation

Thursday August 28, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am CDT

Salon E

Generative AI offers valuable tools to support civil service litigation by assisting with client communications, summarizing complex information, analyzing case materials, aiding in case preparation, and providing translation support. This session will explore practical use cases and ethical considerations while offering a live demonstration of no-and-low-cost AI tools. Attendees will gain hands-on insights into how AI can be responsibly integrated to improve efficiency and effectiveness in civil service practice. Whether you're new to AI or looking to refine its use, this CLE will provide actionable strategies for leveraging AI in litigation support.

Speakers

Katie Valle

Senior Attorney, The Law Office of Jason Wright

Edge, Andrew

McGinnis Lochridge

Thursday August 28, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Salon E 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Tech - Data

11:30am CDT

Keynote Luncheon: Keegan Warren

Thursday August 28, 2025 11:30am - 1:00pm CDT

Salon C

Keegan Warren, JD, LLM, is the Executive Director of the Institute for Healthcare Access at Texas A&M Health Science Center. She brings lived experience and a civil justice lens to bear on health and wellness, specializing in non-medical drivers of health and health equity.

An attorney and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) director with over two decades of senior management experience spanning health and human services, she is a national expert on integrating medical and social services through medical-legal partnership (MLP), a care delivery model that leverages legal expertise to advance individual and population health. Keegan’s research and writing apply an epidemiological perspective to legal interventions as a concrete means for addressing social determinants of health and reducing health disparities. She writes and speaks most regularly on late-breaking trends and evidence-based best practices in the implementation, evaluation, financing, and impacts of integrated care delivery.

Keegan is currently serving a three-year term on the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Board on Health Care Services. She previously served on the NAM Committee on Integrating Social Care and was an NAM Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar. Her local community impact includes recent elections to the presidency of the Texas Medical-Legal Partnership Coalition and membership on the Texas Design in Health Advisory Council.

Keegan is an adjunct professor at the Texas A&M University School of Law. She previously was a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, McCombs School of Business, and School of Design and Creative Technologies. She is also a veteran of the Army National Guard and a member of the Order of St. Joan of Arc, the highest civilian award given by the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Associations.

Keegan earned her Master of Laws in Health Law and Policy from Southern Illinois University, her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas at Austin, and her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, international relations, and Latin American studies from the University of Arkansas.

In her spare time, Keegan rows crew competitively; and hangs out with her undergraduate twin daughters, who study chemistry and linguistics, respectively, and her husband, Patrick, who is Sierra Club’s Vice President and a national SME on sustainability and corporate citizenship.

Speakers

Keegan Warren, JD, LLM

Executive Director, Institute for Healthcare Access, Texas A&M Health Science Center; Texas Medical-Legal Partnership Coalition

April Faith-Slaker

Executive Director, State Bar Of Texas - Legal Access Department

Trey Apffel

Executive Director, State Bar Of Texas

Thursday August 28, 2025 11:30am - 1:00pm CDT
Salon C

1:00pm CDT

Social Security Appeals Process

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

Room 408

This session is intended for both new and seasoned advocates. It will focus on the differences in the appeal process when a person's application for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration is denied versus when a recipient of SSA disability benefits receives a notice of SSA determination of medical cessation of disability (termination of benefits). The session will also address the specific ethical obligations of advocates while providing representation of clients before the Social Security Administration, as well as general ethical considerations for legal advocates in Texas will also be addressed.

Speakers

Renee Trevino

Public Benefits Group Coordinator, TRLA

Ms. Treviño practices law in the San Antonio, Texas office of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc. (TRLA). She is a legal advocate for low-income Texans and Group Coordinator of the TRLA Public Benefits Group which consists of four teams including the Public Benefits Team, Health Law... Read More →

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Room 408 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Benefits

1:00pm CDT

Empowered Choices: Legal and Health Interventions for Pregnant and Parenting Youth

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

Room 412

This session will explore the legal challenges facing pregnant and parenting youth, the impact of Medical-Legal Partnerships in addressing SDOH, and the role of attorneys in creating pathways to stability for young families. Presenters will share insights from the program's development and implementation, as well as early outcomes and best practices for replicability in other legal aid settings.

Empowered Choices (EC) is an innovative program developed through a Medical-Legal Partnership between Greater Waco Legal Services, a nonprofit law firm, and Waco Family Medicine, a Federally Qualified Health Center. This program integrates legal services with healthcare access to support pregnant and parenting youth, addressing critical social determinants of health (SDOH) that impact maternal and child outcomes.

EC educates young parents about their legal rights and provides direct assistance in establishing a temporary, nonparent caregiver who can make decisions for their child without requiring court intervention. This legal mechanism allows youth to continue their education and employment while maintaining full parental rights. Through educational workshops and direct legal services, EC empowers young parents to make informed decisions, access critical support, and protect their families' futures.

Speakers

Jessica Trevino

Medical Legal Partnership Staff Attorney, Greater Waco Legal Services

Kayla Mize

Director of Operations and Impact, Greater Waco Legal Services

Kayla Mize is a Licensed Master of Social Work with over 10 years of program development and management experience. Her current role is Director of Operations and Impact at Greater Waco Legal Services where she leads internal operations, supervises programs, and drives strategic initiatives... Read More →

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Room 412 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Medical-Legal Partnerships

1:00pm CDT

AI Chatbot Development for Legal Services

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

Salon E

AI-powered chatbots hold incredible potential to enhance legal service delivery, both internally for staff and externally for clients. This session will provide an accessible, high-level overview of AI chatbot applications in the legal aid space, addressing ethical implications as well. We’ll focus on practical examples from Texas legal aid organizations, including TexasLawHelp’s public-facing Amigo information bot, and Lone Star Legal Aid’s TIG-funded chatbot initiatives: Juris (for legal research), LSLAsks (for internal administrative support), and NAVI (for public-facing information, referrals, and resources). Through this session, participants will gain an accessible understanding of how AI chatbots can be applied in legal services, and how these tools are being developed and implemented to meet evolving needs.

Speakers

Martha Beard-Duncan

Managing Attorney, Texas Legal Services Center

Aaron Varner

Co-Managing Attorney, Texas Legal Services Center

Aaron Varner is a staff attorney in Texas Legal Services Center’s Self Represented Litigants Program, which administers TexasLawHelp.org. He has a Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of Wisconsin, where he focused on tech policy, and he received his JD from Chicago-Kent... Read More →

Ashley Oborn

Director of Data Analytics, LSLA

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Salon E 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Tech - Data

1:00pm CDT

Community Empowerment to Enforce Environmental Protection Laws: How to Hold State and Federal Agencies Accountable

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm CDT

Room 415

This presentation will overview critical community lawyering tools for environmental justice matters. The first part of this session will briefly address general ways to mitigate adverse community impacts from the lack of industrial oversight by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the drastic changes at the Environmental Protection Agency. The second part of the session will provide examples of community empowerment in action that can be duplicated elsewhere. This will include sample public documents from actual concrete batch plant cases that address: 1) the Texas Clean Air Act (including public participation in concrete batch plant standard permit process; submitting citizen evidence with citizen complaints/requests for a TCEQ investigation; participating in enforcement actions; and appealing adverse TCEQ decisions); 2) the interplay of the Texas Public Information Act (including filing the initial request; participating in the agency’s request for an Attorney General opinion, and seeking a writ of mandamus/declaratory judgment/injunctive relief); and 3) the role of the Federal Clean Air Act (including the interplay of Texas’ state implementation plan (SIP) and citizen suit action provisions). The session concludes with an audience participation discussion.

Participants: Wendi Hammond, Michael Bates and Haley Varnadoe (most likely to be substituted with Adam Pirtle upon his return from parental leave).

Speakers

Michael Bates

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

Adam Pirtle

Staff Attorney, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

Wendi Hammond

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Room 415 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Environmental and Disaster

1:00pm CDT

Evidence: A Refresher and Demonstration

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm CDT

Room 406

Presenting and objecting to evidence is a key and often poorly executed part of trial law. Understanding how to control what evidence the factfinder sees will often be the difference between winning and losing your case. This session will serve as an introduction to evidence in trial practice for newer attorneys and a refresher course for those of us for whom it's been a while. The first half of the presentation will be a practical evidence lecture, and the second half will be a mock eviction trial to demonstrate the skills explained during the talk.

Speakers

Leesa Everitt

Staff Attorney, Lone Star Legal Aid

Leesa Everitt, a native Houstonian, is a staff attorney at Lone Star Legal Aid in the Housing & Consumer Unit. Over the past decade she has handled a variety of civil legal matters, but her focus has been housing and landlord-tenant work. Her law degree is from the University of Houston... Read More →

Eric Kwartler

Lone Star Legal Aid

Jonna Treble

Lone Star Legal Aid

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Room 406 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Housing

1:00pm CDT

Empowering New Legal Professionals: Drafting Affidavits of Heirship for Low-Income Texans

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm CDT

Room 410

Join us for an engaging and interactive presentation designed for beginner attorneys and paralegals, focused on drafting Affidavits Concerning the Identity of Heirs for low-income Texans. This session will begin with a comprehensive overview of Texas intestacy laws, providing attendees with the fundamental legal knowledge necessary to understand how assets pass when there is no probated will.

Participants will then engage in a hands-on drafting exercise, working through a fact pattern to draft an affidavit of heirship. This practical session will help attendees develop the skills needed to document heirship correctly, ensuring compliance with Texas law while addressing common challenges that arise when assisting low-income clients.

By the end of the session, attendees will leave with a solid understanding of intestacy laws, hands-on drafting experience, and best practices for issue spotting and risk mitigation—key skills for empowering low-income Texans in securing their rightful inheritance.

Speakers

Hannah Dyal

Attorney, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid

Brittanny Perrigue Gomez

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Room 410 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Probate Estate and Wills

2:15pm CDT

Bridging the Justice Gap: The Legal Resource Center Model for Community-Centered Access to Justice

Thursday August 28, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT

Salon E

Join Judge Steve Duble of Harris County Justice Court, Precinct 1, Place 2, and Andre Davison, Director of the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library, for an engaging session on an innovative, replicable model for community-centered legal access. The newly launched Legal Resource Center at the Harris County Courthouse Annex #2 serves as a beacon of equitable justice, providing free, multilingual, and user-friendly legal information to self-represented litigants navigating eviction, small claims, and debt collection matters.

Attendees will learn how this pioneering collaboration — funded by the Texas Bar Foundation — connects vulnerable communities to legal knowledge through curated materials, pro bono virtual consultations, and technology-enhanced tools. Presenters will explore how courts and libraries can partner to reduce barriers, expand community engagement, and reimagine what access to justice looks like for the most underserved populations. This session will highlight how localized innovation can serve as a powerful response to the justice crisis affecting low-income individuals, especially in neighborhoods of persistent poverty.

Speakers

Judge Steven Duble

Justice of the Peace, Harris County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1

Steven Duble is Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1, Place 2 in Harris County, Texas. He was elected in November 2022 and took office January 2023. He earned his undergraduate degree from Texas Christian University in 1986 and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center... Read More →

Andre Davison

Director, Harris County Law Library

As the Director of the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library, the largest county law library in Texas, I am dedicated to advancing our mission of providing equal and open access to justice for all. Our library focuses on delivering essential legal information, empowering... Read More →

Thursday August 28, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
Salon E 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

2:15pm CDT

Addressing SNAP Overpayments and Intentional Program Violations in Texas: Legal and Practical Perspectives

Thursday August 28, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT

Room 408

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides critical assistance to individuals and families facing food insecurity in Texas. However, overpayments and intentional program violations (IPVs) are common issues that affect both recipients and administrators of the program. This session will provide an overview of the legal landscape surrounding SNAP overpayments and IPVs, focusing on Texas-specific regulations and practices. We will examine the causes and implications of SNAP overpayments, the process for identifying and addressing IPVs, and the rights of recipients facing potential disqualification or penalties. Participants will learn about best practices for advocating on behalf of clients affected by SNAP overpayments and how to navigate legal remedies and administrative hearings. The session will include real-world case studies and interactive discussions to help attendees understand both the legal frameworks and the practical challenges involved in defending clients against overpayment charges and accusations of intentional program violations.

Speakers

Marty Orozco

Litigation Director for Public Benefits & Outreach, Lone Star Legal Aid

Tobenna Okezie

Lone Star Legal Aid

Tunrayo Lumpkin

Staff Attorney, Lone Star Legal Aid

Thursday August 28, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
Room 408 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Benefits

2:15pm CDT

Recipe for Success: Access to Justice through a Medical-Legal Partnership

Thursday August 28, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT

Room 412

This fast-paced session includes discussion about identifying patient participants, meeting program requirements for both organizations, the two organizations' staff roles and collaboration, expenses and cost sharing, and important tips for attendees, whether designing a new MLP or restructuring an existing MLP to improve program efficacy.

Speakers

Susan Soto

Staff Attorney / AccessHealth Medical-Legal Partnership, Houston Volunteer Lawyers

Carol Luna

AccessHealth

Darci Moore

Population Health Program Manager, AccessHealth

Thursday August 28, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
Room 412 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Medical-Legal Partnerships

3:30pm CDT

Defying Gravity: Rising Above Credit Card Lawsuits

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

Salon E

Journey down the Yellow Brick Road through credit card litigation and post-judgment procedures. Like Elphaba's transformation from student to powerful witch, we'll guide attorneys and paralegals through mastering credit defense from summons to post-judgment remedies.

Speakers

Becky Moseley

Deputy Director of Litigation, LANWT

Amy Allen

Supervising Attorney, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

Amy Allen has been licensed since 1991 and is the Supervising Attorney for Housing, Consumer, and Public Benefits at the Fort Worth Office of Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. She is a proud graduate of LSU and Bates School of Law at the University of Houston. Her primary areas of practice... Read More →

Samantha Kehl

Staff Attorney, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

Samantha Kehl: Bankruptcy Attorney by Day, Chaos Wrangler by NightWhen she's not untangling the complexities of bankruptcy law as a Staff Attorney and Bankruptcy Practice Team Leader at Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (LANWT), Samantha Kehl can be found negotiating peace treaties between... Read More →

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Salon E 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

3:30pm CDT

Fighting the Good Fight - Self Care for Sustainable Client Advocacy

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

Room 415

Passionately and effectively advocating for clients is a good fight that rewards legal practitioners with their own double-edged sword. On one side, playing a part in securing wins for those who need them most and camaraderie working alongside others committed to the same fight. The downside of this good work builds up over time: exhaustion from knowing there is an ever-growing number of cases, clients, and problems to solve, accumulated grief from the inevitable losses, and secondary trauma from dealing in difficult issues, some of which go beyond the capabilities of legal practitioners.

Haley, Michael, and Adam are attorneys who have felt these feelings through years of working in various legal aid fields, including environmental justice, family, fair housing, criminal, and community development work. Everyone’s journey to taking care of themselves is different, but we will share our stories and lessons learned in our journeys of acknowledging the very real difficulty of burnout and finding pathways to sustainability. This presentation will focus on specific ways to process and manage your case load, celebrate wins, build community inside and outside of the legal field, and connect with specific mental health and wellbeing resources. Attendees will have various opportunities to reflect on their own wellbeing and consider emotional, physical, and mental health as a part of their legal practice.

Think of it this way: you are not a lawyer. First and foremost, you are a person who practices law. We hope this presentation encourages you and provides specific tools to help sustain your advocacy.

Speakers

Michael Bates

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

Adam Pirtle

Staff Attorney, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

Haley Varnadoe

Staff Attorney, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

Haley is a staff attorney with the Community Revitalization Project at Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. She focuses on environmental justice in the DFW area and beyond, using community lawyering as a tool to empower client communities in their fights for clean air and neighborhoods safe... Read More →

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Room 415 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

3:30pm CDT

Legal Issues Regarding Mixed Immigration Status Families: Meeting Basic Needs with Public Benefits and Services

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

Room 408

Families are having to choose between meeting their basic needs of food, shelter, and family and the fear of losing everything. It is our job to know the law and how to help them maneuver these obstacles. Melissa and I are going to focus on the two overlapping legal specialization areas that are affecting mixed immigration status families. Families are already having to make very hard choices about meeting their basic needs and applying for benefits for eligible family members and avoiding immigration consequences for family members who are not applying for benefits or not eligible for benefits. In the last Trump administration there were proposed changes to the Public Charge rule that were not finalized that would have affected mixed status families. Many of us are watching to see if the administration or Congress will attempt to make changes that will affect eligible persons based on non-eligible persons in their households. This is extremely important for our client populations as many families eligible for our services live in mixed immigration status households or multi-generational households with needs that vary by generation.

Speakers

Melissa M. Lopez

Executive Director/Attorney at Law, Estrella del Paso

Bernadette Segura

Attorney, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Room 408 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Benefits

3:30pm CDT

Data-Driven Strategy: How Data Analysis Has Helped in Housing and Can Be Used In Your Projects

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

Room 406

From data mapping to data trends, data analysis helps you understand past data, uncover patterns, forecast future trends and use everything you learn to create an action plan for your legal project(s). This session will explore and provide examples of how lawyers have utilized data to develop housing projects and respond to crisis. We will also discuss how lawyers working in other practice areas can utilize data in their work to optimize performance and strategies.

Speakers

Lizbeth Parra Davila

St. Mary's School of Law

Genevieve Hebert-Fajardo

St. Mary's School of Law

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Room 406 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Housing

3:30pm CDT

Indigent Healthcare in Texas - From COVID to Measles - Where Are We Now?

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

Room 412

With resources and funding from the federal government to the states to support access to healthcare during the pandemic now depleted and no longer available to the states, it has become more difficult for low-income Texans to find healthcare. With a growing measles epidemic, this access has become more urgent. Texas statutory and state constitutional law requires that each county provide access to health care to its indigent residents. While large urban areas can usually meet this requirement, rural parts of the state have fewer resources and larger challenges in providing healthcare. This session will cover how each county meets this indigent healthcare requirement (county indigent healthcare programs, public hospitals, hospital districts) and how to access the services. We will briefly discuss orders requiring hospitals receiving medicaid funding to inquire about citizenship status and our obligations as advocates to explain that requirement of hospitals and the patients option to decline to answer without any consequences to receiving treatment. Finally, the session will allow for discussion of advocacy strategy when a county is not following the law.

Speakers

Marty Orozco

Litigation Director for Public Benefits & Outreach, Lone Star Legal Aid

Bruce Bower

Volunteer, Texas Legal Services Center (volunteer)

Bruce Bower is a member of the State Bar of Texas and of the Poverty Law Section. The State Bar of Texas lists Mr. Bower as certified to provide representation in guardianship cases in Texas. Mr. Bower was employed by Texas Legal Services Center from 1989 to 2022 and now does... Read More →

Jeff Larsen

attorney, Lone Star Legal Aid

woodworking, traditional music and singing in parts, Shakespeare, Social Security

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Room 412 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Medical-Legal Partnerships

3:30pm CDT

Empowering New Legal Professionals: Understanding Capacity and Drafting Advanced Directives for Low-Income Texans

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

Room 410

Join us for an insightful and interactive session designed for beginner attorneys and paralegals, focusing on the critical role of Durable and Medical Power of Attorneys and Directives to Physicians (advanced directives) in estate planning for low-income Texans.

The session will begin with a comprehensive discussion on assessing a client’s capacity to execute these legal documents, addressing key legal and ethical considerations. Attendees will then engage in a hands-on drafting exercise, working through a fact pattern to draft various advanced directives. This practical component ensures participants gain real-world experience and develop issue-spotting skills essential for serving vulnerable populations.

By the end of this session, attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of capacity assessment, hands-on drafting experience, and best practices for mitigating risks in advanced directives preparation—all critical tools for empowering clients to make informed decisions about their medical care and estate planning.

Speakers