Equal Justice Conference in Minneapolis

More than 1,000 lawyers, judges and advocates responsible for providing civil legal assistance to the country’s indigent population will take an in-depth look at the delivery of legal services to low- and moderate-income Americans during the annual Equal Justice Conference, May 5-9 at the Hilton Minneapolis Hotel.

Sponsored by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service along with the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, the 2008 conference – Pursuing Justice: Balancing Challenges and Opportunities – will focus on strengthening partnerships among those who work in the civil justice system.

The 2008 conference will present nearly 80 workshops on nine tracks, including delivery innovations, technology, and pro bono and law firms.  Workshops will feature such topics as human rights, identity theft, and medical-legal partnerships as well as legislative advocacy, mortgage scams, and pro se assistance.  Preconference sessions, open to those who register for the main conference, will cover strategies for meeting the needs of self-represented litigants, public interest and transactional programs, and law school pro bono programs.

Minnesota’s new Virtual Self-Help Center, recently launched statewide and modeled after the award-winning Hennepin County Self-Help Center for pro se litigants, will be the focus of one of the preconference sessions.

ABA President William H. Neukom will deliver the luncheon keynote address for the conference on Thursday, May 8 at noon.  The complete conference agenda is available at www.abanet.org/legalservices/ejc/home.html