2026 Partners for Justice Conference Schedule

Opening Program
8:15 AM - 9:00 AM	Registration & Breakfast
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM	Morning Plenary	Chief Justice Matthew J. Fader Sharon E. Goldsmith

1st Morning Sessions
9:45 AM - 11:00 AM	Understanding How Estate Planning Can Benefit Lower Income Clients	Jake Polivka Margaret Henn Muriel van den Berg Nicholas Pycha	Read more »
9:45 AM - 11:00 AM	Safe City Baltimore: A Model for Publicly Funded Coordinated Legal Services for Immigrants	Adonia Simpson Catalina Rodriguez Lima Catherine H. Scenna Kelly Rojas	Read more »
9:45 AM - 11:00 AM	Broadening the Bench: Legal Service Providers and the Path to Judgeships	Hon. Angela M. Eaves Hon. Michael W. Siri Hon. Troy K. Hill Jennifer Katz Michelle Siri Rebecca Fleming	Read more »
9:45 AM - 11:00 AM	Alternative Avenues for Advocacy	James Bell Katherine Davis Lisa Sarro Matt Hill	Read more »
9:45 AM - 11:00 AM	How Poverty Became Neglect in the Child Welfare System	Natasha Khalfani Prudence Beidler Carr Stephanie Joseph	Read more »
9:45 AM - 11:00 AM	Best A2J Legal Tech & AI Tools to Start Using NOW!	Angela Tripp Reena Shah Russ Bloomquist Sarah Coffey Bowes	Read more »

2nd Morning Sessions
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM	The Intersection of Consumer Law and Housing Law	James Bell Madison (Maddi) Borison Susan Lerch Warren Buff	Read more »
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM	Reentry In Action: Legislation, Representation and Community Collaboration	Crystal Carpenter Joan Bellistri Shannice Anderson Thomas Anderson	Read more »
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM	Urban Issues of Heirs' Property	John Kern Nketiah Berko Shari Fleming Steven Kappen	Read more »
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM	The Threat to Disability Rights in Public Education	Brooke Levey Diana K. Wyles Megan Jones Stacy Reid Swain	Read more »
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM	Know Your (Their) Rights when Interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement	Jonathan (Jon) Kaplan Neha Lall Suleyka Canelo	Read more »
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM	Mentorship Matters! Discussion and Tips for Legal Services Providers	Jennifer Mercer Kayla Williams-Campbell Olga Petrovskikh Sara Powel	Read more »

Midday Program
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM	Lunch Program & Keynote Address by Zachary Perez	Sharon E. Goldsmith Zachary Perez	Read more »

Afternoon Sessions
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM	Using Day of Hearing Representation to provide Holistic Lawyering	Leaf Ye Matthew Arthur Megan Lewis Peter Spann	Read more »
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM	The Effect of Recent Changes to Landlord Tenant Law on Tenants in a Courtroom	Jen Weil Kate DeNobile Mary Migues-Jordan Matilda G. Smith	Read more »
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM	The Maryland Rules of Procedure and Access to Justice	Colby Schmidt Hon. Yvette M. Bryant Nisa C. Subasinghe	Read more »
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM	Serving Clients with Decision-Making Limitations	Jessica Emerson Lindsay Moss Megan Good Megan Rusciano	Read more »
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM	New Recommendations Target Maryland’s Justice Gap with Innovative Legal Service Tiers and Regulatory Reform	Hon. Angela M. Eaves Meredith Girard Reena Shah Sarah Parsons	Read more »

Networking Reception
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM	PILC's Spring SPARK Social		Read more »