2023 Law School Conference Agenda

"Cultivating Civil Legal Justice Leaders to Address the Structural Challenges of Poverty, Injustice and Inequality"

Agenda - March 8, 2023, 1:00pm - 5:00pm via Zoom

Time	Session
1:00pm – 1:15pm	Welcome and Conference Introduction \| Transcript Helaine M. Barnett, Chair, New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice Hon. Anthony Cannataro, Acting Chief Judge of the State of New York Aviva Abramovsky, Dean and Professor of Law, University at Buffalo School of Law, State University of New York
1:15pm – 2:10pm	Keynote Roundtable: Cultivating Civil Legal Justice Leaders to Address the Structural Challenges of Poverty, Injustice and Inequality \| Transcript Moderator: Steven Banks, Special Counsel, Pro Bono, Paul Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; Former Commissioner, New York City Department of Social Services (2014-2022); Attorney-in-Chief, New York City Legal Aid Society (2004-2014) Participants: Saima Akhtar, Senior Attorney, National Center for Law and Economic Justice Kim Diana Connolly, Professor of Law; Vice Dean for Advocacy and Experiential Education, University at Buffalo School of Law, State University of New York; Co-Chair, 2023 Law School Conference Planning Committee Hon. Craig D. Hannah, New York State Supreme Court Justice, Eighth Judicial District Adrian Neil, General Counsel, Rochester City School District, Department of Law; Member, New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice Shivani Parikh, Fordham University School of Law, Class of 2024, Stein Scholar, REAL Scholar, Crowley Scholar
2:10pm – 2:20pm	Call to Action \| Transcript William P. Quigley, Clinical Professor of Law Emeritus, Loyola University New Orleans, College of Law
2:20pm – 3:20pm	Plenary Panel: Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice: Challenges, Opportunities and Ethics Moderator: Raymond H. Brescia, Hon. Harold R. Tyler Chair in Law and Technology and Professor of Law, Albany Law School Panelists: Renee L. Danser, Associate Director, Research and Strategic Partnerships, Access to Justice Lab, Harvard Law School Sateesh Nori, Executive Director, JustFix Andrew M. Perlman, Dean and Professor of Law, Suffolk University Law School Elizabeth Tran, Legal Services Director, Houston Volunteer Lawyers
3:20pm - 3:30pm	Break: Join Work Group Sessions

Time

Session

1:00pm – 1:15pm

Welcome and Conference Introduction | Transcript

Helaine M. Barnett, Chair, New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice
Hon. Anthony Cannataro, Acting Chief Judge of the State of New York
Aviva Abramovsky, Dean and Professor of Law, University at Buffalo School of Law, State University of New York

1:15pm – 2:10pm

Keynote Roundtable: Cultivating Civil Legal Justice Leaders to Address the Structural Challenges of Poverty, Injustice and Inequality | Transcript

Moderator:

Steven Banks, Special Counsel, Pro Bono, Paul Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; Former Commissioner, New York City Department of Social Services (2014-2022); Attorney-in-Chief, New York City Legal Aid Society (2004-2014)

Participants:

Saima Akhtar, Senior Attorney, National Center for Law and Economic Justice
Kim Diana Connolly, Professor of Law; Vice Dean for Advocacy and Experiential Education, University at Buffalo School of Law, State University of New York; Co-Chair, 2023 Law School Conference Planning Committee
Hon. Craig D. Hannah, New York State Supreme Court Justice, Eighth Judicial District
Adrian Neil, General Counsel, Rochester City School District, Department of Law; Member, New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice
Shivani Parikh, Fordham University School of Law, Class of 2024, Stein Scholar, REAL Scholar, Crowley Scholar

2:10pm – 2:20pm

Call to Action | Transcript

William P. Quigley, Clinical Professor of Law Emeritus, Loyola University New Orleans, College of Law

2:20pm – 3:20pm

Plenary Panel: Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice: Challenges, Opportunities and Ethics

Moderator:

Raymond H. Brescia, Hon. Harold R. Tyler Chair in Law and Technology and Professor of Law, Albany Law School

Panelists:

Renee L. Danser, Associate Director, Research and Strategic Partnerships, Access to Justice Lab, Harvard Law School
Sateesh Nori, Executive Director, JustFix
Andrew M. Perlman, Dean and Professor of Law, Suffolk University Law School
Elizabeth Tran, Legal Services Director, Houston Volunteer Lawyers

3:20pm - 3:30pm

Break: Join Work Group Sessions

Work Group Sessions (concurrent)

Please join one work group session to participate in the discussion on Cultivating Civil Legal Justice Leaders.

Time	Session
3:30pm - 4:25pm concurrent	A. How Law Schools Can Cultivate the Housing Justice Leaders of Tomorrow, Who Will Help Build Tenant Power and Attack Structural Challenges Coordinators: Grace Andriette, Senior Supervising Attorney, Housing Unit, Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. William J. Niebel, Tenants Advocacy Attorney; Adjunct Professor of Law, Director, Tenants Advocacy Practicum, Cornell Law School Law Student Panelists: Malcolm Drenttel, Cornell Law School, Class of 2025 Alan Eiland, Fordham University School of Law, Stein Scholar, REAL Scholar, Class of 2024 Yusong Jin, Tenants Advocacy Fellow, Cornell Law School Jennifer Seidman, Cornell Law School, Class of 2023 Tenant Organizer: Carolyn Headlam, Founding Member, Ithaca Housing Collective
3:30pm - 4:25pm concurrent	B. Legal Knowledge, Cultural Competency and Life Experience through Sustained Community Pro Bono Engagement Coordinators: Elyse Diamond, Director, Public Interest Law Center and Adjunct Professor of Law, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Patricia Malone, Legal Director for New York Justice Initiatives, Pro Bono Net (PNB) Panelists: Bethany Cereo, Center Attorney, Legal Hand Call-In Center, Schenectady and Albany Counties, Center for Community Justice Stephanie Costa, Center Attorney, Legal Hand Call-In Center, Westchester, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Hon. Fern A. Fisher, Center Attorney, Legal Hand Call-In Center, Nassau-Suffolk Counties; Sassower Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law, Visiting Associate Professor of Law and Special Assistant for Social Justice Initiatives to the Dean, Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University; New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice Wantee Ramkaran, Program Manager for New York Justice Initiatives, Pro Bono Net (PBN) Nicole Wong, 2022 J.D. and Pro Bono Scholar, Maurice A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University
3:30pm - 4:25pm concurrent	C. Strengthening and Sustaining Pathways for Public Service and Public Interest Lawyers: Law School Support for Students and for the Pipeline to the Legal Profession Coordinator: Adrian Neil, General Counsel, Rochester City School District, Department of Law; Member, New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice Panelists: Katie Blum, Staff Attorney, Civil Rights Unit, Empire Justice Center Hon. Craig D. Hannah, New York State Supreme Court Justice, Eighth Judicial District Tina Monshipour Foster, Executive Director, JustCause Langston McFadden, Partner, Law Offices of Pullano & Farrow Analiese Vasciannie, University of Buffalo School of Law, State University of New York, Class of 2024
3:30pm - 4:25pm concurrent	D. Becoming the Next Generation of Family Justice Leaders and Advocates Coordinator: Judith Olin, Clinical Professor; Director, Family Violence and Women’s Rights Clinic (FVWRC), University at Buffalo School of Law, State University of New York Panelists: Elizabeth “Lizzy” Vinal, Staff Attorney, Family Law Unit, Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.; 2022 J.D. University at Buffalo School of Law, alumnae of FVWRC Shamira Nawz, University at Buffalo School of Law, Class of 2023, Student Attorney FVWRC, Family Help Desk Chanel Powell, University at Buffalo School of Law, Class of 2023, Student Attorney FVWRC, Healing Station Agency
4:30pm - 5:00pm	Closing Session \| Transcript Remarks Matthew Diller, Dean and Paul Fuller Professor of Law; Fordham University School of Law; Chair, New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice Law School Involvement Working Group Brief Reports and Recommendations from Work Group Sessions Concluding Remarks Helaine M. Barnett

Time

Session

3:30pm - 4:25pm

concurrent

A. How Law Schools Can Cultivate the Housing Justice Leaders of Tomorrow, Who Will Help Build Tenant Power and Attack Structural Challenges

Coordinators:

Grace Andriette, Senior Supervising Attorney, Housing Unit, Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.
William J. Niebel, Tenants Advocacy Attorney; Adjunct Professor of Law, Director, Tenants Advocacy Practicum, Cornell Law School

Law Student Panelists:

Malcolm Drenttel, Cornell Law School, Class of 2025
Alan Eiland, Fordham University School of Law, Stein Scholar, REAL Scholar, Class of 2024
Yusong Jin, Tenants Advocacy Fellow, Cornell Law School
Jennifer Seidman, Cornell Law School, Class of 2023

Tenant Organizer:

Carolyn Headlam, Founding Member, Ithaca Housing Collective

3:30pm - 4:25pm

concurrent

B. Legal Knowledge, Cultural Competency and Life Experience through Sustained Community Pro Bono Engagement

Coordinators:

Elyse Diamond, Director, Public Interest Law Center and Adjunct Professor of Law, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
Patricia Malone, Legal Director for New York Justice Initiatives, Pro Bono Net (PNB)

Panelists:

Bethany Cereo, Center Attorney, Legal Hand Call-In Center, Schenectady and Albany Counties, Center for Community Justice
Stephanie Costa, Center Attorney, Legal Hand Call-In Center, Westchester, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
Hon. Fern A. Fisher, Center Attorney, Legal Hand Call-In Center, Nassau-Suffolk Counties; Sassower Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law, Visiting Associate Professor of Law and Special Assistant for Social Justice Initiatives to the Dean, Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University; New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice
Wantee Ramkaran, Program Manager for New York Justice Initiatives, Pro Bono Net (PBN)
Nicole Wong, 2022 J.D. and Pro Bono Scholar, Maurice A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University

3:30pm - 4:25pm

concurrent

C. Strengthening and Sustaining Pathways for Public Service and Public Interest Lawyers: Law School Support for Students and for the Pipeline to the Legal Profession

Coordinator:

Adrian Neil, General Counsel, Rochester City School District, Department of Law; Member, New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice

Panelists:

Katie Blum, Staff Attorney, Civil Rights Unit, Empire Justice Center
Hon. Craig D. Hannah, New York State Supreme Court Justice, Eighth Judicial District
Tina Monshipour Foster, Executive Director, JustCause
Langston McFadden, Partner, Law Offices of Pullano & Farrow
Analiese Vasciannie, University of Buffalo School of Law, State University of New York, Class of 2024

3:30pm - 4:25pm

concurrent

D. Becoming the Next Generation of Family Justice Leaders and Advocates

Coordinator:

Judith Olin, Clinical Professor; Director, Family Violence and Women’s Rights Clinic (FVWRC), University at Buffalo School of Law, State University of New York

Panelists:

Elizabeth “Lizzy” Vinal, Staff Attorney, Family Law Unit, Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.; 2022 J.D. University at Buffalo School of Law, alumnae of FVWRC
Shamira Nawz, University at Buffalo School of Law, Class of 2023, Student Attorney FVWRC, Family Help Desk
Chanel Powell, University at Buffalo School of Law, Class of 2023, Student Attorney FVWRC, Healing Station Agency

4:30pm - 5:00pm

Closing Session | Transcript

Remarks

Matthew Diller, Dean and Paul Fuller Professor of Law; Fordham University School of Law; Chair, New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice Law School Involvement Working Group

Brief Reports and Recommendations from Work Group Sessions

Concluding Remarks

Helaine M. Barnett