CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
8:15 AM to 9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast and Registration
9:00 AM to 9:30 AM
Welcome, Opening Remarks, and Morning Plenary
9:45 AM to 11:00 AM

YES WE CAN! BEST FUNDRAISING PRACTICES FROM (LOCAL) LEGAL SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS
Join your peers for a vibrant panel discussion drawing together some fine examples of successful fundraising for
legal services in Maryland. We will share what works for us as we raise money through grant seeking, special
events, individual donor campaigns and law firm engagement. This session is not limited to those whose job
description requires them to raise funds. Program staff are also encouraged to attend to learn how to work with
those pesky fundraisers.
Moderator: Jennifer Pelton, Public Justice Center
Panelists: Antonia Fasanelli, Homeless Persons Representation Project; Graham Cowger, Maryland Legal Aid
Bureau; Stephanie Austin, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service
Room: 345

ACCESS TO JUSTICE THROUGH ACCESS TO LEGAL INFORMATION
Knowledge of the law and the legal system is an important component in providing Access to Justice. Everyone
says “it’s all online” – but where? Law librarians will showcase free resources that can be used by legal services
providers for their own research or as referrals to clients or anyone interested in accessing legal information. The
Maryland State Law Library website contains a wealth of information on legal resources and legal research
including links to free online legal resources. The Maryland Peoples’ Law Library is “a legal information and selfhelp website maintained by the Maryland State Law Library.” Everyone knows how to use Google but may not be
familiar with the Google tools for accessing legal resources. Learn the many ways that Google can enhance legal
research for attorneys and non-attorneys alike.
Moderator: Catherine McGuire, Maryland State Law Library
Panelists: Mary Jo Lazun, Maryland State Law Library; Sara Witman, Gordon Feinblatt LLC; Dave Pantzer,
Maryland People's Law Library
Room: 346

HOUSING JUSTICE: EVIDENCE MATTERS
Panelists will summarize recent and upcoming reports and studies on the legal, social, and political barriers to
housing justice in Maryland. Topics will include: an upcoming report on the need for shared-equity, permanently
affordable housing development in Maryland, quantitative and qualitative studies of the administrative and legal
barriers to justice for tenants in Baltimore City’s rent and rent escrow dockets, and emerging data on rent court
processes and procedures statewide.
Moderator: Matt Hill, Public Justice Center
Panelists: Peter Sabonis, National Social and Economic Rights Initiative; Michele Cotton, University of
Baltimore; Reena Shah, Maryland Legal Aid Bureau; Zafar Shah, Public Justice Center
Room: 347

IMPROVING ACCESS TO PUBLIC BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act require the Department of
Social Services to administer its public benefit programs in a way that does not screen out people with disabilities,
and that provides them with equal and meaningful access to public benefit programs, effective communication
with the agency, and reasonable modifications to policies and practices to avoid discrimination. This panel will
discuss how advocates can use critical federal disability rights and protections through litigation and other forms
of advocacy to improve access to public benefits for people with disabilities, in times when traditional legal options
are increasingly being thwarted.
Moderator: Frank Natale, II, Maryland Legal Aid Bureau
Panelists: Greg Bass, National Center for Law and Economic Justice; Carolyn Johnson, Homeless Persons
Representation Project; Michelle Salomon, Homeless Persons Representation Project
Room: 348

EXECUTIVE ACTION FOR IMMIGRANTS: GETTING READY AND GETTING GOING
Many tens of thousands of Marylanders who are undocumented immigrants may be able to gain temporary
immigration status as a result of the Obama Administration’s November executive action. The new program has
been the subject of intense interest and debate, from its legal and policy merits to the massive task of
implementation. This panel will briefly discuss the debates around the policy (including the status of the lawsuit
currently halting its implementation), and will provide details about who is and is not covered by the policy—and
how Maryland’s legal community is gearing up to ensure that those eligible have access to good legal information
and support as they apply.
Moderator: E. Regine Francois, Maryland Professionalism Center, Inc.
Panelists Elizabeth Keyes, University of Baltimore; Cynthia Rosenberg, Rourke and Roseberg, LLC; Adonia
R. Simpson, Immigration Legal Services, Esperanza Center
Room: 349

FROM FERGUSON TO MARYLAND: HOLDING POLICE ACCOUNTABLE
With the unrest in Ferguson and across the country, this panel will explore local examples of police misconduct
and present strategies for holding police accountable in the courtroom, legislature, and in the streets. This
innovative panel will present firsthand stories of police misconduct from those who have been most impacted in
Maryland. Participants will also learn about tools for seeking legal relief both in the traditional court arenas, as
well as through police complaint processes, legislative efforts and community campaigns.
Moderator: Camilla Roberson, Public Justice Center
Panelists: Marion Gray-Hopkins, Prince George's People's Coalition for Police Accountability; Rion Dennis,
Majority Minority; Terrell Roberts, III, Roberts & Wood
Room: 350
11:15 AM to 12:30 PM

MAKING CUSTODY MEDIATION EFFECTIVE FOR CO-PARENTING LONG TERM
This Session will review the cutting edge research on the impact of mediator strategies in child access mediation,
which was recently completed in the Maryland Judiciary. This research isolates various mediator strategies and
connects them to participant outcomes using regression analysis. Outcomes analyzed include parents' ability to
work together long term and their sense of empowerment in their situation. Mediation is mandated in all child
access cases in Maryland because it is believed to support parents' empowerment and ability to work together.
This research identifies which approaches to mediation have those outcomes and which do not.
Moderator: Johnathan Rosenthal, ADR Programs, District Court of Maryland
Panelists: Dr. Lorig Charkoudian, Community Mediation Maryland; Connie Kratovil-Lavelle, Esq.,
Administrative Office of the Courts Division of Family Services; Toby Guerin, Esq., Center for Dispute Resolution
at the UMD Francis King Carey School of Law
Room: 345

THE LONG REACH OF STUDENT LOANS
Student loan debt has a significant impact on low-income individuals, families and seniors. This is often debt that
never goes away and can result in garnishment of wages and social security, and interception of income tax
returns. People have limited remedies in bankruptcy, and those who don’t finish school or graduate without skills
for decent employment, may have this debt forever hanging over their head. Public interest and private sector
attorneys can help clients understand their options and recover from defaults. This topic will provide an overview
of student loan law and avenues to explore to get consumers out of debt or back on track with payments.
Moderator: Susan Francis, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service
Panelists: Kat Hyland, Williams & Santoni; Lonni Kyhos Summers, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service;
Joanna K. Darcus, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, Inc.
Room: 346

ONE PROBLEM, MANY SOLUTIONS: ACTIVE EFFORTS TO CONFRONT THE MARYLAND ACCESS TO
JUSTICE CRISIS
In 2014, two separate task forces created by the Maryland Legislature called for: a) a phased-in right to counsel
for domestic violence cases; and b) a comprehensive right to counsel pilot project for custody cases. For other
types of cases, some advocates have pursued other solutions, such as self-help services (hotlines, help desks,
etc), improved forms, and increased judge involvement. This panel will explore the different approaches that
have been taken or recommended, why they were selected, and how/whether they complement each other.
Moderator: Debra Gardner, Public Justice Center
Panelists: Losmin Jimenez, Maryland Legal Aid Bureau; Erika Sussman, Center for Survivor Agency and
Justice; Katherine Alteneder, Self-Represented Litigation Network
Room: 347

EMPOWERING OUR CLIENTS BY CREATING SAFE SPACES
When working in legal services environments, clients are managing many emotions, complex issues and may be
dealing with mental health challenges. Come and learn techniques to make these clients feel safe and better
serve their legal needs, as well as de-escalation strategies to use when our clients become upset. There will also
be a focus on how we can better meet the needs of our clients in the behavioral health arena.
Moderator: Amy Petkovsek, Maryland Legal Aid Bureau
Panelists: Amy Hennen, Maryland Legal Aid Bureau; Liz Pickus, University of Maryland School of Social Work;
Anne Hurley, Maryland Legal Aid Bureau
Room: 348

THE UNACCOMPANIED IMMIGRANT CHILDREN CRISIS: THE RESPONSE FROM THE LEGAL SERVICES
COMMUNITY, THE STATE, AND THE JUDICIARY
More than 4,200 unaccompanied immigrant children (UACs) were released to sponsors in Maryland between
October 2013 and January 2015, according to data from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). This places
Maryland among the top five states for UAC resettlement. Many of the UACs have been abused, abandoned, or
neglected and are escaping gang violence, corruption, or poverty. Panelists will describe how these cases
traditionally have been handled by the legal services community, state, and judiciary, as well as the efforts taken
by the relevant entities to address the legal needs of these children. Participants will learn what they can do to
help.
Moderator: Jennifer Larrabee, Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland
Panelists: Cate Hulme, Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland; Liz Shields, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND);
Ann Flagg, Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees; Hon. Cathy Hollenberg Serrette, Circuit Court for Prince
George's County
Room: 349

IMPLICIT BIAS, STRUCTURAL RACISM & IMPLICATIONS FOR LEGAL SERVICES ADVOCACY
Recent events from Ferguson to Staten Island to Baltimore demonstrate the importance of advocates’
understanding and addressing implicit racial bias in both individual cases and systemic advocacy. Panelists will
introduce the concepts of structural racism, implicit bias, and racial equity, provide an overview of the
neuroscience underlying the impacts of unconscious associations in daily actions, and discuss the use of implicit
association tests and data as tools for legal advocacy. Finally, we will discuss strategies to use this data to
combat disparate treatment in our regular practice.
Moderator: Camilla Roberson, Public Justice Center
Panelists: Camille Holmes, National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA); Anita Earls, Southern
Coalition for Social Justice; Sulma Guzman, Casa de Maryland
Room: 350
12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
Lunch & Keynote Speech by Jonathan Rapping, Esq.,
President & Founder, Gideon’s Promise
2:15 PM to 3:30 PM

INCREASING AWARENESS AND ACCESS TO PRO BONO OR LOW BONO ALTERNATE DISPUTE
RESOLUTION
This panel will focus on the benefits of mediation, arbitration and other ADR processes, and provide a discussion
on how to develop pro bono and low bono ADR programs in court systems and how to disseminate the
information related to such programs to low-income parties.
Moderator: Cecilia Paizs, The Mediation Center
Panelists: Daniel Dozier, Press & Dozier, LLC; Gary C. Norman, Mid-Atlantic Lyceum
Room: 345

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN WORKERS’ RIGHTS LAW
This panel will provide an overview of wage and hour laws with particular focus on recent updates in Maryland
and federal law. The panel will discuss changes to the state minimum wage law, including new wage rates and
exemptions; new regulations governing homecare workers; and implementation of the Maryland Lien for Unpaid
Wages (as well as any changes from the 2015 session). The panelists will provide examples from their practice,
especially as related to low-wage and immigrant workers, and preview any upcoming legislative efforts.
Moderator: Andrea Vaughn, Public Justice Center
Panelists: Camilla Roberson, Public Justice Center; Sally Dworak-Fisher, Public Justice Center; Nathaniel
Norton, Maryland Legal Aid Bureau
Room: 346

"SERIAL" - HOW THE POPULAR PODCAST IMPACTS THE COURT SYSTEM
Millions of people downloaded "Serial," a podcast about the 1999 murder of Maryland high school student, Hae
Min Lee. The victim's ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was convicted of the murder despite pleading his innocence.
Recently the Maryland Court of Special Appeals granted Syed's request for a new hearing. This panel will briefly
explore Syed's case, examine the impact of social media on the court system, as well as analyze broader
systemic criminal justice issues including bail reform highlighted in "Serial."
Moderator: Stephanie Joseph, Office of the Public Defender
Panelists: Rabia Chaudry, New America Foundation; Professor Doug Colbert, University of Maryland School
of Law; TBD
Room: 347-348

RACE EQUITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS WORK ON THE GROUND IN MARYLAND
Legal services organizations across the state have begun to focus explicitly on racial equity and human rights
work; the increasing diversity of Maryland makes this trend even more essential. This panel will highlight
examples of how advocates are utilizing racial equity and human rights frameworks and tools in all aspects of
their work from case intake and selection to litigation approaches. Panelists will describe their work on housing
and language access as concrete examples. They will discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by
race equity and human rights legal strategies.
Moderator: Reena Shah, Maryland Legal Aid Bureau
Panelists: Zenobia T. Lai, Esq., Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center; Dorcas Gilmore, Shriver
Center; Matt Hill, Public Justice Center
Room: 349