2026 Poverty Law Conference: Full Schedule

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9:00am CDT

Friday September 4, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CDT

Poverty in Texas extends far beyond low-income statistics. It is fundamentally an infrastructure problem where transportation gaps, broadband deserts, wireless coverage limitations, and language access barriers compound each other to create complete service inaccessibility.

This session reveals how these barriers compound to create complete legal service inaccessibility, even when programs like legal aid exist.

 Participants will leave with a framework for analyzing how infrastructure barriers affect their own programs' unmet need, data collection strategies to quantify geographic service gaps, and advocacy strategies for technology solutions that would equalize access to justice.

Speakers

Ashley Oborn

Director of Data Analytics, LSLA

Janice Rivera

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.

Friday September 4, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Classroom 203

Multidisciplinary/ Miscellaneous

10:15am CDT

Bridging the Justice Gap: The Community Justice Workers of Texas Model in Action

Friday September 4, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT

Classroom 203

Too many Texans are left to navigate legal challenges without the support they need. The Community Justice Workers of Texas (CJW) Program addresses this gap by training and empowering trusted individuals who are already working or volunteering within Community Partner Organizations (CPOs). These community members help share vital legal information and connect people to appropriate resources and services.

This session will highlight the collaborative efforts of Disability Rights Texas, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Lone Star Legal Aid, Texas Legal Services Center, and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid in tackling the statewide justice gap for low-income Texans. While the program has already achieved meaningful progress, it continues to grow, with the long-term goal of establishing CJWs across Texas to meet the increasing demand for accessible legal support.

Speakers

John Grieger

Managing Attorney, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

John Grieger has 34 years of bankruptcy law experience. A graduate of Northwestern University (BA-Spanish) and the University of San Diego School of Law, John returned to his native Chicago after law school and worked as a staff attorney for the Chapter 13 Trustee. After that... Read More →

Jacquelyn (Jackie) Davis

Director of Civil Litigation, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid Inc

Being a first-generation lawyer
any aspect of poverty law practice

Sean Jackson

Executive Director, Disability Rights Texas

Friday September 4, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Classroom 203

Multidisciplinary/ Miscellaneous

11:30am CDT

Be a LEGO: What Legal Deserts Teach Us About Building Community Partnerships

Friday September 4, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT

Classroom 203

A staple in the toy industry is the building blocks known as LEGO – designed to connect, build, and bring structures to life through creativity and ingenuity. Similarly, this session will teach legal advocates how to be a "LEGO", using lessons learned from serving communities in a legal desert to demonstrate practical, adaptable strategies used by TxILC’s Economic Justice Initiative (EJI) fellows for connecting clients to both legal and non-legal resources to bridge the access to justice gap through their work in family law and domestic violence in rural areas. With limited resources and an expansive area to cover, the ultimate question that EJI and the fellows aim to address is how do we best serve our clients with their legal and non-legal needs in a meaningful and intentional way, extending client impact past their case. “What Legal Deserts Teach Us About Building Community Partnerships” will discuss how the community justice worker (non-attorney advocates) framework is being used to address family law and domestic violence cases in rural communities, and teach legal advocates in the session, through hands-on and collaborative activities, strategies on how to identify imminent needs in the community, how to identify key partners that can help address those needs, and how to facilitate sustainable yet flexible support systems specific to each community for attendees to take with them. The approaches shared are designed to be replicated across a range of settings where advocates face challenges in linking clients to meaningful support.

Speakers

Johana Soileau

EJI Legal Access Fellow, Texas Immigration Law Council

Johana Soileau is a graduate of UT Austin with her Bachelor of Arts in Government and Sociology. She has spent many years dedicated to service and empowerment of underrepresented communities through non-profit work, education, mentoring, and now the legal field. Her philosophy is... Read More →

Lisa Davila Lang

Attorney Fellow, Texas Immigration Law Council

Lisa Davila Lang is a first-generation attorney. She began her professional journey in healthcare, earning her Certificate in Vocational Nursing from Western Texas College in 1995, and later her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from West Texas A&M University in 2014. Lisa pursued her... Read More →

Friday September 4, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Classroom 203

Multidisciplinary/ Miscellaneous