2026 Poverty Law Conference

2026 Poverty Law Conference

1:00pm CDT

Your First Uncontested Guardianship: A Step-by-Step Guide from Intake to Annual Reporting Classroom 203Brittanny P. Gomez • Hannah Dyal Stop Settling: Practical Trial Preparation for Poverty Law Litigators Grand Salons ABDana Karni • Leesa Everitt • Patricia Tsai Challenges in Obtaining Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Findings in SAPCR Proceedings Junior BallroomCarolina Rodriguez-Neufeld • Salma Hasan • Marisa Peterson Sick Of It: SOI Best Practices Classroom 202Stephanie R. Medellin • Jacqueline Calvert Helping Veterans and Service Members Avoid Fraud and Scams Conference Room 301Lori Fergie • Jonna Treble • John Haydon

2:15pm CDT

Family Stability Tools: Using Delegations of Parental Authority to Support Caregivers Grand Salons DERaquel Mora-Ojeda • Aisha Sheila Solano • Maria Jose Vallejo Probate 101 Classroom 203Jessie Campbell • Lisa Nelsen Unseen Liens and Rent-to-NEVER-Own: Property Code Protections for Texas Homebuyers Grand Salons ABJohn Grieger Security and Sovereignty: Protecting Immigrant Families through Naturalization Junior BallroomSara Morales • Maria Romero • Leticia Galicia Fighting the Good Fight – Self Care for Sustainable Client Advocacy Classroom 202Michael Bates • Penelope Rodriguez Title IX in Practice: Access to Justice, Survivor Support, and Due Process in Schools Conference Room 301Dr. Sandi E. Aboy • Nandini Nair • Lanie Bandell

3:30pm CDT

When the Village Raises the Child: Representing the Nonparent Client Grand Salons DEStephanie R. Medellin • Dayla S. Pepi SB 38 So Far Grand Salons ABEric Kwartler • Megan Parry Essentials for Non-Immigration Practitioners: 2026 Immigration Legal Updates and Practical Tips Junior BallroomJessica Cisneros Greening Legal Deserts: Solutions to Rural Lawyer Scarcity Conference Room 301Camilla Hsu TBA Classroom 202Samuel Marsh • Abbiegail Francis • Stephanie McKernan Advocating for Vulnerable Veterans when the VA steps in to appoint a Fiduciary or Guardian Classroom 203Lori Fergie • Jonna Treble • John Haydon

4:45pm CDT

Community Redevelopment and Environmental Justice Grand Salons AB Disaster Law Task Force Meeting Classroom 202 Family Law Task Force Meeting Classroom 203

7:45am CDT

Breakfast Grand Salon C

9:00am CDT

Not So Easy Peasy: When Your Probate Case Gets Complicated Classroom 203Brittanny P. Gomez • Hannah Dyal • Karis Adams ChatGPTenant Grand Salons ABGregory M. Zlotnick • Jacqueline Calvert Navigating the Storm: Hot Topics and Rapid Shifts in Asylum Law Junior BallroomAndani Alcantara Diaz • Katya Perez • Carmen Pina Navigating the Narrative: Trauma-Informed Interviewing Skills Classroom 202Elizabeth Barrera-Sepulveda • Stephanie R. Medellin Bridging Laymen and Law: CJWs in MLPs Conference Room 301Susan Soto • Maria Jose Vallejo • America Malacara

10:15am CDT

Where in The World is my Family Law Case? Venue Selection in Texas Grand Salons DEChristofer R. Tracy Protecting Families Through Planning: Building Effective Power of Attorney Clinics for At-Risk Communities Classroom 203Elizabeth Tran • Dayna Michelle Tewal • Joe Higgs Beyond Representation: How Dispute Resolution Makes a Difference Grand Salons ABJessica Howton • Elliott Tucker Family Preparedness for Immigrant Families Junior BallroomCaitlin Fish Privilege, Not a Right: Everything That Can Go Wrong with a Texas Driver's License Classroom 202Justin T. Thompson • Stephanie R. Marrone Age 18 Redeterminations: Keeping SSI from Childhood into Adulthood Conference Room 301Komal Khan • Melissa Gorley

11:30am CDT

Keynote Luncheon Grand Salon C

1:00pm CDT

I Fought the Law and the Law Won - Enforcements, How to Prosecute and Defend - An Overview Grand Salons DEHon. Janet Heppard • Judge Richard Bell Beyond the Bench: Navigating Guardianship Jury Trials Classroom 203Hannah Dyal • Pablo J. Almaguer • Priscilla Noriega Post-Judgment Collection Defense Grand Salons ABNewton Tamayo • Jon-Ross Trevino Beyond Borders: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Refugee Support and Resettlement Junior BallroomShakira Taylor • Einas Albadri • Bianca Aguilera Tax 101: How to Spot the Issues and Advise Like a Tax Attorney (Even If You're Not) Classroom 202Cory Williams • Maricarmen Dollar • Joseph Barron Partnerships Within an MLP: Putting the Pieces Together Conference Room 301Susan Soto

2:15pm CDT

PO Bootcamp: Nuts & Bolts for Newbie Attorneys & Seasoned Practitioners Alike Grand Salons DESydney Booth Cordero • Stephanie R. Medellin Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program: Update on Tenant and Applicant Rights Grand Salons ABFred Fuchs Family Preparedness in a Time of Mandatory Detention: The State of Habeas Corpus and Litigating Release in Federal Court Junior BallroomRobert Painter • Kate Gibson Kumar • Zainab Khan Building Community-Based Legal Access: Lessons from the Economic Justice Initiative Classroom 203Cristian Sanchez • Anthony Reyes • Amanda Davé When Your Client Is Drowning: Trauma-Informed Communication in Bankruptcy Practice Classroom 202Amy Allen • Samantha Kehl A Place for Everything, and Everything in Its Place: Protecting Family Homes from the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program Conference Room 301Selma Lara • Hien Nguyen • Ziyue "Zoe" Wan

3:30pm CDT

Snack & Sip - Happy Hour!

4:45pm CDT

Poverty Law Section Meeting Junior Ballroom

7:45am CDT

Breakfast Grand Salon C

9:00am CDT

Manufactured Housing in Rural Texas Grand Salons ABMelissa Arano Shields for the Vulnerable: Surviving and Thriving in USCIS Advocacy for T, U, and VAWA Cases Junior BallroomLeticia Galicia • Bianca Aguilera • Josefina Castro Expunctions and Nondisclosures: Barrier Removal for Victims Classroom 202Anwesha Sarkar • Jessica Picon The True Cost of Being "Poor" in Texas Classroom 203Ashley Oborn • Janice Rivera • Mary Molandes Where Do I Even Start and What Does This Even Mean?: Parsing Legal Processes and Procedures for the Pro Se Litigant Conference Room 301Martha Beard-Duncan • Stephanie R. Marrone • Samuel Marsh

10:15am CDT

Cross-Border Custody Litigation: Hague Convention Remedies and Enforcing Foreign Custody Orders in Texas Grand Salons DEAshley Sosa • Oscar Alfaro • Stephanie Favela • Agustin Ferreira Public Housing Authorities & Advocacy Strategies to Preserve Housing Grand Salons ABK'Lisha Rutledge • Keidra McGriff • Kelsey Ciluffo Bridging the Justice Gap: The Community Justice Workers of Texas Model in Action Classroom 203John Grieger • Jacquelyn (Jackie) Davis • Sean Jackson ClearPathTX - Statewide Expunction Project Classroom 202Jeff Reichman • Angel G. Williams If The Shoe Doesn’t Fit…The Impact of Unjust Legal Financial Obligations and a Model for Justice Court Ability to Pay Determinations Junior BallroomLisa Foster • Judge Steve Duble Legal Tech Projects: How to Plan, Procure, and Manage Legal Tech Vendor Projects Conference Room 301Martha Beard-Duncan • Staci Maloney • Elliott Fontenette

11:30am CDT

Representing the Whole Family: Non-Legal Services Every Texas Family Lawyer Should Understand Grand Salons DESylvia Dominguez-Santillan • Rebeca Mendoza • Lesley Escalante Romero Powerless: Keeping the Lights on for Tenants, from the Property Code to the Constitution Grand Salons ABAdam Pirtle • Haley Varnadoe • Benjamin Gerzik Justice Blooms: Coalition Building to Address Legal Needs in Texas Legal Deserts Junior BallroomMarcela Evans • Salvador Gutierrez Representing Unaccompanied Children (UC) Conference Room 301Salma Hasan • Marisa Peterson • Laura Egan Be a LEGO: What Legal Deserts Teach Us About Building Community Partnerships Classroom 203Johana Soileau • Lisa Davila Lang

2026 Poverty Law Conference

From $306.69