2024 State Conference

Join celebrated author, educator, and Ojibwe culture carrier Anton Treuer for an exploration of how to connect with and serve Native clients dealing with our legal system. This talk will examine the cultural background critical for engineering healthy connections and professional relationships, historical experiences of Native people, navigating historical and contemporary trauma in fostering positive client relationships, and Indigenous ideas of justice.

CLE: 1.5 hours of Elimination of Bias CLE credit

Kickstart the first full day of the conference with 3 quick presentations on tech topics with the power to amplify legal aid's impact. Hear about how data can inform legal aid's strategy, the promise (and dangers) of AI, and how to do redaction right.

CLE: .50 hour of Standard CLE credit

Jamie Becker-Finn, attorney and Minnesota State Representative, will share her background and path to service, and speak to the need for more people to engage and impact the legislative process. She will share insights about the historic increase in state funding for civil legal services and public defense in the 2023 legislative session and beyond. Rep. Becker-Finn will also discuss the importance of the People of Color & Indigenous Caucus and Queer Caucus in Minnesota's legislature. She is a Leech Lake Ojibwe descendant and grew up in rural Minnesota.

CLE:  1.25 hour of Standard CLE credit

“There’s too many people to help and not enough time or resources.” The mission-driven nonprofit and legal sectors are known for their demanding environments, and staffs’ dedication is a key component to living out the mission and changing communities for the better. However, this intensity can lead to significant stress, feelings of burnout, and a sense of dissatisfaction for many dedicated professionals. Many think leaving their beloved work is the only response left to the overwhelm they feel and see. Yet, within our grasp, there is another world waiting for us—built from the pillars of radical hope, possibility, and interdependence.

Join us for a candid conversation on the challenges facing our community-centered work. Come ready to dream, to connect, and to build more sustainable mission-driven careers and organizations before we head back to our communities to do our critical work. Be ready to think through how we can cultivate vision with practical action based on your learning, insights, and connections built through the conference.

CLE: 1.5 hours of Standard CLE credit