Learning Lab

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NLADA Annual Conference Request for Proposals

The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) invites proposals for sessions at the 2026 NLADA Annual Conference, the national convening of civil legal aid practitioners, client and community advocates, and public defenders from across the country. The Annual Conference will take place in St. Louis, MO, November 4-7, 2026. 
The Annual Conference is a space for learning, sharing, and strategizing that strengthens access to justice for people and communities with limited resources.  The conference program this year will engage attendees in sessions that explore ways civil, criminal and community advocacy protects rights, secures benefits, and defends against harms. Sessions will also highlight opportunities for collective impact and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Question about the Annual Conference and/or the RFP process? Join us on Zoom for an informal drop-in session on May 6th at 3PM ET (Click Here to Sign Up). You can also reach out to us at learninglab@nlada.org

Who should submit a proposal? 

    We invite proposals by individuals, groups and organizations working to advance access to equal justice for people who cannot afford counsel through representation, collaboration, innovation, and advocacy. 

How should proposals be framed?

  • Connect substantive legal topics to broader systems or policy impact
  • Translate local or regional initiatives into lessons that can be adapted nationally
  • Encourage collaboration or coordination across roles, disciplines, or systems
  • Highlight intersections between civil, criminal, and community advocacy 
  • Elevate client and community voice and lived experience  
  • Share innovative service delivery models or practice approaches  

What topics should proposals address?

We are seeking sessions that  explore substantive legal issues and develop sophisticated advocacy strategies that produce positive outcomes for individuals, families and communities.   Themes that may lend themselves to development of session topics include, but are in no way limited to: 
  • Housing, Criminalization, and Community Stability 
  • Health, Disability, and Crisis Response
  • Immigration, Detention, and Mixed-Status Families
  • Policing, Surveillance, and Constitutional Rights 
  • Fines, Fees, and Economic Coercion 
  • Family Regulation & Youth 
  • Holistic, Interdisciplinary and Trauma-Informed Service Delivery 
  • Technology, Data, and Business Processes 
  • Mission, Money and Management 
  • Civil Rights, Discrimination, and Inclusion

Submission Deadline: May 22nd, 2026

Click Here to Submit your Session Propsal!

*Please note that all presenters whose sessions are accepted will be required to register for the Conference at the reduced presenter registration rate.  
If you have questions about whether your idea is a good fit for this year’s Annual Conference, we welcome early conversations. Email us at learninglab@nlada.org and/or join us on zoom for an informal drop-in session on May 6th  (click here to sign up)