At a time when the Supreme Court of the United States, federal agencies, and many other forums often feel increasingly hostile to the interests of our clients, advocates across our community continue to find ways to win cases and pursue other strategies to protect those most at risk. This plenary will feature colleagues from across the country sharing how they are adapting, thinking strategically, and innovating to advance justice in challenging times. The session is designed to give attendees both strategic perspective and practical ideas they can bring back to their own organizations and communities.

This session will help advocates gain a better understanding of the LSC restrictions. The conversation will focus on the the LSC rules and regulations that most often come up in litigation and advocacy efforts. In particular, this session seeks to demystify the restrictions and help advocates feel empowered to engage in zealous and aggressive advocacy efforts without fear that they or their program will be punished for LSC non-compliance. It seeks to educate advocates on the many activities that are in fact permissible for staff at organizations which receive LSC funds.

Best practices for recruiting and cultivating the next generation of public interest lawyers. Addressing salary concerns and creating career paths for legal aid lawyers. Topics include recruiting, retention, standardization, best practices, professional growth.

Why attendees should join this session: 1. Legal aid organizations traditionally rely on grants and donations. Successfully recovering statutory attorney fees brings essential, non-restricted revenue back into the program, allowing them to expand services and representation. 2. Typical Legal aid litigation often has underfunded legal aid clients up against well-capitalized corporate or institutional adversaries. The real threat of substantial attorney fee awards can shift the settlement leverage heavily in favor of the legal aid client - but only if you know what you are talking about and how to get it if you have to! 3. Most consumer protection and public interest statutes rely on "private attorneys general" for enforcement. Ensuring that legal aid programs can recover legal fees ensures these laws remain strongly enforced. 4. Fee-shifting statutes allow legal aid offices to take on complex, resource-intensive cases that might otherwise be rejected due to a lack of overhead budget - and that means being able to help more people who need your help.

Learn how community engagement, policy advocacy and litigation intersect in pursuit of advocacy goals as exemplified by experiences in Alaska and Ohio, fueling opportunity for impact and community justice worker models.