Jacksonville will host an estimated 600-800 visitors May 17-19 when the American Bar Association and National Legal Aid & Defender Association present the 2012 Equal Justice Conference at the Hyatt.
Considered a collaboration between pro bono and legal services, it will be the first time Jacksonville will host the event, which has been held since 2004.
“The organizations wanted a place that the conference hasn’t been held at before and they liked what they saw,” said Kathy Para, a member of the host committee and pro bono director for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
“We are very excited to have it here in Jacksonville. It’s a great opportunity for us to showcase our legal community,” she said.
The conference has normally drawn 600-800 attendees, Para said. That will translate into more than 1,900 room nights, according to Annette Hastings, executive director of the Duval County Tourism Development Council. The Hyatt is listed as the host hotel.
The ABA website describes the possible attendees of the conference as “pro bono and legal services program staff, judges, corporate counsel, court administrators, private lawyers, paralegals, bar association leaders, and many others.”
“Members of the legal community that serve the indigent and the poor get together at this conference each year to discuss how they can better serve their clients,” said Michael Freed, The Jacksonville Bar Association president and member of the conference host committee.
“It’s amazing that it is here. It’s a great accomplishment for our city and the legal community to be able to tap into those resources, so we can learn from the best practices from others around the country,” he said.
Jacksonville and Atlanta were both in consideration to host the conference, and Brown was involved with trying to lure the conference south of the Georgia border. He submitted a letter of thanks and welcome to those attending the conference in Jacksonville.
“Our community is honored to host such a prestigious group of legal professionals and I know this important conference will foster increased equity in legal systems throughout the country,” said Brown in the letter.
“As mayor, I am committed to equal opportunity for all our citizens. I applaud all of you for your dedication to this mutual goal,” he wrote.
Some of the workshop titles from the 2011 conference include: “A Collaborative Approach to Serving Low-Income LGBT Communities,” “Access to Justice Commissions and State Supreme Courts: Partnerships with the Judiciary,” “Addressing Equity in Discipline and Other Educational Policies Impacting Minorities and Students of Poverty,” “An Open Forum on the National Celebration of Pro Bono,” “Appealing for Justice: The Relationship Between Pro Bono Time and Charitable Contributions” and “Bankruptcy Pro Bono Innovations and Challenges Around the Country.”
The 2012 conference will feature more than 85 workshops throughout the three-day conference.
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