2026 MIE National Conference for Legal Aid Managers

2026 MIE National Conference for Legal Aid Managers

8:00am CDT

Conference Check-In and Breakfast Bergen Prefunction

9:00am CDT

Welcome to the Conference Bergen 2/3Kesha James

9:10am CDT

Leading When the Ground Is Shifting Bergen 2/3Tony R Sanders

10:15am CDT

Break Bergen Prefunction

10:30am CDT

Authentic Client Partnerships in Advocacy & Communications Fjords 4Jenna Collins • Zakya Hall • Jamie Gullen Maintaining Equity Across Staff Capacity & Performance Standards Bergen 2/3Heidi Behnke • Scott Crain Trauma-Informed Supervision for Legal Aid Leaders: Your Secret Toolkit for Engagement and Performance Bergen 1Kathryn Cronin Miller Using AI in Your Law Practice in 2026 Fjords 2/3Todd C. Scott

11:45am CDT

Conference Lunch (Provided) Bergen Prefunction

1:15pm CDT

Beyond the First Day: Creating an Onboarding Experience That Improves Retention and Engagement Fjords 2/3Dr. Nadia Soulouque If You Build It, Bring Them Along With You: Managing Big Change across Different Levels of Staff Fjords 4Brooke Weitzman • Kate Marr • Monica Glicken Practical Strategies for Supporting Early-Career Advocates in a Digital Workplace Bergen 1Sarah Rhine • Kathryn Cronin Miller The Accountability Shift: Reframing Accountability from Discipline to Leadership Bergen 2/3Tony R Sanders

2:30pm CDT

Coffee Break (Provided) Bergen Prefunction

2:45pm CDT

Beyond Silos: Collaborating on Shared Grants and Clients Fjords 2/3Amy Withmory • Andrew Kazakes • Sheyda Joolharzadeh Integrated Advocacy at Cabrini Green Legal Aid Fjords 4Aisha Edwards • Tyla Greenwood-Rucks Not an AI Expert—Still Calling the Plays: Managing Staff in an AI-Enabled Legal Aid Environment Bergen 2/3Brandon Slack • Kanisha Taylor • Melva Denise Harris-Rozier Strategies for Managing Up Bergen 1Kelly Tautges

4:00pm CDT

Break Bergen Prefunction

4:15pm CDT

Enhancing Your Organization's Training and Professional Development Approach Fjords 2/3 From Performance Gaps to Growth: Building Effective Performance Improvement Plans Bergen 1Jessica Maas Using Data to Make People-Centered Decisions of Any Size Bergen 2/3Barbara Barreno-Paschall • Susan StVincent Weaving Community Voice Throughout Your Strategic Decision-Making Process Fjords 4Denice Ko • Amy Petkovsek

5:30pm CDT

Conference Social (Snacks Provided, Cash Bar) Bergen Prefunction

8:00am CDT

Attendees of Color Networking Breakfast Fjords 4 Conference Breakfast Bergen Prefunction

9:00am CDT

Hot Topics in Civil Legal Aid Management Bergen 2/3Brenda Marrero • Yvonne Mariajimenez • Angela Hoogeveen • Luke Grundman

10:15am CDT

Break Bergen Prefunction

10:30am CDT

I Have To Negotiate That? - Supervision In A Unionized Workforce Bergen 2/3Bryan J. Morben Integrating Community Based Organizations into Legal Aid Intake Systems: Lessons from the Field Fjords 4Joanne Werdel • Margaret Robinson • Keenan Carroll Malpractice and Ethics Hot Topics Fjords 2/3Aram V. Desteian • Holly N. Lechner Trust is Built Before You Need It: Communication Strategies for Leading Through Organizational Change Bergen 1Dori Rapaport • Anne M. Hoefgen

11:45am CDT

Lunch On Your Own Bergen Prefunction

1:15pm CDT

Beyond the Courtroom: Leveraging Collaboration and Community to Build Resilient Organizations Fjords 4Jessica Mastellar • Luke Grundman • Sam Manning • Amy Burroughs Continuing an Organizational Commitment to DEI Work Bergen 2/3Jenna Collins • Sandra Chung • Veronica Cook From Overwhelmed to Organized: Project Management Systems for Managing Attorneys Fjords 2/3Josh Lazar The Strategic Role of Leaders in Program Innovation and Mission Bergen 1Kimberly Irish Heinonen • Monica Glicken • Martina Cucullu Lim

2:30pm CDT

Break Bergen Prefunction

2:45pm CDT

Coaching Skills for Managers Bergen 2/3Kelly Tautges