WASHINGTON, DC, June 18, 2003 — The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) is hosting its 2003 Substantive Law Conference, July 22-26, at The University of California in Los Angeles. The Honorable Richard Paez of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is the keynote speaker. His speech will highlight this year's conference theme, Reaching for the Stars: Developing Advocacy Strategies in Uncertain Times.

In addition, two pre-conference training opportunities have been added: 1) Trial Advocacy for Legal Aid Attorneys, and 2) Indian Legal Aid New Lawyer Training. Each will take place July 22-23. NLADA will also present a new training track dedicated to civil rights issues, entitled Community Lawyering: Community-Centered Strategies for Achieving Social Justice. Participants in this track will learn effective strategies for building lasting change in the communities they serve.

"For more than 20 years, legal aid programs across the country have looked to NLADA's Sublaw conference to provide outstanding substantive law training to advocates," said Clint Lyons, NLADA president and CEO. "This year's conference design is better-than-ever with the addition of the two pre-conference trainings and the new civil rights track. It is packed with value-added training opportunities that attendees will benefit greatly from participating."

Judge Paez began his career working as a public interest lawyer for the Western Center on Law and Poverty, the California Rural Legal Assistance and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. In 1981, Paez was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court where he served for 13 years. As a result of his work, Paez was selected to serve in a variety of leadership positions within the municipal court, including serving as presiding judge. He also was elected to the position of chair of the Los Angeles County Municipal Court Judges Association. In 1994, Paez made history by becoming the first Mexican-American appointed to the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. In 2002, President Clinton nominated him to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

In a continuing effort to better serve the needs of legal aid attorneys in attendance, NLADA is presenting two pre-conference trainings:

1) Trial Advocacy for Legal Aid Attorneys: This program is designed specifically to provide legal aid attorneys skills, knowledge and tools to become outstanding trial lawyers. The program offers two full days of trial advocacy training – blending lecture, theory and on-your-feet application of the knowledge presented; and

2) Indian Legal Aid New Lawyer Training: Geared to those who have not had extensive Indian law training or who need a refresher in the basics, this session examines the basic precepts of Indian law from the tribal perspective, as well as the perspective of individuals and non-tribal entities that live or exist in Indian country.

The new "Civil Rights Track" is designed to teach about disability rights, fair housing, ex-offender reentry, limited English proficiency issues, California civil rights statutes and more. Attendees will learn about working with communities and organizers, policy and media advocates, lawyers co-leading with community groups, and how to make small changes in their traditional practice to build support for community-based approachs in their organizations.

For more information on the 2003 Substantive Law Conference, visit the NLADA Web site at www.nlada.org. Or, contact Cynthia Works, NLADA director of training and education, at (202) 452-0620, ext. 220.

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The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), founded in 1911, is the oldest and largest national, nonprofit membership organization devoting all of its resources to advocating equal access to justice for all Americans. NLADA champions effective legal assistance for people who cannot afford counsel, serves as a collective voice for both civil legal services and public defense services throughout the nation and provides a wide range of services and benefits to its individual and organizational members.