Every two years, the Access to Justice Conference brings together community members, legal system advocates, judges, attorneys, and policymakers across Washington State who are committed to dismantling systems of oppression and poverty.

The 2021 Access to Justice Conference theme is Crisis and Reckoning:  A Call to Dismantle Unjust Systems.   The COVID-19 crisis and resulting economic downturn have laid bare and contributed to deep systemic inequalities, and particularly exposed the ways in which systemic racism continues to impact Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.  This time of crisis calls upon law and justice advocates, working in partnership with communities of color most impacted by systemic racism, to reckon with and dismantle injustice within the legal system.  

This year will be the first ever entirely virtual Access to Justice Conference. The Planning Committee chose to move forward with a virtual conference as a way to improve accessibility and ensure the health and safety of conference attendees and presenters.

The Conference brings together those communities who are impacted by the justice system with those who work in the civil (non-criminal) justice system.   We will connect community members and legal system professionals who can work together to move towards a system that supports the work of and centers the expertise of impacted communities.

The Conference Planning Committee has raised and will continue to raise funds to provide stipends and scholarships to  presenters who are sharing from their lived experience.  Priority for financial assistance will be given to presenters at the conference who are directly impacted by the topic on which they are presenting, or who require financial assistance to participate.

The Conference Planning Committee will consider:

1. Sessions designed, led, or facilitated by individuals or groups from communities directly impacted by poverty, racism, and other forms of oppression.

2. Sessions that advance race equity, improve community education, improve engagement with underserved communities, encourage application of holistic approaches, or coordinate systemic advocacy.

3. Sessions that are formatted for online learning.  This includes panels that are limited to 3 people (plus a moderator), and panels that are at most 90 minutes, including audience Q&A.

Sessions may be slated for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credit. If a session is allotted CLE credit, presenters would need to comply with accreditation requirements, including the submission of course materials to accompany their oral presentation (i.e., PowerPoint and/or written materials).

Sessions may be recorded and later made available for on-demand viewing, CLE credit and purchase via the WSBA CLE store.

Proposals must be received by February 26, 2021.  If possible, please submit your session proposal via the online form found online here.  If you cannot access the online form, please email bonnies@wsba.org to receive a word version that you can complete and return.

You will be notified whether your proposal was selected by about late March.  If your proposal is selected, you will receive more detailed information about the conference procedures, technology requirements, deadlines, and supports available to presenters.

We are committed to making the conference as accessible as possible. If your session is selected, we will be in touch to identify any needed accommodations and resources.

If you need support in submitting your proposal or other options for sharing your ideas, please contact Bonnie Sterken at bonnies@wsba.org or 206-727-8293. If you would like to talk about your proposal idea or would like assistance on developing your proposal, please email us at bonnies@wsba.org. We can schedule a time for you to talk with a member of the Planning Committee to address your questions.