Presented by the ISBA Diversity Leadership Council, Asian American Bar Association, Black Women Lawyers’ Association, Chinese American Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association, Decalogue Society of Lawyers, Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, Korean American Bar Association, Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association, Muslim Bar Association of Chicago, Puerto Rican Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association, and the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois
Live Webcast
Friday, March 27, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
4.0 hours MCLE credit
Don’t miss Part 2 of the 12th Annual Minority Bar CLE Conference as we explore several important hot topic issues that may impact you and your clients, including:
- The unique challenges facing self-represented litigants in Illinois;
- The immigration emergencies that can impact clients outside of the immigration law practice;
- The checklists and framework attorneys need to guide conversations with clients to ensure they are prepared with dignity and foresight;
- How state agencies, judges, and legislators are responding to actions of the federal government; and
- The Supreme Court updates that may impact you or your client.
A special thanks to Diversity Scholarship Foundation and Troutman Pepper Locke for making this opportunity available with their financial contributions.
Registrants may attend Part 1, the Reception, Part 2, or any combination of events. To RSVP for the Reception following Part 1, please do so through the Part 1 registration link.
Part 1 of the Conference takes place in Chicago, allowing you the opportunity to network with colleagues.
Program Moderators:
Jaz Park, Assistant General Counsel, Illinois Human Rights Commission, Chicago
9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Addressing Emerging Needs of Self-Represented Litigants in Illinois
Coordinated by the Asian American Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association, Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association, and Women’s Bar Association of Illinois
The past year has been uniquely challenging for self-represented litigants in Illinois. Many court users have struggled with fear of going to court in person, financial instability, job loss, immigration concerns, and difficulty accessing legal help. At the same time, Illinois has made major strides in building supports that meet people where they are, both inside and outside courthouses.
Moderator: Avani Patel, Illinois Court Help, Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, Chicago
Hon. Aileen Bhandari, Circuit Court of Cook County
Michele Davis, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, St. Louis
Kathryn Hensley, Access to Justice Division, Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, Chicago
Teri Ross, Executive Director,Illinois Legal Aid Online, Chicago
10:00 – 10:10 a.m. Break
10:10 – 11:10 a.m. Immigration Issues for Non-Immigration Attorneys: Emergency Action Plans for Families
Coordinated by the Chinese American Bar Association, Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, and Puerto Rican Bar Association
Immigration emergencies can impact clients in various practice areas, even if attorneys do not focus on immigration law. This session offers non-immigration practitioners practical strategies to help clients get ready for unexpected encounters with immigration enforcement. Topics include what documents and information to carry in public, how to create backup plans for children and dependents if a family member is detained or deported, and the legal tools, such as guardianships or powers of attorney, that can protect those left behind. Panelists will also discuss “Know Your Rights” strategies, the legal consequences that follow when a family member is removed, and community resources and hotlines that provide immediate support. Attendees will leave with helpful checklists and frameworks to guide conversations with clients, ensuring families are prepared with dignity and foresight.
Moderator: Laura Cholula Chang, National Immigrant Justice Center, Chicago
Emma Melton, The Resurrection Project, Chicago
Carlos Cisneros Vilchis, Asst. General Counsel, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C.
11:10 – 11:20 a.m. Break
11:20 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Defending the Rule of Law in Illinois
Coordinated by the Asian American Bar Association, Chinese American Bar Association, Decalogue Society of Lawyers, Muslim Bar Association of Chicago, and Puerto Rican Bar Association
This panel will cover efforts by the federal government to undermine the rule of law in Illinois and responses to those efforts by state agencies, judges, and legislators through litigation and legislation.
Moderator and Panelist: Vikas Didwania, Illinois Attorney General's Office, Chicago
Alicia Bannon,Director of the Judiciary Program, Brennan Center for Justice, New York
Jessica Klander,President, Hennepin County Bar Association, Minnesota
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Supreme Court Updates
Coordinated by the Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association and Muslim Bar Association of Chicago
Court cases dealing with the hot topic issues of the day, especially concerning executive power and individual rights.
Moderator: Marion Moore, Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel, City of Chicago, Chicago
Gregory Cui, MacArthur Justice Center, Washington, D.C.
Prof. Aziz Huq, University of Chicago School of Law, Chicago
For best practices, before attending the program using ISBA's Zoom platform, please visit our Technical Support page.
Program Information
- This program is FREE to paid members of sponsoring bar associations. For members of sponsoring bar associations who register online as a non-ISBA member, please follow the ‘create a non-member account’ link at the bottom of the ISBA CLE login page to create a guest account for 24/7 access to online registration, course materials and, after the program, your MCLE certificate. Non-members of any of the sponsoring associations may attend for $50 by calling the ISBA CLE Department at 800-252-8908 to register
- If you cannot attend the live web event, a full refund is available, if you cancel your registration up to the start of the live web event on the program page in your “My CLE Account”.
- Please Note: MCLE credit is available to registrants only on the day of this live event – and you must attend the entire program to earn MCLE credit. All registrants will receive access to a recording of the event a few days after the program, but credit is NOT available for the recording.
