| 8:00 a.m. |
Registrant Check-in
Plimsoll Ballroom Foyer, 3rd Floor |
8:00 a.m. – 8:40 a.m.
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Excellence in Diversity Reception honoring Sponsors and Co-hosts
Plimsoll Ballroom Foyer, 3rd Floor
Open to speakers, sponsors, co-hosts, and registrants
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8:40 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
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Acknowledgments
Sponsor Recognition/Sponsor Representative Photos
Plimsoll Ballroom, 3rd Floor
- Demarcus J. Gordon, Partner, Kelly Hart Pitre, New Orleans, LA, Conclave Chair
- Kellen J. Mathews, Partner, Adams and Reese, L.L.P., New Orleans, LA
- Monica M. Vela-Vick, The Dugan Law Firm, APLC, New Orleans, LA, Conclave Co-Chair
- Co-chairs, LSBA Diversity Committee
- Chair and Co-chairs, Conclave
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| 9:00 a.m. - 9:05 a.m. |
Recognition and Introduction of Chief Justice John L. Weimer III, Louisiana Supreme Court
Plimsoll Ballroom, 3rd Floor
- Demarcus J. Gordon, Partner, Kelly Hart & Pitre, New Orleans, LA, Conclave Chair
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| 9:05 a.m. - 9:10 a.m. |
Welcoming Remarks
- Chief Justice John L. Weimer III, Louisiana Supreme Court, New Orleans, LA
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9:10 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
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Welcoming Remarks
Introduction of Plenary Session One Speaker
Plimsoll Ballroom, 3rd Floor
- Demarcus J. Gordon, Partner, Kelly Hart & Pitre, New Orleans, LA, Conclave Chair
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9:20 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.
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Plenary Session One - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
1.00 Professionalism Credit Hour
Plimsoll Ballroom, 3rd Floor
Navigating Backlash and Going Beyond Best Practices
This session will explore the ways that backlash to DEI has shaped the field. Going beyond best practices, we will discuss frameworks that can help law schools and firms address concerns in the current climate. The importance of psychological safety amidst changing dynamics will also be discussed. Reflection questions will encourage participants to more deeply understand their spheres of influence.
- Dr. Kira H. Banks, Professor, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO
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10:20 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
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Networking Break
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10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
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Plenary Session Two - Immigration
1.00 Credit Hour
Plimsoll Ballroom, 3rd Floor
- Paul H. Scott, Moderator, The Scott Law firm, Baton Rouge, LA
- Danielle V. Hernadez, DVH Law Group, Tampa, Fl
- Erin C. Herbert, Ware | Immigration, Metairie, LA
- Mich P. González, Co-founder, Sanctuary of the South (SOS), New Orleans, LA
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11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
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Transition Break |
| 11:45 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. |
Luncheon, Presentations, Committee on Diversity in the Legal Profession Award
River Ballroom, 3rd Floor
11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Introduction of Recipient of Committee on Diversity in the Legal Profession Award
- Demarcus J. Gordon, Partner, Kelly Hart & Pitre, New Orleans, LA, Conclave Chair
12:00 p.m. - 12:10 p.m.
Introduction of Keynote Speaker
- Demarcus J. Gordon, Partner, Kelly Hart & Pitre, New Orleans, LA, Conclave Chair
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12:10 p.m. - 1:10 p.m.
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Keynote Session
1.00 Credit Hour
River Ballroom, 3rd Floor
"Equity-Focused Leadership As a Form of Resistance"
We are facing what appears to be unprecedented challenges as citizens and lawyers. Professor Angela A. Allen-Bell discourages episodic outrage and retreat as a response. During her keynote, she will situate today’s headlines in their historical context, and she will explain the necessity of participants leading in equity-centered ways at this moment of reflection and responsibility. She will demonstrate how participants, in so doing, can become impactful and empowering forces in the profession and beyond.
- Angela Allen-Bell, B. K. Agnihotri Endowed Professor, Southern University Law Center, Baton Rouge, LA
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| 1:10 p.m. - 1:20 p.m. |
Transition Break |
1:20 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.
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Plenary Session Three – AI and Access
1.00 Ethics Credit Hour
Plimsoll Ballroom, 3rd Floor
Beyond the Buzz: Practical, Ethical AI for Lawyers
Generative AI has dominated headlines, but what does it actually mean for your legal practice—and your ethical obligations? In this session, Greg Siskind, a practicing attorney and legal AI platform founder, cuts through the hype to explore real-world applications of AI in law firms today. The program will focus on the intersection of AI use and professional responsibility, covering key concerns such as competence, confidentiality, supervision, and unauthorized practice of law. With practical examples from daily law practice, this presentation will demystify AI tools, explain how lawyers are already using them ethically, and explore how these technologies can enhance—not undermine—access to justice.
- Greg Siskind, Siskind Susser, PC, Memphis, TN
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| 2:20 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. |
Networking Break
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| 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. |
Plenary Session Four - DEIA: Increasing Access with Technology
1.00 General Credit Hour
Plimsoll Ballroom, 3rd Floor
- Kirra Jarratt, DC Bar Foundation, Washington, DC
- Scheree Gilchrist, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC
- Susan Vincent, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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