Page 106 - 2021NovemberBOG

LIFT
LSBA Legal Innovators for Tomorrow (LIFT) Legal Incubator Program recently honored three
attorney graduates of the Domestic Violence and Flood Proof Projects at a recognition
ceremony presented by LSBA President-Elect Stephen Dwyer. The LIFT program is currently
seeking applicants for its Flood Proof Project to assist disaster survivors with clear title and
legal matters related to property affected by Hurricanes and flooding. www.lsba.org/lift

LSBA Standing Committees

Criminal Justice Committee
The Criminal Justice is planning a Summit to take place in March 2022 with a focus on Mental
Health and the Criminal Justice System. The event will be educational and interactive to
encourage conversation on systemic issues attendees see preventing persons with serious
mental illness from getting mental health support and avoiding incarceration. The planning
subcommittee will continue to meet to develop curriculum for the Summit that will be offered
both virtually and in person.

Legal Services for Persons with Disabilities Committee
Elena Perez and Debra Weinberg, Co-Chairs
The Committee reviewed the National Center for Access to Justice’s 2020 Justice Index results
for Disability Access. The Committee is using the Index results to help identify initiatives with
which may assist with educating and proposing solutions to attorneys and law students on the
common legal barriers people with disabilities face. On September 8th, the Committee
sponsored a virtual CLE on Special Needs Trusts and will sponsor another virtual CLE in
conjunction with ATJ’s new Justice Friday’s project on November 5, 2021, on Supportive
Decision Making for people with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, the committee is
working to host a Spring training session for Judges and court staff that will focus on expanding
court access and how to better assist people with disabilities.

Children’s Law Committee
Curtis Nelson and Kellie Johnson, Co-Chairs
The committee discussed planning a second Children’s Law edition for the Louisiana State
Bar Journal. A small planning team was assembled outline the themes and article topics they
would like to focus on this year. The Committee is sponsoring a virtual CLE on November 12,
2021, focusing on Students with Disabilities in Schools. This will be in conjunction with ATJ’s
new Justice Fridays project. The committee’s goal this Bar Year is to continue its continuing
legal education training efforts for both attorneys and law students by supporting its individual
four work groups that are specialized in different children’s law topics. The committee’s
Education Work Group had its first virtual meeting for the new bar Year on October 6th and
discussed focusing their research on Louisiana’s adoption of trauma informed discipline
policies in schools.