Conference

For information on past conferences hosted or sponsored by the Journal, please click here.

For this year’s conference, please see below:

Criminalizing Dissent: A Symposium on Crackdowns, Capitulation, and Control
Friday, March 27, 2026
The University of Texas School of Law, TNH 2.139
727 E Dean Keeton St.

Austin, Texas 78705

Register online here via Eventbrite

FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2026
SCHEDULE
Opening Remarks
10:15 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.
Speaker: 

Jim Harrington (he/him)| Founder, Texas Civil Rights Project

The Authors of Vol. 31, No. 2
10:50 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.
Panelists: 
Professor Rob Khan (he/him) | Professor of Law, University of St. Thomas School of Law
Professor Nancy Marcus (she/her) | Associate Professor of Law, California Western School of Law
Professor Brandon Weiss (he/him) | Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law
Gabriela Dickson La Rotta (she/her) | J.D. Candidate c/o 2026, American University Washington College of Law
Raisch Tomlanovich (he/him) | J.D. Candidate c/o 2026, The University of Texas School of Law

Moderator: Felicia Martin (she/her) | President & Executive Director, Texas Freedom Network

**Lunch will be distributed from 11:40 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. RSVP is required.**

ICE and Its Chilling Effects: Surveillance, Detention, and Violence
12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m.
Panelists: 
Kristin Etter (she/her) | Director of Policy and Legal Services, Texas Immigration Law Council
Kate Gibson Kumar ’23 (she/her) | Attorney, Beyond Borders Program, Texas Civil Rights Project
Andrea Meza ’15 (she/her) | Director, Advocacy Campaigns & Immigration and Food Integrity Campaigns, Government Accountability Project
Jill Seeber ’00 (she/her) | Executive Director, Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice

Moderator: Elissa Steglich ’00 (she/her) | Clinical Professor and Co-Director, Immigration Clinic, The University of Texas School of Law

“Free Leqaa Kordia” Presentation
12:50 p.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Speaker: 

Travis Fife (he/him) | Staff Attorney, Criminal Legal Program, Texas Civil Rights Project

Big Law or Bust?: The Role of Firms and Navigating Uncharted Waters
1:20 p.m. – 2:10 p.m.
Panelists: 
Professor Carliss N. Chatman (she/her) | Professor of Law, SMU Dedman School of Law
Jinan Chehade (she/her) | Civil Litigation Junior Staff Attorney, Muslim Legal Fund of America
Rachel Cohen (she/her) | Attorney and Organizer
Krista M. Torralva (she/her) | Journalist, The Texas Lawbook

Moderator: Josianne Alwardi (she/her) | J.D. Candidate c/o 2027, The University of Texas School of Law

Becoming Defenders of Dissent: Lawyers as Social Movement Partners
2:20 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.
Panelists: 
Alfredo Dominguez (he/him) | Project Manager and Organizer, People’s Counsel
Ashley Juárez (she/her) | Attorney, Worker’s Defense Project
Chas Moore (he/him) | Founder and Executive Director, Austin Justice Coalition
Morgan Walker (she/her) | Counsel, Lamda Legal

Moderator: Shavonne Henderson ’05 (she/her) | Lecturer and Equity & Inclusion Expert, The University of Texas School of Law

Legal Observer Training with Austin Lawyers Guild
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Description:
To close out the Conference, the Austin Lawyers Guild will be conducting a free legal observer training! As described by the National Lawyers Guild, “[l]egal observing acts as a direct form of protester legal support, connecting activists to a much bigger support infrastructure made up of arrest hotlines, jail support teams, community bail funds and legal defense funds, attorney referral networks, and more.”

Thank you to all of our panelists, attendees, and sponsors for a wonderful conference.

Please contact the TJCLCR Conference Editor at tjclcrconference@gmail.com with any questions about this year’s conference.