By American Bar Association
Hundreds of judges, lawyers, court leaders, legal aid advocates, bar association representatives and public service professionals are gathering Oct. 7-9 at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis for the 2026 ABA Forum on Building Access to Justice for All. The national forum focuses on expanding access to legal services and strengthening the civil justice system so that people can seek justice regardless of income or circumstance.
Hosted by the American Bar Association, the forum brings together three nationally recognized conferences: the Joint IOLTA Conference, the National Lawyer Referral Workshop and the National Meeting of State Access to Justice Commission Chairs. The combined program offers training, networking and discussions about innovative strategies for addressing unmet civil legal needs across the United States.
The 2026 forum marks two milestones in the national access-to-justice movement: the 25th anniversary of the National Meeting of State Access to Justice Commission Chairs and the 40th anniversary of the ABA Commission on IOLTA. Together, the anniversaries recognize decades of collaboration and leadership that have expanded legal services, improved access to the courts and strengthened civil legal aid programs nationwide.
Programming includes educational sessions, collaborative workshops and joint discussions for access-to-justice commissions, IOLTA programs, lawyer referral services, courts and legal aid providers. Participants will share best practices, examine emerging challenges and develop strategies to help individuals and families navigate the civil justice system.
Ten local leaders who were instrumental in the establishment of access-to-justice and IOLTA initiatives in Indiana were honored at the forum’s Welcome Reception:
• Current Chief Justice Loretta Rush
• Former Chief Justice Brent Dickson
• Former Chief Justice Randall Shepard
• Current Justice Geoffrey Slaughter
• Former Justice Steven David
• David Remondini, mortgage foreclosure facilitator and mediator
• Monica Fennell, senior pro bono counsel, Faegre Drinker
• Marilyn Smith, retired senior counsel, Indiana Bar Foundation
• Michael Tranovich, IOLTA manager, Indiana Bar Foundation
• Chuck Dunlap, president & CEO, Indiana Bar Foundation
The ABA Forum on Building Access to Justice for All is jointly sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense, the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyer Referral Service and the ABA Commission on IOLTA.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2026/10/natl-access-to-justice-forum-indianapolis/)
Hundreds of judges, lawyers, court leaders, legal aid advocates, bar association representatives and public service professionals are gathering Oct. 7-9 at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis for the 2026 ABA Forum on Building Access to Justice for All. The national forum focuses on expanding access to legal services and strengthening the civil justice system so that people can seek justice regardless of income or circumstance.
Hosted by the American Bar Association, the forum brings together three nationally recognized conferences: the Joint IOLTA Conference, the National Lawyer Referral Workshop and the National Meeting of State Access to Justice Commission Chairs. The combined program offers training, networking and discussions about innovative strategies for addressing unmet civil legal needs across the United States.
The 2026 forum marks two milestones in the national access-to-justice movement: the 25th anniversary of the National Meeting of State Access to Justice Commission Chairs and the 40th anniversary of the ABA Commission on IOLTA. Together, the anniversaries recognize decades of collaboration and leadership that have expanded legal services, improved access to the courts and strengthened civil legal aid programs nationwide.
Programming includes educational sessions, collaborative workshops and joint discussions for access-to-justice commissions, IOLTA programs, lawyer referral services, courts and legal aid providers. Participants will share best practices, examine emerging challenges and develop strategies to help individuals and families navigate the civil justice system.
Ten local leaders who were instrumental in the establishment of access-to-justice and IOLTA initiatives in Indiana were honored at the forum’s Welcome Reception:
• Current Chief Justice Loretta Rush
• Former Chief Justice Brent Dickson
• Former Chief Justice Randall Shepard
• Current Justice Geoffrey Slaughter
• Former Justice Steven David
• David Remondini, mortgage foreclosure facilitator and mediator
• Monica Fennell, senior pro bono counsel, Faegre Drinker
• Marilyn Smith, retired senior counsel, Indiana Bar Foundation
• Michael Tranovich, IOLTA manager, Indiana Bar Foundation
• Chuck Dunlap, president & CEO, Indiana Bar Foundation
The ABA Forum on Building Access to Justice for All is jointly sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense, the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyer Referral Service and the ABA Commission on IOLTA.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2026/10/natl-access-to-justice-forum-indianapolis/)
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