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Since 2006, JTB’s National Conference has served as a vital fundraiser, sustaining our free, life-changing programs for students nationwide. The 2026 National Conference will feature dynamic panel discussions on contemporary legal issues, networking opportunities, and career exploration for students at every stage—from middle school to law school. Students will have the opportunity to visit local courtrooms, engage with judges and attorneys, and participate in interactive workshops designed to equip them with the knowledge and connections necessary for a future in law.
Legal professionals attending the conference will gain valuable insights through CLE - accredited sessions, discussions on advancements in the profession, and networking with leaders in law and corporate counsel. The event will culminate in our gala dinner, where we will present the JTB Trailblazer Awards to distinguished legal professionals, scholarships to students from each of the Houston Law Schools, and Partnership Awards to our exceptional corporate supporters.
Our 2026 National Conference in Houston, Texas will celebrate the legacy of the Honorable Judge Reynaldo Guerra Garza, an iconic jurist who served on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Southern District of Texas, born in Brownsville, Texas, to emigrants from Mexico. President John F. Kennedy nominated Reynaldo Garza to the United States District Court, Southern District of Texas, in March 1961. Upon confirmation, he became the nation's first Mexican-American federal district judge and later served as chief judge of the court from 1974 until 1979. Beyond its educational and networking value, the conference is a key driver of JTB’s commitment to ensuring that students have access to the mentorship, resources, and experiences necessary to navigate their path to law school and beyond.
Your support makes a lasting impact.
Registered Attendees
Bob Casey Federal Courthouse
11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
General Counsel Roundtable
The Hot Seat: Mastering the Public Company General Counsel Role
Approved for TX CLE credit
Moderator: Chaka M. Patterson, Founder & CEO
ChakaStrategy, LLC
Panelists: Beverly Allen, Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance & Privacy Officer, Inovation
Ryan Harding, Deputy General Counsel, GE Appliances
George Hittner, Executive Vice President, General Counsel Corporate Secretary, W&T Offshore
Vania Montero Wit, Vice President General Counsel, United Airlines
Sponsored by: United Airlines
12:30 PM - 1:20 PM
Break for Lunch
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Reenactment
Plyler v. Doe: Education for All
Approved for TX CLE credit
Moderators: Judge Denny Chin, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Kathy Hirata Chin, Retired Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM
Featured Session
Al for a Better Constitution: Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and the Future of Justice>
Approved for TX CLE credit
Moderator: Larry Taylor, Managing Partner, The Cochran Firm Texas
Panelists: Professor Margaret Hu, Professor of Law, William & Mary Law School
Tim Short, Vice President/GM, Mass Torts, Supio
Sponsored by: Supio
Law Students
Law School Robes In the School
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Thurgood Marshall School of Law
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
South Texas College of Law
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
University of Houston Law Center
Registered Attendees
Four Seasons Hotel
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Featured Session
One-on-One Conversation with Judicial Trailblazers
12:45 PM - 2:30 PM
Seated Luncheon
Luncheon Highlighting
the Legacy of the
Honorable Reynaldo Guerra Garza
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Conference Reception
Hosted by JAMS
JAMS Houston 609 Main Street
Undergraduate and Law Students
Four Seasons Hotel
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Undergraduate and Law School Students
Journey to the Judiciary: Judges Panel
Moderator: Brandi Pikes, Judicial Law Clerk at U.S. District Courts
Panelists: Hon. Shannon Baldwin, Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 4 in Texas
Hon. Andre Birotte, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Hon. Tiiara Patton, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Ohio
10:30 AM - 10:40 AM
Break
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Undergraduate Students
So, You Want to go to Law School?
Moderator: Jolianne Alexander, Founder and Attorney at JSL Law
Panelist: Rodrigo Estrada, Law Clerk at Texas Supreme Court
10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
Law School Students
Top Tips for Getting Hired
Registered Attendees
Four Seasons Hotel
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Documentary Film Screening BK Fulton's "Dying to Vote"
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Featured Session
The Next Chapter of the Voting Rights Act: Where We've Been and Where We Are Going
Approved for TX CLE credit
Moderator: Judge Vanessa Gilmore (Ret.)
Panelists: BK Fulton, Executive Producer "Dying to Vote"
Deuel Ross, Director of Litigation, Legal Defense Fund
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Featured Session
The Business of Justice: Litigation, Finance, Investment Capital, and the Future of the Legal Profession
Approved for TX CLE credit
Moderator: Larry Taylor, Managing Partner, The Cochran Firm Texas
Panelists: Martye Kendrick, CEO and Executive Director of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation
Shery Ramezanian, CEO and Founder of LitPro
Sponsored by LitPro
11:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Break
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Featured Session
Ethics in a Changing World - Civility, Communication, and the New Frontiers of Practice
Approved for TX CLE credit
Moderator: Zandra E. Foley, Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons LLP
The Honorable Judge Dawn Rogers, 334th Civil District Court of Harris County, Texas
Mia Lorick who is content creator and appellate partner at Troutman Sanders Pepper
Chanler Langham, Partner, Susman Godfrey
Middle & High School Students
Four Seasons Hotel
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Welcome and Icebreaker
9:30 AM - 9:45 AM
Claiming Our Place: Scholar Affirmations & Group Grounding
9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Law 101: Exploring the Foundations of Law
10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
The Long Game: Journeys into Law
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Think Like a Lawyer: Create a Law!
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
Breaking Bread, Building
Bridges:
Lunch Discussion with the
Judges on How Laws are
Interpreted and Applied
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Think Like a Jury:
Show me the Facts
2:15 PM - 2:30 PM
Closing & It's Just the Beginning
Hilton Americas
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Ballroom of the Americas Foyer
Gala Awards Dinner Reception
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Ballroom of the Americas
Gala Awards Dinner and Presentation of Scholarship Recipients
Just The Beginning - A Pipeline Organization
National Conference
1 S Dearborn Street, Floor 20
Chicago, Illinois 60603
Email: nationalconference@jtb.org
