Southern Clinical Conference 2026 - University of Alabama School of Law

The University of Alabama School of Law is hosting the Southern Clinical Conference, Oct. 15-17, 2026, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The conference theme is Courage and Freedom in the South. We welcome clinical law professors, supervising attorneys, and program leadership from around the South and across the nation. Professors from fifteen schools serve on the organizing committees for this next iteration in the storied history of the conference.

The conference will include plenary and concurrent sessions, working groups, and works-in-progress studios. We aim to advance and improve our work for legal education, professional formation, access to justice, and the rule of law.

October 15-17, 2026

101 Paul W. Bryant Drive, East
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

Our plenary speakers will be Alabama Law’s Prof. Bryan Fair, civil rights scholar and former interim CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Beth Shelburne, journalist, writer, and producer for The Alabama Solution. We will host a screening of the award-winning documentary Thursday, Oct. 15.

The conference will open Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, with sessions devoted to new clinicians.

Registration is open. Please see the Registration Page to register and find information for hotels and transportation.

Schedule

Thursday, Oct. 15
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm	Registration and Light Lunch Head Foyer (registration); Bedsole Moot Courtroom, Rm. 140
1:00 pm – 4:30 pm	New Clinicians Sessions Bedsole Moot Courtroom, Rm. 140
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm	New Clinicians Mingle Bedsole Moot Courtroom Lobby, Rm. 140
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm	*The Alabama Solution*, documentary screening and talk-back with family members and producers. (View the trailer) Rm A255
Friday, Oct. 16
8:00 am – 8:45 am	Registration and Conference Breakfast Head Foyer
8:45 am – 9:30 am	Welcome and Opening Address Bedsole Moot Courtroom, Rm. 140
9:45 am – 11:00 am	Concurrent Sessions How Hard Can It Be? The Pitfalls of Soft Money in Clinical Education (Rm A255) Practicing with Purpose: Developing Professional Identity, Values, and Well-being Practices in Clinics, Externships, and Pro Bono Programs (Rm A225) Maximizing Limited Practice: Expanding Pro Bono Representation Opportunities for Law Students (Rm A250) Designing Clinics for the Scholar-Practitioner: Lessons from the South Carolina Model (Rm A233) Second Look Advocacy: Forget Everything You Ever Learned in Law School (Rm A245)
11:15 am – 12:30 pm	Concurrent Sessions Reach More, Teach More: Incorporating Limited Scope & Community Education Models in Experiential Courses (Rm A255) Overcoming Challenges to Clinician Professional Identity as Lawyer-Educator (Rm A225) Open Conversations: Engaging Hot Topics to Build Community, Defend Democracy, and Advance Professionalism in Law School (Rm A250) Tool or machine? Thinking critically about algorithms and the work of lawyers. (Rm A233) Teaching Students to BATHE: Client-Centered Consultation Skills for Effective Legal Practice (Rm A245)
12:30 pm	Buffet Lunch begins Bedsole Moot Courtroom, Rm. 140
12:45 pm – 2:15 pm	Plenary Discussion with Beth Shelburne and Bryan Fair Introduced by Jeff Baker Moderated by D’Lorah Hughes Bedsole Moot Courtroom, Rm. 140
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm	Working Groups Group 1 – Deans and Administrators (Rm A255) Group 2 – Externships (Rm A225) Group 3 – Litigation (Rm A250) Group 4 – Non-litigation and Transactional (Rm A233)
4:10 pm – 5:20 pm	Concurrent Session Lightning Rounds Courage and Freedom: Using a Special Education Clinic to Support an Underserved Civil Right (Rm A255) Works in Progress Group 1 – Advocacy, Narrative, and Legal Responses (Rm A225) Group 2 – Power, Institutions, and Legal Systems (Rm A250)
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm	Reception Courtyard
Saturday, Oct. 17
8:00 am – 8:45 am	Conference Breakfast Law School Annex 2nd Floor, outside A255
9:00 am – 10:15 am	Concurrent Sessions Reflection By Design: Teaching Deliberate Thinking in the Age of AI (Rm A255) Creative Strategies for Client- and Movement-Driven Clinical Lawyering in the South (Rm A225) Is Sharing Caring?: The Ethics of Sharing Clinic Stories (Rm A250) Meet Them Where They Are, Then Take Them Where They Need to Go: You Can’t Text Your Way to the Whole Story (Rm A233) The Pedagogy of Losing (Rm A245)
10:30 am – 12:00 pm	Working Groups Group 1 – Deans and Administrators (Rm A255) Group 2 – Externships (Rm A225) Group 3 – Litigation (Rm A250) Group 4 – Non-litigation and Transactional (Rm A233)
After	Optional Walks Tuscaloosa Civil Rights Trail Campus Stroll Kentuck Art Festival

FAQ

How do I register?

How much does registration cost?

Registration is $125 plus processing fees.

Are refunds available?

Refunds are available up to 7 days before the event.

Where is the conference?

The University of Alabama School of Law
101 Paul W. Bryant Drive, East
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

Where do I park?

Parking will be available in the front and west lots of the Law School.

What hotel is closest?

Hotel information is available on the Registration Page and will also be sent in your confirmation email upon completing registration.

Who should I contact with questions?

Please contact Jeff Baker or Susan Donovan for more information.

Where do I send proposal for the concurrent sessions?

Please submit Requests for Proposal for concurrent sessions – the deadline is August 15, 2026.

Where do I send Works-In-Progress?

Please submit Works-In-Progress – the deadline is July 31, 2026.

Who do I contact if I have dietary restrictions or other needs?

Please contact Cindy Rice.