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Learn more about the distinguished speakers and panelists participating in the 2026 NEBA Annual Meeting.
Session 1: Emerging Legal Trends & What They Mean for Bar Leaders
Chris Newbold | ALPS
Chris Newbold | ALPS
Chris is COO of ALPS Corporation and ALPS Property & Casualty Insurance Company, positions he has held since 2007. Within legal circles, Chris is recognized nationally for his roles as a strategic-planning facilitator to bar associations and bar foundations, his leadership in transforming the legal profession’s approach to well-being, and his work advising state regulators and bar associations on insurance-industry perspectives regarding mandatory malpractice insurance requirements and stricter client-disclosure rules concerning malpractice coverage.
Chris received his law degree from the University of Montana School of Law and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Following law school, he served for one year as a law clerk to the Honorable Terry N. Trieweiler of the Montana Supreme Court.
Session 2: Essential AI for Attorneys
Berkeley Almand-Hunter, Ph.D. | The Roux Institute
Berkeley Almand-Hunter, Ph.D. | The Roux Institute
Dr. Berkeley Almand-Hunter is the Technical Director of Partner Products at Northeastern University’s Roux Institute. In this role, she works with partner organizations to understand their data maturity and learning opportunities. She also leads course design and strategic planning to build high-quality, impactful experiences. She has taught courses in analytics, machine learning, data visualization, statistics, data-driven decision-making, and prompt engineering. Before joining the Roux Institute, Dr. Almand-Hunter was a data scientist at Square in San Francisco, supporting all data needs for the Capital Partnerships team.
Dr. Almand-Hunter holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado and B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. She developed her interest in data science while building machine-learning models to calibrate low-cost ozone sensors as part of her graduate research. She lives in Hallowell, Maine, with her husband and two young children.
Session 3: Challenges Facing New England's Courts: A Judicial Roundtable
Moderator: U.S. Magistrate Karen Frink Wolf | U.S. District Court, District of Maine
Moderator: U.S. Magistrate Karen Frink Wolf | U.S. District Court, District of Maine
Judge Wolf was appointed as a magistrate judge on April 1, 2022. She is the judicial liaison to the District’s Local Rules Advisory Committee, Vice-Chair of Maine’s Justice Action Group (JAG), Chair of JAG’s Pro Bono Committee, and served on the First Circuit’s Access to Justice Committee. Before going on the bench, Judge Wolf had been a trial lawyer for 36 years and a partner and member of the executive board at a Portland- and Boston-based law firm.
Judge Wolf was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) in 2012, and at the time of her selection as magistrate judge, she had been elected as a Regent of ACTL. She has been recognized by the Maine State Bar Association and the Katahdin Counsel Program for her extensive work providing pro bono representation. Before going on the bench, she was listed in Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in several categories and was named by Benchmark as one of the Top 250 Women in Litigation nationally and by Super Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in New England.
Judge Wolf has been a frequent speaker to the Bar and in the community on topics of trial practice, legal writing, alternative dispute resolution, and civil discourse. She is a former adjunct professor of pretrial practice at the University of Maine School of Law.
Associate Justice William H. Bright, Jr. | Connecticut Supreme Court
Associate Justice William H. Bright, Jr. | Connecticut Supreme Court
Justice William H. Bright Jr. was nominated to the Connecticut Supreme Court by Governor Ned Lamont and sworn in as an associate justice on March 5, 2025. He previously served as chief judge of the Appellate Court and as a judge of the Superior Court.
Justice Bright chairs the Access to Justice Commission and the Rules Committee of the Superior Court and co-chairs the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules. He also served on the Connecticut Bar Foundation’s Board of Directors from 2012 to 2021.
Before his appointment to the bench, Justice Bright had a distinguished career as a trial lawyer focusing on business and commercial litigation. He graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School.
Associate Justice Harold E. Eaton, Jr. | Vermont Supreme Court
Associate Justice Harold E. Eaton, Jr. | Vermont Supreme Court
Justice Harold E. Eaton Jr. graduated from the University of Vermont and Vermont Law School. He served as a deputy state’s attorney from 1980 to 1982 and as chief deputy state’s attorney for Chittenden County from 1982 to 1983. He then entered private practice in Rutland, where he practiced from 1983 to 1991. From 1991 to 2004, he was a partner in the Woodstock firm of Eaton & Hayes.
Justice Eaton is a member of the American Law Institute. Governor James Douglas appointed him to the Superior Court on April 16, 2004. On October 27, 2014, he was sworn in as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court by Governor Peter Shumlin.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone | U.S. District Court, District of New Hampshire
U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone | U.S. District Court, District of New Hampshire
U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone began serving in the District of New Hampshire in June 2014. Before becoming a magistrate judge, she chaired the labor and employment groups at Bernstein Shur and Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell. After graduating from law school, Judge Johnstone clerked for the New Hampshire Superior Court. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to her community, serving on the boards of several nonprofit organizations.
Associate Justice Erin Lynch Prata | Rhode Island Supreme Court
Associate Justice Erin Lynch Prata | Rhode Island Supreme Court
Justice Erin Lynch Prata was nominated to the Rhode Island Supreme Court by Governor Gina M. Raimondo, confirmed by the General Assembly, and sworn in on January 4, 2021.
Following law school, Justice Lynch Prata served as a law clerk to the Honorable Maureen McKenna Goldberg of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. She then entered private practice as a general litigation attorney with a focus on family law. Justice Lynch Prata served in the Rhode Island Senate for 12 years and chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Justice Lynch Prata graduated from Boston College and The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.
Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill | Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill | Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and the University of Maine School of Law. Following a clerkship, she was a member of the law firm Berman Simmons, P.A., until 1997. She joined the faculty of the University of Maine School of Law, where she served as a clinical professor and acting director of the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic. After a brief return to private practice, she was appointed to the Maine District Court by Governor John E. Baldacci in December 2006. Governor Janet T. Mills appointed her to the Superior Court in January 2020 and subsequently appointed her Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. She was sworn in as Chief Justice on June 8, 2021.
While serving on the trial courts, she was a member of the Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure, the State–Federal Judicial Council, the 2019 Task Force on Pretrial Justice Reform, the Judicial Branch Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence and Protection Orders, and the Judicial Branch Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics. She was also the Judicial Branch representative to the Maine Commission on Domestic and Sexual Abuse and the Maine Domestic Homicide Review Panel.
Associate Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt | Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Associate Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt | Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt was appointed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court by Governor Charlie Baker on December 4, 2020. She previously served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court from 2017 to 2020.
Born in New Orleans, Justice Wendlandt earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1991, an M.S. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1993, and her J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1996.
Following law school, Justice Wendlandt served as a law clerk to the Honorable John M. Walker Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She joined Ropes & Gray LLP in 1997 and later became a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group. She has lectured and published extensively on patent law, including work appearing in Biotechnology Law Report and Forbes.
Keynote: The Jailhouse Lawyer
Calvin Duncan, J.D. | Director, Light of Justice Program, Loyola University New Orleans
Calvin Duncan, J.D. | Director, Light of Justice Program, Loyola University New Orleans
Calvin Duncan is a legal expert, author, and educator focused on expanding access to the courts for incarcerated people. His bestselling memoir, The Jailhouse Lawyer, chronicles his nearly three-decade journey through Louisiana prisons while serving a life sentence without parole for a murder he did not commit.
While incarcerated, Duncan became a jailhouse lawyer, helping hundreds of fellow prisoners challenge wrongful convictions and unjust sentences. His work contributed to landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions, including Smith v. Cain (2012) and Ramos v. Louisiana (2020).
In 2025, Duncan was elected Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal Court in a landslide. The Louisiana legislature and governor subsequently abolished the position, resulting in his removal three hours after he took office. He holds a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School. Today, he directs the Light of Justice Program at Loyola University New Orleans, continuing his work on behalf of those behind bars.
Session 4: Addressing Attorney Well-Being: Actual Change to Reduce Risk, Improve Outcomes, & Build Sustainability
Gavin Alexander, Esq. | Well-Being Director, Jackson Lewis P.C.
Gavin Alexander, Esq. | Well-Being Director, Jackson Lewis P.C.
Gavin Alexander is an experienced advocate and thought leader in the areas of mental health, well-being, and diversity, equity, and inclusion within the legal profession and beyond. He is a licensed attorney and Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist and currently serves as the Well-Being Director of Jackson Lewis P.C., a law firm with more than 1,000 attorneys and over 60 offices across the United States.
Before joining the firm, Gavin was a founding member and the first-ever fellow of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being. He regularly speaks at law firms, law schools, conferences, courts, bar associations, and other institutions. In addition to his work on attorney well-being, Gavin has held leadership positions within numerous Massachusetts, Boston-area, and LGBTQ+ bar associations and other legal organizations.
Gavin earned his B.A. from Wesleyan University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Ella L. Brown, LCPC, J.D. | Ella Brown Counseling
Ella L. Brown, LCPC, J.D. | Ella Brown Counseling
Ella L. Brown, LCPC, JD (she/hers), is MAP’s first Clinical Director. Ella began her work in mental health counseling after practicing law for 35 years. She did so in Washington, D.C, Los Angeles, and then in Portland, Maine, where she was a partner at Pierce Atwood for a number of years. In addition to her role with MAP, she has had a small private mental health counseling practice since 2022. Ella works with clients facing a variety of challenges, including but not limited to anxiety, depression, substance use, feelings related to connectivity/isolation, general day-to-day issues that are adding up or becoming overwhelming, issues with life transitions, and issues with family members. She meets her clients wherever they are on their journey and provides a safe space where clients can feel seen and heard. She works with her clients to identify the emotions associated with life’s challenges, to process those emotions, and to discover their strengths.
Ella received a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Southern Maine, a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, and an A.B. in history and psychology from Bowdoin College.
Jonathan Dunitz, Esq. | 2026 President, New England Bar Association
Jonathan Dunitz, Esq. | 2026 President, New England Bar Association
Jonathan Dunitz serves as counsel at Verrill and has a multifaceted practice encompassing energy, utilities, and telecommunications; food and beverage law; insurance coverage and litigation; commercial litigation; appeals; and mediation.
Jonathan has long focused on attorney wellness. He chaired Verrill’s Wellness Committee, made attorney well-being the cornerstone of his year as president of the Maine State Bar Association, and continues those efforts as a member of the Executive Council of the National Conference of Bar Presidents. He has also written articles on the topic and was interviewed about his work on attorney well-being in Maine for Leading the Bar, the National Conference of Bar Presidents’ podcast.
Jonathan earned his B.A. from Ithaca College and his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law.
Fireside Chat with 2026 ABA & NCBP Presidents
Barbara J. Howard, Esq. | President, American Bar Association
Barbara J. Howard, Esq. | President, American Bar Association
Barbara J. Howard, principal of the Barbara J. Howard law firm in Cincinnati, Ohio, is president of the American Bar Association, the world’s largest voluntary association of lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals. She has held numerous leadership positions within the ABA, American Law Institute, National Council of Bar Presidents, American Judicature Society, and American Bar Foundation. In addition to her service to the ABA and related organizations, Barbara has served in numerous professional and community leadership roles throughout Ohio.
Barbara and her associates focus on family law. A native of Toledo, Ohio, she graduated magna cum laude from Xavier University with a B.A. in political science and earned her J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Juan R. Thomas, Esq. | President, National Conference of Bar Presidents
Juan R. Thomas, Esq. | President, National Conference of Bar Presidents
Juan R. Thomas, of counsel to Clifford Law Offices, was sworn in as president of the National Conference of Bar Presidents in July 2026 and became president of the Illinois Bar Foundation in June 2026. He has held numerous positions within the American Bar Association and currently serves on the ABA Board of Governors.
Juan also serves on the boards of several national and Chicago-area community organizations and is an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, where he teaches “The History of the African American Lawyer in the United States.”
A graduate of Morehouse College, Juan holds an M.Ed. in educational policy studies from the University of Illinois College of Education, an M.A. in religious studies from the University of Chicago Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry in preaching from Chicago Theological Seminary. He is a lifelong resident of Aurora, Illinois, where he serves as Minister of Social Justice at St. John AME Church.
Session 5: Rural Access to Justice in New England: Defining the Problem & Exploring Potential Solutions
Moderator: James B. Haddow, Esq. | Petruccelli, Martin & Haddow LLP
Moderator: James B. Haddow, Esq. | Petruccelli, Martin & Haddow LLP
James B. Haddow has more than 35 years of experience handling civil trials and appeals in Maine’s state and federal courts. His practice has included professional malpractice, product liability, professional licensing and discipline, employment law, business and commercial law, insurance, condominium law, and municipal and land-use law. Jim also serves as president-elect of the Maine State Bar Association and on several Association committees.
Jim is the author of “The Evolution of the Maine Law of Attachment on Ordinary and Trustee Process” and “Legal Issues in Prenatal Diagnosis in the U.S.” He is also the editor and a contributing author of A Practical Guide to Employment Law in Maine.
Donald “Don” Hayes, Esq. | Director, South Royalton Legal Clinic
Donald “Don” Hayes, Esq. | Director, South Royalton Legal Clinic
Don Hayes is the director of the South Royalton Legal Clinic at Vermont Law and Graduate School and its Veterans Legal Assistance Project. The project serves Vermont veterans by providing legal representation in matters including discharge upgrades, benefits applications, bankruptcy, simple estate planning, and consumer protection.
Don graduated from Vermont Law and Graduate School in 2010. Before becoming an attorney, he was vice president of marketing and product development for a small precision-instrument company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Don lives in South Royalton, Vermont, with his wife, Katrina, and their son, Oliver. During the summer, Don and his wife coach rowing for people with disabilities on Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire. During the winter, he volunteers as a ski instructor with the New England Healing Sports Association. He has been involved with adaptive sports for 25 years.
Toby Jandreau, Esq. | District Defender, Aroostook County Rural Defender Unit
Toby Jandreau, Esq. | District Defender, Aroostook County Rural Defender Unit
Toby Jandreau is the District Defender of the Aroostook Public Defenders’ Office in Caribou, Maine. He graduated from the University of Maine and pursued a career in social work before attending the University of Maine School of Law.
After law school, Toby returned home with his wife and first daughter and opened a small practice in Fort Kent. His practice included family matters, civil litigation, estate planning, real estate, and criminal law.
Toby has long been committed to supporting the growth of the legal profession in rural Maine. He served as a clinical professor with Maine Law’s Rural Practice Clinic before transitioning to the Rural Defender Unit at Maine’s Public Defense Services, where he worked with young lawyers practicing throughout rural Maine. He is a native of the St. John Valley and lives in Fort Kent with his wife and two daughters.
Mark C. Rouvalis, Esq. | Co-Chair, New Hampshire Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission
Mark C. Rouvalis, Esq. | Co-Chair, New Hampshire Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission
Mark C. Rouvalis is a trial lawyer who focuses on environmental and commercial disputes. He also has experience in mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution, including service as a volunteer mediator in the New Hampshire Superior Courts.
Mark has held numerous positions with the New Hampshire Bar Association and other community organizations and is an active member of his local Greek community. He earned his J.D. with honors from Boston College Law School and his B.A. from Brown University. He also served as a law clerk to Justice William Batchelder of the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
Leigh I. Saufley | President & Dean, University of Maine School of Law
Leigh I. Saufley | President & Dean, University of Maine School of Law
Leigh I. Saufley is president and dean of the University of Maine School of Law. After graduating from the University of Maine and the University of Maine School of Law, she practiced with a small law firm in Ellsworth, Maine, worked briefly in the U.S. Veterans Administration Counsel’s Office, and later held leadership positions in the Office of the Maine Attorney General.
Dean Saufley served on the Maine District Court, Maine Superior Court, and Maine Supreme Judicial Court. She was Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court from December 2001 through April 14, 2020. As Chief Justice, she secured support for substantially improved courthouse security and funding for the replacement and renovation of courthouses in several Maine counties.
Throughout her tenure as Chief Justice, Dean Saufley was an active member of the Conference of Chief Justices. U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts also appointed her to the Federal-State Jurisdiction Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States.
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