NB Access to Justice Summit & PLEAC Conference 2026
We are delighted to announce that this year's NB Access to Justice Summit has been scheduled for September 23-25, 2026. This year, the event will be jointly hosted by the The Legal Innovation Laboratory at UNB Law, Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick (PLEIS-NB), and the Public Legal Education Association of Canada (PLEAC)
Schedule
This year, the Summit will have a slightly different focus for each day.
On September 23, we will focus on updates and local issues specific to New Brunswick and our main A2J institutions.
On September 24, we will focus on both Atlantic and national conversations about A2J and PLE, with a mix of speakers and panels on current topics in access to justice.
On September 25, we will focus on public legal education evaluation, methods, and research.
We invite everyone to attend for whichever days they find interesting and relevant to their own work.
This event will bring together public legal educators, justice sector professionals, academics, government representatives, and other stakeholders from New Brunswick, the Atlantic region, and across Canada. It will be an opportunity to share ideas, learn from one another, and explore new approaches to improving access to justice.
All participants will hear about practical and emerging issues related to access to justice, community justice help, and public legal education, including:
- New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada perspectives on access to justice and community needs
- The evolving role of technology, including AI, chatbots, and online legal information services
- Language rights, multilingual public legal education and information (PLEI), and translation and interpretation tools
- Delivering legal information and supports in rural, remote, Indigenous, and underserved communities
- Measuring impact, evaluating programs, and using data to strengthen access to justice initiatives
Registration
Registration is open now: Registration: NB Access to Justice Summit & PLEAC Conference, Sept 23-25 2026 – Fill out form.
Please note that registration will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and space will be limited. We encourage you to register early once registration opens.
The full schedule and event details will be available shortly on this page.
Location
This event will be held in Fredericton. September 23-24 will take place at the Crowne Plaza Lord Beaverbrook hotel and September 25 will be held at the Fredericton Convention Centre (across the street).
Accommodations
We have put on hold a limited number of hotel rooms with the Crowne Plaza Fredericton Lord Beaverbrook for $189 per night (plus fees and taxes). To book a room in our hotel block, make your reservation by August 24 using this direct booking link. You can also call 1-506-455-3371 and tell them you are booking under the "PLEIS" room block to secure your rate. Availability is limited and we recommend booking as soon as possible.
Inquires
If you have any questions about this event, please reach out to any of the co-organizers:
Argyri Panezi, UNB Faculty of Law: argyri.panezi@unb.ca
Michelle Thompson, PLEIS NB: michelle.thompson@legalinfonb.ca
Hanna Holmes, PLEAC: hholmes@pleac-aceij.ca
For questions about the venue and accommodations, please contact Michelle Thompson (above).