USC Gould School of Law hosted the 2026 Poverty Law Conference on February 20-21, welcoming scholars, educators and advocates to participate in a variety of conversations about modern developments in poverty law.
Both days featured paper presentations, roundtable discussions about teaching and advocacy, and opportunities to build community across disciplines and institutions. The first day featured a keynote presentation from Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles County Supervisor for the 2nd District. Mitchell brought up the importance of discussions around the topics of rights, protections and how the law can help those who need it most.
“We are experiencing the largest consolidation of wealth in the history of this country. I would say this is a war on the impoverished,” Mitchell said. She stressed the importance of local government during times like these and explained what she was doing to credit the community for their efforts.
According to conference organizer and USC Gould Professor Clare Pastore, many attendees felt that Mitchell’s speech was incredibly valuable as it encouraged “scholars [to] engage with work that can help address problems in our cities, including homelessness and access to healthcare.”
Several breakout sessions were moderated by USC Gould professors, including Bernadette Atuahene, Stephen Rich and Deepika Sharma. USC Gould Dean Franita Tolson also gave remarks at the conference’s opening reception.
“I loved overhearing people chatting about collaborating in the future. It felt like a very generative space. I can’t wait to see the future research and advocacy work that comes out of conversations started here at USC,” said USC Gould Professor Ariel Jurow Kleiman, another conference organizer.
The conference included panelists and attendees from almost 50 unique institutions across nearly two dozen states. Participants from all over the country were brought together to talk about vital issues surrounding low income, marginalized people, with breakout sessions on housing affordability, economic dignity, criminal justice, healthcare and a variety of other inequalities.
Jurow Kleiman noted that many communities across the country are struggling with uncertainty, from safety net program budget cuts to sweeping immigration actions. “Given everything happening,” she said, “it felt like an especially important time to come together.”
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