Lavender Law 2026
On July 15, Lavender Law 2026 will feature a full day of HIV-focused programming, bringing together leading advocates, attorneys, and community partners for a series of timely and urgent conversations. CHLP's Jada Hicks and Sean McCormick will be presenting about HIV criminalization and immigration.
This programming is designed for HIV advocates to reconnect, learn from one another’s work, and engage on emerging legal and policy issues. It also creates space for law students and newer attorneys interested in HIV, LGBTQ+, and health law careers. It is being presented by Lambda Legal, CHLPI at Harvard Law School, Northwestern Pritzker LGBTQI+ Rights Clinic, GLAD, JRI, and CHLP.
HIV Policy and Law Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Perspectives from a Cross-Section of Advocacy Professionals
9:00 - 10:15am
From crisis to progress to the challenges ahead, this panel traces the evolution of HIV legal advocacy and explores the strategies shaping the future of HIV justice.
Speakers:
Suzanne Davies (JRI Health Law Institute)
Prof. Kara Ingelhart (Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law)
Timothy Jackson (AIDS Foundation Chicago)
Bennett Klein (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders)
HIV Caucus: A Call to HIV Movement Lawyering: The Intersection of HIV and Modern LGBTQ+ Legal Health Crises
10:30 -11:45am
A space to reconnect, strategize, and build power. Join advocates from across the country for a dynamic conversation on where HIV advocacy is headed, followed by facilitated networking to strengthen relationships and spark new collaborations.
Speakers:
Maryanne Tomazic (Moderator) (The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School)
Michael Elizabeth (Equality Federation Institute)
Jada Hicks (CHLP)
Dale Melchert (Transgender Law Center)
Peter Perkowski (Veterans Legal Clinic - Harvard Law School)
Preserving Prevention: PrEP, Harm Reduction, and the Future of Evidence-Based HIV Services
2:00 - 3:15pm
Prevention is under attack. This panel unpacks the legal and policy battles shaping access to PrEP and harm reduction—and what advocates can do to protect and expand lifesaving care.
Speakers:
Juan Pablo Hernandez (NMAC (National Minority AIDS Coalition))
Elizabeth Kaplan (Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation)
Arianna Murray (Disability Law Center of Massachusetts)
Kerry Thomas (Sero Project)
Momentum and Movement Building: ICE Abolition and HIV Criminalization
3:30 - 4:45pm
Where HIV advocacy meets immigration justice. This conversation examines the intersection of criminalization, detention, and public health, and how legal strategies can support broader movement-building.
Speakers:
Nathan Cisneros (Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law)
Jada Hicks (CHLP)
Sean McCormick (CHLP)
Kerry Thomas (Sero Project)
Milani Varela (CALOR-AIDS Healthcare Foundation)
