NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION
37th Wiley A. Branton Issues Symposium | In Conjunction with the Labor & Employment and Real Property, Trust & Estate Conferences
Join us October 15–17, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia, as three dynamic National Bar Association programs come together for a signature fall convening that examines critical developments in voting rights, labor and employment law, economic opportunity, property ownership, and generational wealth.
This year’s Wiley A. Branton Issues Symposium theme, “Vote! Your Life Depends On It!”, reflects both the legacy of legendary civil rights attorney Wiley A. Branton and the urgency of this moment. As threats to voting access evolve, so must the strategies, advocacy, and legal leadership used to confront them.
By convening leaders and practitioners from voting rights, labor and employment, and real property, trusts and estates, we are bringing together areas of law that shape democratic participation, workplace relations, economic opportunity, property ownership, and generational wealth.
What you should expect:
- Presidential Showcases highlighting leaders and ideas shaping justice, equity, opportunity, and legacy
- The Wiley A. Branton Awards Luncheon, honoring leaders who continue Branton’s legacy of courage, service, and justice
- Labor & Employment CLE Programming addressing developments in workplace law, compliance, workforce management, dispute resolution, and the legal issues affecting employers, employees, and labor organizations
- Real Property, Trust & Estate CLE Programming exploring property, wealth preservation, estate planning, and strategies for protecting generational assets
Agenda
37th Wiley A. Branton Issues Symposium | In Conjunction with the Labor & Employment and Real Property, Trust & Estate Conferences
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
| Time | Session / Event |
|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Welcome Reception (Off Site) Labor & Employment Conference |
Thursday, October 15, 2026
| Time | Session / Event |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Registration All Attendees |
| 9:00 AM – 9:55 AM | When Workplace Investigations Go Wrong Labor & Employment Conference |
| 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Election Protection/Voter Registration Community Event All Attendees |
| 10:00 AM – 10:55 AM | Reasonable or Risky? Navigating the Surge in Workplace Accommodations Labor & Employment Conference |
| 11:00 AM – 11:55 AM | The Privacy Tightrope: Balancing Employee Data and Legal Risk Labor & Employment Conference |
| 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch Break All Attendees |
| 1:05 PM – 2:00 PM | Pay Equity, Transparency, and Litigation Risk Labor & Employment Conference |
| 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM | NBA Board of Governors Meeting All Attendees |
| 2:05 PM – 3:00 PM | Class, Collective, and Representative Actions After Arbitration Disruption Labor & Employment Conference |
| 3:05 PM – 4:00 PM | Assessing Value, Proving Damages: A Dual Perspective on Employment Litigation Labor & Employment Conference |
| 4:05 PM – 5:00 PM | Trying the Case: Modern Trial Strategy in Labor & Employment Litigation Labor & Employment Conference |
| 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Opening Reception All Attendees |
Friday, October 16, 2026
| Time | Session / Event |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Registration All Attendees |
| 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Networking Breakfast All Attendees |
| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Presidential Showcase: The New Frontier: Revolutionizing our Civil Rights Agenda! All Attendees |
| 10:00 AM – 10:55 AM | The New Discrimination Landscape: DEI, Backlash, Political Speech in the Workplace and Legal Risk Labor & Employment Conference |
| 10:05 AM – 11:15 AM | Voting in the Digital Age: AI, Disinformation, and the Integrity of Elections Wiley A Branton Issues Symposium |
| 10:05 AM – 11:15 AM | Fundamentals of Building an Estate Planning Practice Real Property, Trust and Estate Conference |
| 11:00 AM – 11:55 AM | Blurred Lines: Joint Employment, Independent Contractors, and Liability Labor & Employment Conference |
| 11:15 AM – 12:25 PM | The New Poll Tax: How Modern Restrictions Disproportionately Burden the Vote Wiley A Branton Issues Symposium |
| 11:15 AM – 12:25 PM | Estate Planning 101 Real Property, Trust and Estate Conference |
| 12:30 PM – 2:15 PM | Wiley A. Branton Awards Luncheon & Keynote All Attendees |
| 2:20 PM – 3:15 PM | Trade Secrets in Flux: Federal and State Developments Shaping Enforcement Labor & Employment Conference |
| 2:35 PM – 3:45 PM | The Ballot and the Badge: How Election Outcomes Can Reduce Police Brutality Wiley A Branton Issues Symposium |
| 2:35 PM – 3:45 PM | Case Study: From Consultation to Signed Estate Plan Real Property, Trust and Estate Conference |
| 3:20 PM – 4:10 PM | Immigration Enforcement in the Workplace: Raids, Audits, and Compliance Risks Labor & Employment Conference |
| 3:50 PM – 5:00 PM | The Trial Playbook: Fighting Police Brutality in Court Wiley A Branton Issues Symposium |
| 3:50 PM – 5:00 PM | Introduction to Advanced Branches of Estate Planning Real Property, Trust and Estate Conference |
| 4:15 PM – 5:05 PM | Union Activity & Labor Law: Organizing, the NLRB, and Employer Risk Labor & Employment Conference |
| 5:10 PM – 6:00 PM | Beyond the Company: Executive and Manager Liability in Employment Litigation Labor & Employment Conference |
| 6:00 PM | Networking Reception All Attendees |
Saturday October 17, 2026
| Time | Session / Event |
|---|---|
| 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM | Presidential Showcase: Sabotage: The Fight to Protect Election Results All Attendees |
| 10:30 AM – 11:45 PM | The New Poll Tax: How Modern Restrictions Disproportionately Burden the Vote Wiley A Branton Issues Symposium |
| 10:30 AM – 11:45 PM | Succession Planning for Churches and Business Owners: The New Civil Rights Era Real Property, Trust and Estate Conference |
| 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM | Who Is in Office Matters! The NBA Non-Partisan Political Institute Wiley A Branton Issues Symposium |
| 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM | Probate Administration Real Property, Trust and Estate Conference |
