Britney Spears’ conservatorship battle has shed light on the widespread problems and overuse of conservatorships/guardianships nationwide. Guardianships can be abusive and unnecessarily strip individuals of their civil rights to make their own decisions and use supports to live and direct their lives. Disability, aging, and civil rights advocates are calling for changes to reduce the overuse of guardianship and conservatorship, to strengthen recognition and use of less restrictive alternatives to guardianship like supported decision-making, and increase due process protections in guardianship proceedings and in the monitoring of guardianships. Our panel of experts discusses the risks and harms of guardianship, its systemic flaws, and the promise of alternatives like supported decision-making. They discuss reforms and changes that can address the problems that Britney Spears’ case has brought to light.
August 22, 2021 RAPID RESPONSE
#FreeBritney: Transforming and Reforming Conservatorship and Guardianship
Panelists
- Zoe Brennan-Krohn, Staff Attorney, ACLU Disability Rights Program
- Jasmine E. Harris, Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
- Hon. Lauren S. Holland, Circuit Court Judge, State of Oregon
- Jonathan Martinis, Senior Director for Law and Policy, Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University
Moderator
- Charles Sabatino, Director, ABA Commission on Law and Aging
Co-Sponsors: ABA Commission on Disability Rights, ABA Commission on Law and Aging
Resources
Fourth National Guardianship Summit: Maximizing Autonomy and Ensuring Accountability Recommendations
Why a Federal Adult Guardianship Court Improvement Program is Needed
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