News

For many years, the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative (MEJI) has advocated for reforms of the state’s guardianship and conservatorship systems. MEJI seeks  to both better protect the rights of and empower vulnerable individuals who are at the heart of these probate court proceedings. Since 2019, MEJI staff have worked closely with the Attorney General’s Elder Abuse Task Force to develop and advance a comprehensive package of legislation that would address the most urgent concerns in guardianship and conservatorship. Last week, we celebrated the passage by unanimous votes in both the Michigan House and the Michigan Senate of SB 585 and SB 586. These bills will provide crucial protections to individuals with guardians and conservators.

Representation means listening, accommodating, and advocating for the client’s goals.

Bloomberg Law recently covered changes to ABA Model Rule 1.14, the model ethics rule that addresses how lawyers work with clients who may need support communicating or making decisions.

Michigan has now taken the first steps toward adopting those changes.

How do medical professionals evaluate decision-making capacity—and what does that mean for legal practice? Join Kahli Zietlow, MD, and Leslie Dubin, LMSW, ACSW, of the University of Michigan for an interdisciplinary discussion bridging medicine, social work, and law.

MAGIC is recruiting adults with experience of guardianship to help shape reform in Michigan.

The Michigan Advancing Guardianship Innovations Center (MAGIC) is establishing a Lived Experience Advisory Group to help improve the guardianship system in Michigan. MAGIC believes that meaningful reform must be led by the people most affected by it.

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The Michigan Elder Justice Initiative (MEJI) announces the launch of the Michigan Advancing Guardianship Innovations Center (MAGIC), a new program aimed at maximizing autonomy and dignity in Michigan’s adult guardianship system. This work is supported by a generous two-year grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

MEJI Systemic Advocacy Attorney Nicole Shannon noted that the "brazen" alleged actions of the defendants highlight the weaknesses in the guardianship and conservatorship system and reinforce the need for real reforms to provide more robust protection for vulnerable individuals.

On November 5, MEJI was delighted to receive a generous grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to establish a statewide center to address systemic flaws in Michigan's adult guardianship system. The grant will launch the Michigan Advancing Guardianship Innovation Center (MAGIC). MAGIC will serve as a hub for education, collaboration, and innovation, ensuring that reforms are embedded in practice.

On November 4, Alison Hirschel, MEJI's Program Director and Managing Attorney, testified in support of Senate Bills 585 and 586. Senate Bill 585 offers protection from an all-too-common scenario: sale of a property for what appears to be less than market value.

On Wednesday, June 4, the Michigan House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from MEJI's Nicole Shannon on House Bills 4418-4419, which would permit family members to consent to medical treatment on behalf of incapacitated loved ones. Michigan is an outlier, as the vast majority of other states already have similar provisions in place. These bills represent years of hard work from the Michigan Attorney General's Elder Abuse Task Force and MEJI staff. "These bills represent a common sense alternative to guardianship that is already in place across the country. It is time for Michigan to join," said Shannon.