News

Elder Abuse Symposium Scheduled For June 12

  • 5/9/2018
  • Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma

Image of Paul GreenwoodOne of the country’s foremost authorities on elder abuse will speak on the successful prevention and prosecution of elder abuse cases at a seminar organized by Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma (LASO) and scheduled for June 12.  

Paul Greenwood will discuss his blueprint for creating and implementing an elder abuse plan at the First Annual Sonya L. Patterson Memorial Elder Abuse Symposium. The symposium will take place Tuesday, June 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Oklahoma Bar Association Center, 1901 N. Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City.  The day-long seminar will provide information and methodology on multi-disciplinary approaches to elder abuse and how to protect the vulnerable, enforce laws and prosecute offenders.

Greenwood will speak at 9 a.m. on his more than 20 years’ of experience leading the San Diego  District Attorney’s Elder Abuse Protection Unit,  during which time hundreds of elder abuse cases were successfully prosecuted, placing that office among the most aggressive and respected foes of elder abuse.  He now travels the country, educating professionals as well as the general public on successful methods for protecting the elderly.

Judge Gary L. Lumpkin, Presiding Judge of the Oklahoma Court of Appeals will deliver a keynote address at the complimentary luncheon.

“Elder abuse needs a national discussion and a national agenda like ones we’ve had for child abuse and domestic violence for so long,” Greenwood said in the AARP bulletin of February 2010. “But when was the last time you saw, for example, Oprah talking about elder abuse? I mean it’s just not being discussed in the same way and it needs to be.”

The symposium is named in honor of Sonya L. Patterson, a LASO attorney who passionately defended victims of elder and child abuse as well as domestic violence. Just years into her legal career, she died tragically in an accident.

Registration is required by June 1. To register for the event, call or email Rachel Stewart at 405.488.6776 or rachel.stewart@laok.org. Admission to the symposium is free but donations to legal aid’s senior project are welcome as are attorney sign-ups to accept pro bono cases.

Topics:
  • Pro Bono/Legal Services
  • Elder Law