Call for papers: Southeastern Association of Law Schools

Call for Papers

2011 Annual Meeting, Southeastern Association of Law Schools

The Legal Response to Elder Abuse

Until recently, elder abuse and neglect were rarely mentioned in either the public discourse or the legal literature.  Yet elder mistreatment is a serious social problem – one that studies suggest affects at least 3% to 5% of persons over the age of sixty-five every year.   As policymakers seek to expand the public response to elder mistreatment, the civil justice and criminal justice systems are increasingly seen as having critical roles in that response.

This panel will feature new scholarship exploring the law’s response to the problem of elder abuse and neglect.  Potential participants are encouraged to think normatively about how the law can and should respond to the problem, including by drawing on other areas of the law such as those pertaining to intimate partner violence, child abuse, and public health.  Participation from individuals not traditionally writing in this area, but who wish to draw connections between elder abuse and other areas of inquiry, is also encouraged.

Proposals are due by Friday, October 29, 2010, and should be submitted to Professor Nina Kohn at nakohn@syr.edu.   Full drafts are welcomed, but abstracts are sufficient at this point.  Full drafts will be expected by June 1, 2011.  The names of the participants and the titles of their papers will be included in the conference program and the individual papers will be posted online so that all interested parties may access and read them in advance of the conference.