State of Mississippi Judiciary

Chief Justice Randolph to speak at guardianship and conservatorship CLE program in Meridian

November 7, 2019

Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Randolph will speak at 12:15 p.m. Nov. 8 at the MSU Riley Center in Meridian during a continuing legal education program.

The 12th District Chancery Court and the Lauderdale County Bar Association will conduct a day-long CLE program about changes to guardianship and conservatorship laws which will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020, to protect children, vulnerable adults and their assets.

The CLE program will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. Attorneys Rick Courtney of Jackson and Gray Edmondson of Oxford will begin the CLE with an overview of the GAP Act. About 70 attorneys are expected to attend.

The GAP Act, for “guard and protect,” aims to improve court processes for protecting children and vulnerable adults and their assets. The Commission on Guardianship and Conservatorship, created by the Supreme Court in 2017, spent nearly two years studying needed law changes and crafting recommendations that were adopted by the 2019 Legislature as the GAP Act. The law changes create a clear and workable statutory framework, modern and enforceable reporting requirements, comprehensive court monitoring procedures, state driven accountability measures, protection of the ward's fundamental rights, and transparency from all parties.

Other speakers during the CLE program include:

• 10:05 a.m., Chancellor Kiley Kirk of Louisville and Supreme Court Judicial Law Clerk Whitney Thrasher regarding use of forms;
• 11:15 a.m., Chancellor Joseph Kilgore of Philadelphia, walking participants through the guardianship process;
• 1:15 p.m., Chancellor Charles Smith of Meridian, walking participants through the conservatorship process;
• 2:15 p.m., Chancellor Larry Primeaux of Meridian and Chancellor Robert Logan of Newton, talking about best practices in fiduciary matters;
• 3:30 p.m., Mississippi College School of Law Professor Donald Campbell, talking about ethics.

Six of the CLE speakers are members of the Commission on Guardianship and Conservatorship: Chancellors Primeaux, Kilgore and Kirk and attorneys Courtney, Edmondson and Thrasher.

The CLE program is for attorneys. The preregistration fee is $125 and may be paid to the Lauderdale County Bar Association. The registration fee will be $150 at the door. Media are welcome, with free admission to media covering the program.

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