Professor Nina Kohn has written an opinion article on Michael Oher’s conservatorship for The Hill.
In the article, “Michael Oher’s Shocking Conservatorship Exposes Court Failures”, Kohn identifies many critical issues with the Oher conservatorship, from legal representation to financial accounting, as well as how conservatorships (or guardianships) are mishandled by the courts. Potential avenues for improving how conservatorships are implemented are also outlined.
Kohn writes, “Fixing court systems will require ensuring that all judges who appoint conservators have the training needed to understand when an appointment is legally appropriate, and how to determine if that standard is met in a particular case. It will also require ensuring that courts have the systems they need to track cases and monitor those they appoint.”