ALI member Nina Kohn, the David M. Levy L’48 Professor of Law and newly named Distinguished Professor at Syracuse University College of Law, is featured in Syracuse University News for helping shape nationally recognized model laws to better serve older adults and individuals with cognitive disabilities.
Kohn has been selected twice to serve as a reporter for the Uniform Law Commission (ULC), a rare and highly respected role. She first served as reporter for the Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship and Other Protective Arrangements Act (UGCOPPA), which promotes person-centered reform and alternatives to guardianship. More recently, she served as reporter for the Uniform Health-Care Decision Act (UHCDA), which addresses healthcare decision-making and advance directives, particularly for patients without designated surrogates.
Both acts have already been adopted in a range of states, reflecting their bipartisan appeal. The UHCDA has become law in Delaware and Utah, while UGCOPPA has been enacted in Maine, Washington, and Kansas.
Kohn describes the reporter role as a unique combination of mediator and editor, bringing together diverse viewpoints to craft legislation that is practical, inclusive, and legally sound. “It’s incredibly satisfying to make a difference and help states improve their laws,” Kohn said. “This process is an example of how we can work together in a partisan age.”