20th Conference on Elder Abuse
Conference Overview
Legal Assistance for Seniors is proud to present the Conference on Elder Abuse - California’s premier conference for attorneys, social workers, fiduciaries, health care professionals, care managers, advocates, and others committed to preventing and responding to elder abuse. This year, the Conference will mark its 20th anniversary as LAS celebrates 50 years of championing the rights of older adults!
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that scammers stole up to $81.5 billion from older adults in 2024, a fourfold increase from 2020. Against this backdrop, we are experiencing unprecedented attacks on our social safety net, our federal regulatory agencies, and our immigrant communities. With this in mind, this year’s conference will focus on protecting and finding stability for older adults in these extraordinarily difficult times.
The 20th Conference on Elder Abuse, co-sponsored by the UCSF-UC Law Consortium on Law, Science & Health Policy, will take place at UC Law San Francisco on Wednesday, May 20th. We look forward to seeing you there!
Keynote: Jeff Horwitz in conversation with Ted Mermin
What happens when one of Silicon Valley’s biggest success stories puts its thirst for revenue and drive for AI above the safety of its most vulnerable users?
This year, our keynote is a conversation between Jeff Horwitz, an investigative technology journalist with Thomson Reuters, and Ted Mermin, the founder and executive director of the UC Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice.
Last December, Jeff Horwitz dropped a bombshell: Meta estimated that it would generate 10% of its revenue in 2024 from scam ads and ads for banned goods, translating to $16B (“Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show”). Jeff's reporting on how Meta responded to this information is both eye-opening and enraging. In a previous article, he reported the story of an older adult who formed a relationship with a Meta chatbot whom he believed to be real. The older adult later died while traveling to meet the chatbot (“Meta’s flirty AI chatbot invited a retiree to New York. He never made it home.”).
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that scammers stole up to $81.5 billion from older Americans in 2024. Whether it’s a bank ignoring red flags when a customer sends multiple wires to suspicious overseas accounts, a “new flame” on Instagram convincing an older adult to put their life savings into fake investments, or a tech support scammer using a pop-up to steal an older adult’s personal information and money, elder financial abuse fuels the global scam economy.
Keynote Speakers
Jeff Horwitz
Jeff Horwitz is an investigative technology reporter for Thomson Reuters in San Francisco, and a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, American Banker, Legal Times, The San Bernardino Sun and The Washington City Paper. Jeff covers Meta and social media platforms. He is the author of Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets, upon which Aaron Sorkin’s forthcoming sequel to The Social Network, The Social Reckoning, will be largely based. Jeff’s work on The Wall Street Journal’s Facebook Files won a George Polk Award, a Gerald Loeb Award and the Chris Welles Memorial Prize.
Ted Mermin
Ted Mermin is the founder and executive director of the UC Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice, the leading academic consumer law institution in the United States. The Center offers 20 courses in consumer law at Berkeley – more than any other law school in the world. Ted also leads the California Low-Income Consumer Coalition, a partnership of free legal service providers dedicated to furthering the rights of low-income Californians by changing the law. In December 2025, Ted was appointed by Governor Newsom to the anti-fraud team of the Governor's Innovation Council.
Presentations and Speakers
Anosognosia: A Word You Must Understand to Protect Elders from Financial Abuse
Elimination of Bias MCLE Credits - 1.5 Hours CAPAPGPC Credits - 1.5 Hours NASW Credits - 1.5 Hours Presenters: Catherine Madison, MD - Medical Director, Seniors At Home, Jewish Family and Children's Services (JFCS) Andrea Korsunsky - Director of Care Management, Seniors At Home, Jewish Family and Children's Services (JFCS) John Rueppel, JD - Partner, JKZ LLP Azita Rahim, JD - Associate Attorney, JKZ LLP Anosognosia is a condition in dementia where the person who is impaired lacks knowledge of the illness and how it affects them. This can impair their decision-making capacity and contribute to the rapidly increasing financial elder abuse cases across California. This presentation will combine insights from medical, social work, and legal perspectives to explore ways to strengthen the transfers of wealth and responsibility emerging in our aging population. Upon completion of this session, attendees will… 1. Understand the meaning of anosognosia and how it is a barrier to diagnosis and care, as well as a risk for financial exploitation. 2. Better understand the extent and impact of financial abuse in elders with strategies to protect them. 3. Learn communication and planning strategies to work around anosognosia in your work with dementia clients and their families.
Capacity and Undue Influence in Trust and Will Contests
General MCLE Credits - 1.5 Hours CAPAPGPC Credits - 1.5 Hours NASW Credits - 1.5 Hours Presenters: Daniel Leahy, Esq. - Attorney, Law Offices of Daniel Leahy Eric Freitag, Psy.D. - Neuropsychologist, Mt. Diablo Memory Center Attorney Daniel Leahy and Neuropsychologist Eric Freitag discuss mental capacity and undue influence in California Trust and Will Contests. This presentation will take a deep dive into Mr. Leahy's recent undue influence case and give the audience the perspective of both an attorney and a doctor in analyzing capacity issues that our elder clients frequently face. Upon completion of this session, attendees will… 1. Understand basic standards for capacity in trust and will contests 2. Understand the factors court's employ in deciding undue influence and capacity cases 3. Understand basic medical factors relating to lack of capacity and susceptibility to undue influence
The Dangerous Evolution of California’s Long-Term Care System
General MCLE Credits - 1.5 Hours CAPAPGPC Credits - 1.5 Hours Presenters: Maura Gibney, MSW - Executive Director, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform Pauline Shatara, MA - Deputy Director, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform A long term care industry that systematically prioritizes profits over patient needs coupled with California’s shift of responsibility for nursing home coverage to Managed Care Plans has created a complex system that often results in older adults receiving inadequate care and inappropriate placements. Consumers struggle to fight against Managed Care Plan terminations of skilled nursing services, and are increasingly discharged into unsafe and often unlicensed facilities. Community Supports run by Managed Care Plans, and designed as an alternative to traditional State Waiver programs, lack adequate consumer protections, creating a dangerous environment, resulting in the warehousing, abuse, and neglect of vulnerable older adults. Upon completion of this session, attendees will… 1. Know about California’s long term care funding system, which incentivizes illegal and harmful practices against older adults, putting them at risk for abuse, neglect and death. 2. Understand the varying long term care facility options that are available to seniors, and the potential and actual harms of inappropriate placement. 3. Have resources and tools to help their clients to make informed choices and advocate for their rights.
Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities – Examples and Stories from a Civil Litigator
General MCLE Credits - 1.5 Hours CAPAPGPC Credits - 1.5 Hours Presenter: James M. Morgan, Esq. - Partner, Lanzone Morgan, LLP James Morgan, Esq. has been litigating elder abuse cases in California for over 25 years. He will give examples of some of the most common types of cases of elder abuse in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. He will describe what kinds of complaints and injuries rise to the level of being able to file a lawsuit. He will give examples of cases he has handled and the kinds of calls he gets and what advice he gives to people looking for help. Upon completion of this session, attendees will... 1. Be able to identify what kinds of conduct and injuries rise to the level of filing an elder abuse lawsuit against a nursing home or assisted living facility in California. 2. Know what victims or family members can do if they have complaints about the lack of care in a nursing home or assisted living facility. 3. Understand what resources are available to make complaints or look up complaints against nursing homes in California.
Enforcing Elder Abuse Laws in the Landlord-Tenant Context
General MCLE Credits - 1.5 Hours CAPAPGPC Credits - 1.5 Hours NASW Credits - 1.5 Hours Presenter: Allyson Murphy, JD - Principal, Tobener Ravenscroft LLP This presentation covers applying financial elder abuse laws to the housing context, application of FEHA and disability rights laws in housing, general overview of local and state rent ordinances that have specific protections based on age, the specific ways housing insecurity and displacement affect the elderly, and legal remedies and damages. Upon completion of this session, attendees will… 1. Identify which rent ordinances (city, county, or state) apply to the elderly tenant’s rental situation 2. Apply protections in housing law specific to elderly tenants. 3. Recognize legal claims and remedies when elderly tenants’ rights are violated.
Family or Foe? When Elder Exploitation Hits Close to Home
General MCLE Credits - 1.5 Hours CAPAPGPC Credits - 1.5 Hours Presenters: Rachel Rosenfeld, Esq. - Attorney, Rosenfeld Law, PC Miranda Fernandez, Esq. - Attorney, Rosenfeld Law, PC This presentation will cover common patterns and trends that are different forms of elder abuse and exploitation. Knowing when well-intended family influence crosses into undue influence presents unique challenges. Recognizing the warning signs, evidentiary issues, strategic considerations, and remedies on behalf of the elder or the elder themselves can make all the difference in preventing further harm. Upon completion of this session, attendees will… 1. Identify and analyze emerging patterns and typologies of elder abuse and exploitation, including financial abuse, undue influence, and coercive family dynamics, and distinguish lawful caregiving or estate planning assistance from abusive conduct. 2. Recognize practical warning signs and evidentiary challenges in elder abuse and undue influence cases, including behavioral, medical, financial, and documentary red flags, and evaluate strategies for building or defending claims using medical, forensic, and testimonial evidence 3. Develop litigation and advocacy strategies to prevent and remediate elder abuse, including pre-litigation interventions, civil remedies, elder abuse restraining orders, conservatorships, and litigation tools, and ethical considerations.
Guardians of the Purse: Ethical Billing in Conservatorship Cases
Legal Ethics MCLE Credits - 1.5 Hours CAPAPGPC Credits - 1.5 Hours Presenters: Lara Heisler, JD - Partner, Heisler Zaragoza LLP Oliver Greenwood, JD - Owner, Law Offices of Oliver Greenwood Should you bill differently knowing that every dollar you are paid comes out of the pocket of someone who can’t say yes or no? This presentation will cover how to draft appropriate fee agreements, examine our duties to both client and conservatee, discuss limits on attorney's fees, how to spot indicia of bill padding, and the conflicts and consequences that an attorney can face for inappropriately billing in a conservatorship matter. Upon completion of this session, attendees will... 1. understand the ethics of billing for an indigent or impaired client 2. know how to spot unethical billings and when to object 3. become more thoughtful about how impactful each legal bill is to the conservatee
The Hidden Front Door of Elder Abuse: How Family Hiring Practices Shape Safety at Home
General MCLE Credits - 1.5 Hours CAPAPGPC Credits - 1.5 Hours Presenters: Robert Nuddleman, Esq. - Employment Attorney, Public Speaker/Organizational Trainer, Mediator, Nuddleman Law Firm, PC Kari Kientzy - APS Section Manager, City and County of San Francisco Elder abuse prevention emphasizes intervention and investigation, but a critical moment occurs when families hire household help. This seminar shows how hiring decisions are prevention decisions, illustrated through compelling stories. It offers a practical three-pillar framework—Screen, Structure, Supervise—that professionals can teach families and adopt in their own practice. Attendees leave with concrete talking points and the confidence to make hiring practices a first line of defense against elder abuse. Upon completion of this session, attendees will… 1. Be able to identify hiring vulnerabilities and red flags that create conditions for elder abuse in private home settings, and understand how screening, documentation, and clear employment structure reduce abuse risk before it occurs. 2. Have the tools to apply a practical three-pillar framework to guide families, clients, and supervisees toward safe hiring practices, including background checks, written employment agreements, financial boundaries, and regular supervision protocols. 3. Understand how to integrate elder abuse prevention into their professional practice by recognizing key moments when they can educate families about hiring—whether in guardianship proceedings, medical consultations, financial planning, fiduciary oversight, or investigative follow-up—and use evidence-based language to make hiring practices a standard part of care planning across disciplines.
The Importance of Evaluating Capacity & Having Cultural Competency
Elimination of Bias MCLE Credits - 1.5 Hours CAPAPGPC Credits - 1.5 Hours Presenters: Cecilia A. Rodriguez, Esq. - Legal Director, Elder & Disability Law, La Raza Centro Legal Mijal Epelman, Esq. - Staff Attorney, Elder & Disability Law, La Raza Centro Legal Carmen Rosas, Esq. - Founder & Managing Attorney, Legacy Protection Firm, PC Introduction to estate planning and the importance of ascertaining the testator’s capacity before starting the estate planning process. In a time where our older adult community faces the risk of financial abuse, our presenters will address the need for cultural competency to ascertain capacity and address the needs of their clients / meet them where they are. Upon completion of this session, attendees will… 1. Understand how addressing capacity in estate planning protects elders. 2. Understand how different cultural attributes influence the advocate’s view of the client’s capacity. 3. Know where to refer folks who are interested/ in need of estate planning (locally at the non-profit level and private practice)
A New Eviction Defense for 2026: The Social Security Tenant Protection Act
Elimination of Bias MCLE Credits - 1.5 Hours CAPAPGPC Credits - 1.5 Hours NASW Credits - 1.5 Hours Presenters: Lauren Carden, JD - Director of CA Housing Advocacy, Justice in Aging Jia Min Cheng, Esq. - Managing Attorney, Disability Rights California Madeline Howard, JD - Senior Attorney, Western Center on Law and Poverty Ann Rubinstein, JD - Senior Managing Attorney, Homeless Action Center With the ongoing housing crisis, drastic cuts to social programs for low-income people, and increasingly common federal government shutdowns, vulnerable tenants are at greater risk than ever of being unable to pay rent. Last year Disability Rights California cosponsored the Social Security Tenant Protection Act, AB 246, with Californians for SSI Coalition, (of which Western Center on Law and Poverty is a member) and SEIU California in response to this challenging climate. This new law signed by the governor last fall provides important protections for tenants who are unable to pay rent and face eviction due to an interruption in their Social Security benefits. We will briefly orient attendees to the unlawful detainer (eviction) process and then explain the new protections of the Social Security Tenant Protection Act and other laws that may benefit elderly individuals and people with disabilities who are facing eviction. Upon completion of this session, attendees will… 1. Have a basic understanding of the new protections for tenants who receive some form of benefits from the Social Security administration 2. Be able to inform tenants of their rights under the Social Security Tenant Protection Act 3. Be able to assess whether a tenant may be able to protect themselves from eviction using the Social Security Tenant Protection Act
Restraining Orders Are Not Safety Plans: Rethinking Restraining Orders When Separation Is Not Possible
General MCLE Credits - 1.5 Hours CAPAPGPC Credits - 1.5 Hours NASW Credits - 1.5 Hours Presenters: Greg Palomares, Esq. - Supervising Attorney - Elder and Disability Rights Project, API Legal Outreach Dipa Mardemootoo, Esq. - Staff Attorney - Elder and Disability Rights Project, API Legal Outreach Restraining orders are a critical legal tool in elder abuse cases, yet they are often relied upon as a complete safety solution when separation from the abuser is not realistic. This presentation examines why restraining orders frequently fail to protect older adults who depend on the restrained person for care, housing, or support. Presenters will offer practical strategies for integrating restraining orders into broader, realistic safety plans that better reflect elders’ lived realities. Upon completion of this session, attendees will… 1. be able to identify common reasons restraining orders fail to protect older adults when separation from the abuser is not possible. 2. be able to analyze real-world elder abuse scenarios to distinguish between legal compliance with restraining orders and actual elder safety. 3. be able to apply practical and multidisciplinary strategies to integrate restraining orders into realistic, elder-centered safety plans that reduce harm and improve protection outcomes.
Conference Schedule
- 8:15 am - 9:00 am
Registration and Breakfast
- 9:00 am - 9:15 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Auditorium Caitlin Chan - Executive Director, Legal Assistance for Seniors
- 9:15 am - 10:00 am
Keynote: Jeff Horwitz in conversation with Ted Mermin
Auditorium
2026 Conference Awards
Legal Assistance for Seniors is proud to honor these truth-tellers and defenders of older adults' rights at the 20th Conference on Elder Abuse.
KATY BRADY ADVOCATE AWARD
The Katy Brady Advocate Award honors a fierce advocate in our elder justice community who has shown strength and tenacity in the face of incredible odds. Honorees have shown passion, resilience, and enthusiasm in their efforts to defend older adults against abuse, and they inspire us all to keep fighting for what is right.
This award is given in memory of Katy Brady, who coordinated the Community Education program at Legal Assistance for Seniors for several years. Katy is remembered for working with great enthusiasm and compassion for the older adults in our community, and for her willingness to always go the extra mile.
The 2026 Katy Brady Advocate Award will be awarded to Alice Lin, Elder Rights Advocate and Elder Financial Abuse Survivor, in recognition for her tireless advocacy work for elder financial abuse education and prevention.
ELDER JUSTICE MEDIA AWARD
The Elder Justice Media Award honors those who have used their talents in journalism, film, or other media to shine a spotlight on issues and injustices impacting older adults. Honorees have shared their stories with courage, honesty, and determination, and remind us of the power our voices hold and our collective duty to speak out.
The 2026 Elder Justice Media Award will be awarded to Jeff Horwitz, Investigative Technology Reporter for Thomson Reuters, in recognition of his explosive journalism around Meta's push for AI and the collateral damage especially felt by Facebook's older adult users.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual who has, throughout their career, exhibited an unwavering commitment and lasting impact in the field of elder justice. Honorees have been recognized in their respective professions as trailblazers for change, champions for equity and justice, and dedicated supporters of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
The 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to Barbara J. Parker, JD, in recognition of her trailblazing achievements advancing civil rights and legal protections for Oakland residents as Oakland's City Attorney.
2026 Award Honorees
Alice Lin
Alice Lin is a Los Angeles-based advocate, writer, and speaker dedicated to exposing the systemic nature of modern fraud and protecting vulnerable communities. After losing over $700,000 in a sophisticated “pig-butchering” scam, she transformed her experience into public advocacy—working with legislators on California’s SB 278 to strengthen financial protections, sharing her story across more than 30 media outlets in both English and Chinese, and speaking at conferences and community venues. Alice actively engages with communities through her writing and speaking. Her Chinese-language blog posts on fraud awareness regularly reach hundreds of readers per post, reflecting a growing need for education and prevention. Alice’s story is part of ongoing documentary projects, including an independent production and a forthcoming documentary associated with Frontline/PBS and the Associated Press.
Barbara J. Parker, JD
Barbara J. Parker, JD, served nearly 14 years as Oakland’s City Attorney and was the first African American woman elected to citywide office in Oakland. In an award-winning legal career spanning more than four decades, Ms. Parker developed extensive expertise as an attorney at all levels of government, including more than five years as an Assistant United States Attorney. Ms. Parker’s crowning achievement as City Attorney was launching and building the Affirmative Litigation, Enforcement and Innovation Division in 2016. The division includes the Neighborhood Law Corps, Housing Justice Initiative, and Community Lawyering and Civil Rights units. Ms. Parker established this division to make a top priority of affirmative litigation and other actions and initiatives to secure justice and equity for all Oakland residents and workers and to f ight discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, immigration status, economic status or other protected status. Ms. Parker earned her undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Washington and was one of the very few African Americans and women accepted at Harvard Law School in the early 1970s. She graduated from Harvard determined to use the law as a tool to help Black and other people of color gain access to education, assets, and secure rights to education and equal opportunity.
Jeff Horwitz
Jeff Horwitz is an Oakland-based investigative technology reporter for Thomson Reuters in San Francisco, and a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, American Banker, Legal Times, The San Bernardino Sun and The Washington City Paper. Jeff’s work on The Wall Street Journal’s Facebook Files series won a Pulitzer Prize, a George Polk Award, a Gerald Loeb Award and the Chris Welles Memorial Prize. He is the author of Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets, a behind-the-scenes look at how Facebook manipulated users and distorted the way we connect online—and the company insiders who found the courage to speak out. Broken Code is the basis for Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming movie, The Social Reckoning, in which Jeff will be portrayed by actor Jeremy Allen White. Reporter Ronan Farrow calls Jeff “a dogged and meticulous reporter… at the height of his powers in Broken Code.”
FAQs
- What Continuing Education credits will be available at this year's conference?
All conference sessions qualify for General MCLE credits. Select presentations have specialized MCLE credits noted.
All sessions have been approved for continuing education credits by the California Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians, and Public Conservators (CAPAPGPC).
Select sessions have been approved for continuing education credit by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Courses meet the qualifications of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
- How can attendees claim their continuing education credits?
Attendees may sign in for a maximum number of three classes and must complete a post-session evaluation. A General Certificate of Attendance will be available for each session.
State Bar of California MCLE (Attorneys and Professional Fiduciaries)
The Keynote and all classes are approved for a combined total of 5.25 hours of continuing education credit through Legal Assistance for Seniors (Provider #2387) as authorized by the State Bar of California.
California Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians and Public Conservators
All sessions have been approved as outside training through the CAPAPGPC. Conference attendees must submit their attendance certificates within 90 days to receive credit.
National Association of Social Workers
Select sessions have been approved for continuing education credit through the NASW. Approved courses meet the qualifications of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Conference attendees must attend the entire program and turn in their evaluation at the end of the program in order to qualify for a CE Certificate.
- How can attendees request accommodations to attend the conference?
LAS makes every effort to make its events accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations, please email the LAS Conference team at conference@lashicap.org, or contact Shawna Reeves at (510) 832-3040 ext. 349.
Sponsorships
The Conference on Elder Abuse is made possible only by the generosity of our dedicated sponsors and supporters below. Thank you for championing the rights of older adults!
Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Contact conference@lashicap.org to learn more.
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
CONFERENCE SUPPORTERS
National Center on Elder Abuse at USC Keck School of Medicine
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
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