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 Community Involvement / Activities (Present and Past) |
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My Philosophy
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All things are connected in one fashion or another. Twenty years of law practice reinforced this for me on countless occasions. All areas of law impact each other just as all aspects of human life weave together to create one magnificent fabric.
Human rights, development, and justice are distinct and separate approaches to the persistent challenges which the global population faces. Yet, these approaches speak a strikingly similar language and share a vitally common goal: improving lives. |
The United Nations Programme on Ageing carries the theme ‘Towards a Society for All Ages,’ emphasizing an intergenerational road towards improved lives for everyone. Each population age group is connected. If the human rights of older persons are to be strengthened, we must advocate for the contributions and support of persons of all ages.
My professional focus is aimed at strategically connecting human rights law to the efforts of existing approaches and disciplines which work to enhance the aging experience of older persons. While the law is no panacea to the challenges faced by any population group, it is a necessary component of what needs to be a collaborative effort.
We all have one thing in common - we are aging with each passing day. If you are not now an older person (age 60 and older), how old will you be in 2050 when demographers predict that global population aging will peak? I will be in my 80's. The human rights of older persons affects each and every one of us.
Education
- Masters in Law (LL.M. with distinction) human rights law, University of Cape Town, South Africa - 2010.
spa(Minor dissertation: ‘Coming of Age: The human rights of older men and women’)
- Juris Doctorate (J.D.), University of Minnesota School of Law, USA - 1988.
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) political science, South Dakota State University, USA - 1985.
Law Practice / Elder Law Experience
(Admitted to practice law in the State of Minnesota.)
- Attorney – Jill Adkins Law Office, Minnesota USA - Current
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Attorney/Partner - Rinke Noonan, Minnesota USA - 1991 to 2008.
- Attorney - Gray Plant Mooty (formerly Hall & Byers), Minnesota USA - 1988 to 1991.
Current Professional Memberships
- International Federation on Ageing (IFA)
- NGO Committee on Ageing (NGO - COA)
- International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA)
- African Research on Ageing Network (AFRAN) of the Oxford Institute on Ageing (AFRAN)
- South African Older Persons Forum (SAOPF)
- Age-in-Action, South Africa
- International Guardianship Network (IGN)
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Appointed associate to the International Longevity Center South Africa (ILCSA)
- Elder Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association
Community Involvement/Activities (Present and Past)
- Advocates for Human Rights – volunteer
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Vulnerable Adult Justice Project – member
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Whitney Senior Center, St. Cloud Minnesota - member of advisory board
- Whitney Senior Center, St. Cloud Minnesota - volunteer educator
- Minnesota State Bar Association Elder Law Section Governing Council - member
- Central Minnesota Estate Planning Council - member, board member
- Central Minnesota Task Force on Battered Women - member, board member
- St. Cloud Zoning Board of Appeals - member
- Forum of Executive Women - member, board member
- Special Magistrate - Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians tribal court
- Sartell Community Education - educator
- St. Cloud Community Education - educator
- Public speaker - countless presentations over the course of twenty years
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