The National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER) is excited to invite legal services providers to apply for the 2025 Advancing Guardianship Defense Cohort. Applications are due Monday, May 26th. 

Legal assistance organizations across the country are recognizing that a skilled, passionate lawyer, ready to fight for the wishes of their client, is an effective way not only to protect the rights and autonomy of older adults facing or under guardianship but also to improve the guardianship system as a whole. 

The Advancing Guardianship Defense Cohort is a six-month training and peer-to-peer learning program focused on building capacity and expertise in guardianship defense to better serve older adults by strengthening skills, processes, and partnerships. Cohort members will connect with and learn from other members around the country who are similarly committed to providing guardianship defense and improving guardianship systems.

Members will also receive one-on-one technical assistance from NCLER to help them develop and implement their own programmatic initiative to advance and expand their provision of guardianship defense services to older adults. NCLER will provide regular consultations, ongoing feedback, and provision of relevant resources to help members develop, refine, and implement their plans, tailoring technical assistance to fit the needs of the organization and initiative. 

The Advancing Guardianship Defense Cohort will run from June through November 2025. Group meetings be held monthly. Intensive technical assistance will be provided by NCLER individually to organizations via an initial introductory/planning meeting, monthly one-on-one meetings, and individual assistance as needed. 

To obtain a copy of the application for the Advancing Guardianship Defense Cohort, please email NCLER at ConsultNCLER@acl.hhs.gov. Additional information about the program can be found in the application. NCLER is also happy to answer any questions about the application or the cohort program – simply email your questions to ConsultNCLER@acl.hhs.gov.  

Interested organizations should submit their application to participate in the Advancing Guardianship Defense Cohort by Monday, May 26, 2025, via email to  ConsultNCLER@acl.hhs.gov. 

The above application is an opportunity for interested members of the NCLER network, and only organizations that are interested in participating need to apply. NCLER network members who do not participate in this full cohort program will receive ongoing resources developed as part of this program. NCLER will share learnings from the cohort with the entire network through trainings, practice tips, and other resources.