I am proud that I will be part of a live and streamed Forum on Turner, on its first anniversary.

Here is the announcement:

Turner v. Rogers Anniversary Forum:

 Fundamental Fairness and the Ability to Pay in Child Support Proceedings

June 20, 2012 from 2:00 – 3:30 pm

You are invited to a forum sponsored by the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) and the Department of Justice’s Access to Justice Initiative.  Please join a panel of experts on June 20, 2012, for a discussion of the critical messages from Turner v. Rogers.  One year ago, the United States Supreme Court decided Turner v. Rogers, which required states in civil contempt proceedings to provide procedures that ensure a fundamentally fair determination of whether an unrepresented parent is able to comply with a court order to pay child support.  The forum will include a discussion of setting realistic child support orders, and other promising practices that avoid the build-up of arrears; explore cost-effective strategies for child support compliance, including alternatives to contempt, and, discuss expanding self-help services and access to justice for unrepresented litigants.  The forum will also highlight OCSE policy guidance arising out of Turner.

Participants will learn about concrete tools to transform child support contempt practice and to assist litigants without lawyers.  They will also learn about how Turner applies in the child support context as well as the country’s civil courtrooms, in light of the increasing numbers of self-represented litigants. 

Confirmed speakers include George Sheldon, Acting Assistant Secretary Administration for Children and Families; Vicki Turetsky, OCSE Commissioner; Daniel Olmos, Department of Justice Access to Justice Initiative Senior Counsel; Alan Houseman, Center for Law and Social Policy Executive Director; Richard Zorza, Self-Represented Litigation Network; Diane Potts, Illinois Deputy Attorney General; and, Pamela Lowry, Administrator of the Division of Child Support Enforcement for Illinois.

This event will be webcast at www.hhs.gov/live. There will be limited seating for the event in the HHS Auditorium, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC.    To register for this event, please go to http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=vt7m85dab&oeidk=a07e5xnwsuk54634bab

This forum is appropriate for a wide audience, including anyone involved in child support and access to justice issues.