In 2020, New York County guardianship judges, the New York Women’s Bar Association and the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission inaugurated the Guardianship Diversity Initiative (GDI) to increase and promote diversity in the Mental Hygiene Law Article 81 practice. The program has already been successful in expanding the opportunity for attorneys of color, bilingual individuals, members of LGBTQ+ and disability communities as well as attorneys of diverse ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds to serve in key roles in the guardianship process.

Britney Spears

The Britney Spears California guardianship, while atypical of a New York guardianship, and highly tabloid, has had the salutary effect of educating many people about a process that until now has been largely unexamined and unfamiliar. Other high profile guardianship cases have involved socialite Brooke Astor, businessman Sumner Redstone, astronaut Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin Jr., actor Mickey Rooney, radio personality Kemal Amin “Casey” Kasem, actor Peter Falk, actress Amanda Bynes, singer Joni Mitchell, and musician Brian Wilson.