Guardianship and Alternatives, a 2025 free webinar

Beginning January 2017, Barry G. Lowy assumed the position of Director of The Office of State Guardian with the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. Part of his responsibilities is to promote and assist with legislation that positively impacts the lives of persons with disabilities. He has participated in efforts to pass legislation requiring training for newly appointed guardians and has developed nationally regarded online training for these guardians. Additionally, he has participated in helping to pass legislation expanding involvement of those under guardianship to participate in decisions about themselves, supported decision-making and sex education for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To date, over 7,000 newly appointed guardians have been trained. Prior to his current position, he had been with Equip for Equality from February 1999, in various litigation roles. He has litigation experience across multiple subjects dealing with persons with disabilities ranging from individual representation in state probate court to federal lass action litigation on behalf of adults seeing developmental disability services in community settings and was part of the Ligas class counsel team. He has litigated multiple adult guardianship cases on behalf of individuals with developmental and psychiatric disabilities including the appellate decision of Guardianship of Muellner v. Blessing Hospital, which prevents guardians from compelling wards with mental illnesses into nursing homes against their wishes. Director Lowy served as an adjunct professor at SIU School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry from 2002 to 2012 and is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Disability Law Committee. Prior to coming to Equip for Equality, Director Lowy was in private practice in Cook and Lake County working in the field of personal injury including medical malpractice and products liability. He has a law degree from Tulane University School of Law and Bachelor of Arts degree from Lake Forest College.