Thursday, September 17, 2026
1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. - Norfolk Courthouse Rotunda
Free to NPBA members; $30 non-members
2 CLE hr
Area of Law: Health Law, Trusts & Estates, Elder Law, Estate Planning
Thaddeus Mason Pope, JD, PhD, HEC-C, is a foremost expert on
medical law and clinical ethics. He focuses on patient rights and
healthcare decision making, especially at the end of life.
A fellow of the Hastings Center and previously both a Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Health Law, Policy, and Ethics, and a visiting scholar with the Brocher Foundation in Switzerland; Pope is now a Professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Summary:
Over 80,000 Virginians will die in 2026. While many of these people want to control the timing and manner of their death, many cannot. First, only a minority of Virginians know their end-of-life options. Second, even fewer have done the necessary planning. This session helps address the persistently prevalent problem of value-incongruent care for the seriously and terminally ill.
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain the importance of advance care planning.
- Distinguish an advance directive from a POLST.
- Understand the clinical, ethical, and legal aspects of Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED).
- Understand the clinical, ethical, and legal aspects of Medical Aid in Dying (MAID).
- Appraise the appropriateness of a dementia VSED directive for their clients.
Disclaimer
By registering for this Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association (NPBA) event or program you consent to being photographed, filmed and/or otherwise recorded at the event or program. By doing so, you grant to the Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association (NPBA) rights to the release, publication or reproduction of any recorded media taken at the event or program of your appearance, voice or name for use by the Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association (NPBA) and its management team.
.jpg "Image source: http://norfolk.photodeck.com/-/galleries/city-of-norfolk-courthouse/-/medias/4709b6d4-634c-434c-9b97-2335ff9fc171-norfolk-courthouse-06-26-18 Author: Andrew Cooper - City of Norfolk photographer")
