DNA Track, S402, “Ethical and Legal Considerations for Genetic Genealogists”

8:00 AM Saturday, 13 May 2017

Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., is an intellectual property attorney by day and a DNA specialist by night. He is the author of the long-running blog The Genetic Genealogist, and frequently gives presentations and webinars to educate others about the use of DNA to explore their ancestry.

Blaine describes his lecture: “I will be talking about the many ethical situations and considerations that genealogists can encounter when using DNA in their research. While it can be a heavy subject for an early Saturday morning, it is an essential consideration for everyone using DNA (and hopefully that is everyone!).For example, what should you do when you discover a suspected case of misattributed parentage? What happens when you or a someone you ask to test discovers a close family member they didn’t know they had? What obligations or risks are involved when an adoptee matches you and contacts you for assistance? We will look at these questions and many more. We will also examine the role that the Genetic Genealogy Standards can play in preventing or lessening ethical dilemmas.”