If Your Clients are Mostly “Older,” Are You Practicing Elder Law?
The November/December 2015 issue of the ABA magazine (Volume 32, Issue 2) GPSOLO, the publication for members of the Solo, Small Firm and General Practice division of the American Bar Association, is devoted to Elder Law. The issue can be found on-line (and viewing does not seem to be restricted to division members!). The articles are also available on Westlaw.
Articles include:
- How to Make Money Practicing Elder Law, by Andrea G. Van Leesten, who practices in California and who is the 2015-16 Diversity Director for the Division;
- Representing Elder Physical Abuse Victims, by California practitioner Mark Redmond, who has “focused primarily on representation of elders in cases of physical and financial abuse for the last 15 years;”
- Advocating for Elders Suffering Financial Abuse and Exploitation, by Nicole Le Hudson, who focuses her San Diego practice on disability and elder law and who is a “member of the court-appointed attorney panel for conservatorships;”
- The State of Age Discrimination Law: An Update, by Brian McCaffrey, who focuses his New York practice on employment litigation;
- Estate Planning for Old Age and Incapacity, by Sheila-Marie Finkelstein, who practices estate planning in Irvine, California;
- Counseling Clients about Health Care Toward the End of Life, by Sally Balch Hurme (who I just discovered while reading her article recently retired from 23 years of consumer advocacy with AARP — but who is still clearly very active in elder law, thank goodness!);
- How to Fund Long-Term Care Without Medicaid, by Eileen Walsh, from Louisville, and I have to admit I read her article first – she explores Medicare, insurance, VA benefits and reverse mortgage options); and
- What Every Lawyer Needs to Know About Planning for Retirement, by Cynthia Sharp who “works with motivated lawyers seeking to generate additional income.”
Charlie Sabatino brings to bear his 30 years of experience and careful thought to the question of whether having older clients automatically means you are practicing “elder law,” in his column “GP Mentor: When Does Serving Older Clients Become Elder Law?” Hint? The answer may depend on whether you are working in the best interests of the senior.
In addition, there is a great Resource Guide of recent texts on Elder Law and the Division Chair’s essay on recognizing Elder Abuse. PLUS, there’s a detailed shoppers’s guide to cameras, mobile phones ans more in the 2015 Tech Gift Guide — for those of you still searching for gift ideas for your favorite elder law attorney!