[One of the attorneys
in my law firm, Marshall, Parker and Weber, recently attained the status of
CELA (Certified Elder Law Attorney). This is a major achievement. Congratulations
to Elizabeth White, CELA.* I’m proud of you.
The CELA designation is
very difficult to obtain and represents the elite status of elder law
attorneys. This means that the CELA professional designation provides a measure
of assurance to consumers that the lawyer has an in-depth working knowledge of
the legal issues that impact the elderly, such as long term care. It is somewhat akin to Board Certification
for Physicians.
Attorney White wrote an
article for the Marshall,
Parker and Weber blog about becoming a CELA. Because it is important for
consumers to be aware of this designation, I’ve reproduced her article here
with her permission.]
I am proud to be able to add four additional letters after my
name: CELA. In a world with a dizzying number of designations, you may ask,
“How important could those four extra letters really be?” I can state with
certainty that these letters really do mean a lot. Having a law firm with
attorneys holding the CELA designation is very important when choosing your
elder law firm.
Marshall, Parker and Weber attorneys Matthew J. Parker, Tammy
A. Weber, and now, me, Elizabeth A. White, each hold the Board Certified Elder
Law Attorney (CELA) designation in Pennsylvania. Three CELA attorneys in one
law firm is particularly notable, considering that fewer than fifty attorneys
in Pennsylvania hold the CELA designation.
A Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) is an attorney who has
satisfied high standards to obtain certification in the area of elder law.
These standards are set forth by the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF) and
the designation is certified by the American Bar Association and the Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania.
The purpose of the designation is to allow those needing
advice in the specialized areas of elder law and special needs planning a
method to confirm that the attorney he or she is hiring is beyond qualified to
handle his or her legal issues. While any attorney can hold themselves out as
an “elder law attorney” only those that fulfilled the requirements set forth by
NELF can use the “CELA” designation.
Obtaining certification as a CELA is a rigorous process that
includes practice qualifications, continuing legal education requirements, peer
recommendations, and passing a challenging day-long exam. The standards are set
high in order to ensure NELF’s purpose that those designated as CELAs can be
identified by prospective clients and the community as having specialized knowledge,
experience, and expertise in the areas of elder law and special needs planning.
In order to begin the certification process, an attorney in
good standing must practice law for a minimum of five years. Additionally, in
three of those past five years the attorney must devote at least half of his or
her law practice in the area of elder law and special needs planning.
Substantial involvement in special needs and elder law
practice must be proven by participation in at least forty-five (45) hours of
continuing legal education in the area of elder law in the past three years,
and the applicant must provide proof of at least 60 elder law cases handled in
the categories that make up elder law.
Only after these requirements are satisfied may the applicant
sit for the certified elder law attorney exam. The pass rate for the exam is
typically very low, with many pass rates below 50%, and recent pass rates at
approximately 33%.
The exam consists of multiple choice and short and long essay
questions that call the test taker to have an in-depth knowledge of elder law
issue spotting and advice. The exam tests on various areas of elder law and
special needs planning, including powers of attorney, health and personal care
planning, trusts, wills, guardianships, probate proceedings, trust
administration, long term care insurance, special needs planning, retirement
planning, nursing home resident rights, and government benefit programs such as
Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, SSI and Veteran’s benefits.
Finally, peers in the legal community and elder law community
must review the applicant, including providing input on the attorney’s
reputation for ethical and competent representation in the area of elder law
and special needs planning.
If you have received a letter signed from a Marshall, Parker
and Weber attorney, you may have noticed a “CELA” after a designated attorney’s
name. While some people seal a letter with a kiss to show that it was sent with
love and care, I am now honored to be an attorney at Marshall, Parker and Weber
who can “seal my letter with a CELA” because our “CELA seals” also represent
care in a culmination of years of elder law experience, constant education on
ever changing laws, and ethical and knowledgeable representation of clients.
Elder law issues are complicated, and to place your trust in
a firm with three CELA designated attorneys gives you assurance that the firm
you are working with has been recognized as providing quality legal services in
the area of elder law.
For more information on Certified Elder Law Attorneys visit
NELF’s website at: National Elder Law
Foundation
*Certified as an Elder
Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation as authorized by the
Pennsylvania Supreme Court