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The Needs of the Elderly Committee (NOE) is dedicated to the mission of ensuring the delivery of quality legal services for the elderly and of advocating for their rights. As
part of that mission, we join NAELA, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, in recognizing May as National Elder Law Month.
Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, NAELA was formed
in 1988 in response to the growing needs of older adults and their families in coping with the legal problems of aging. Unlike traditional lawyers, elder law attorneys deal with their
clients "holistically" - dealing with issues that affect a particular segment of the population rather than a narrow area of law. When clients visit an elder law attorney, they
generally present problems beyond the need for a will or a power of attorney. Elder law attorneys are familiar with the network of services and providers to assist clients effectively.
While several of our committee members are also members of NAELA, we are not only elder law attorneys. Our driving goal is to help meet the legal needs of older persons in Utah. One
of the main ways in which we accomplish that goal is through our senior center legal consultation pro bono program.
The purpose of this program is to help seniors evaluate whether
they need legal assistance and help them access legal services and other appropriate resources to solve their problems. Every month volunteer lawyers meet one-on-one with clients for
twenty-minute consultations over a two-hour period. Clinics are held in all of Salt Lake County's seventeen senior centers. The Bar's Pro Bono Office coordinates with Salt Lake County
Aging Services to arrange scheduling with the senior centers. The committee recruits and supports the over 50 lawyers who volunteer their time and services with the program. Each month
volunteers provide from twenty to thirty individual consultations. The legal issues discussed usually include powers of attorney, advance directives, consumer and debt problems, property
questions, bankruptcy, telemarketing, public benefits, and small claims court matters. Many seniors just need someone to talk to who can help them figure out what to do next.
The
committee's pro bono program in Salt Lake County has been successful for over a decade. We are trying to expand the program now to include senior subsidized housing units and to reach
seniors beyond Salt Lake County lines. We learned recently that we have been awarded a Partnership in Law and Aging Program grant to support our work. The program, sponsored by The
American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging and the Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging, awards up to ten $7,500 grants annually to bar associations,
legal services providers, and other organizations to encourage the development of collaborative, law-related projects designed to enhance the legal knowledge and awareness of older adults
and improve their access to the justice system. We received a grant to train volunteer lawyers on elder law basics and aging network resources; conduct legal consultations with seniors at
senior centers and senior housing units, and publish a print and Internet elder law manual for advocates and consumers.
We welcome any lawyer interested in participating in our pro
bono efforts to either serve as a volunteer or to join our committee. During National Elder Law Month, we want to acknowledge the dedicated efforts of the following attorneys. They have
all met with older adults at senior centers and provided counsel, legal advice, and understanding. Many thanks to all of them. For more information, please contact the NOE chair, Mary
Jane Ciccarello, at mciccarello@utah.gov, or 801-538-4641.
Professor Richard Aaron
Kent Alderman
Rick Armstrong
James Baker
Marty Banks
Margaret Billings
Richard L. Bird, Jr.
John Borsos
Douglas Cannon
David Castleton
Mary Jane Ciccarello
TantaLisa Clayton
Cindy Crass
Bill Crawford
Marlin G. Criddle
Carl Erickson
Nicole Evans
Phillip Ferguson
Joseph Goodman, Jr
Laurie Hart
Dawn Hibl
Craig Hughes
Dwight Janerich
Michael A. Jensen
Kristen Johnson
Kevin Jones
Ken Margetts
Joyce Maughan
Harry McCoy, II
Edward McDonough
James A. McIntosh
Thomas Mecham
Mark Morrise
John Neville
Kerry Owens
David Pace
Kami Peterson
Kara Pettit
Deanna Sabey
Scott Sabey
Steve Sargent
Jane Semmel
R. P. Stevens
Kendall R. Surfass
Barbara W. Richman
Jeannine Timothy
Julie Valdes
Sherinne M. Walker
Todd Weiler
Troy Wilson
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