The Albany Law School Elder & Disability Law Pro Bono Society Present:

Senior Citizens Law Day

Saturday, April 27, 2024
8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Albany Law School
80 New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY

Free parking will be available on campus. 

Senior Citizens Law Day is a free event for seniors, soon-to-be seniors, their loved ones, and caregivers presented by Albany Law School’s Pro Bono Program. Join us for the workshops and consultations conducted by Albany Law professors, attorneys, and other experts.

Senior Citizens Law Day is an annual community education event held on the Albany Law School campus. 

At Senior Citizens Law Day, attendees can:

• Attend workshops on pressing legal, financial, and health issues
• Receive a free one-on-one counseling session with an attorney on Elder Law and Estate Planning issues 
• Hear from prominent advocates for older adults
• Receive other informational materials

How to Register

Register online by clicking the Registration Button above
OR
Call the Justice Center at 518-445-2328

Parking and Entrance

Parking and the entrance to Albany Law School is located off of Holland Ave. Parking is free. 

Workshops

Session 1 - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

• Aging In Place - Jane-Marie Schaeffer, Esq., Herzog Law Firm
  Are you and your loved ones protected in the event that you become disabled, go into a nursing home, or pass away? This presentation covers the steps necessary to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your assets.
  
  
• Medicaid and Planning Techniques to Help Gain Medicaid Eligibility - Jessica Bothelo Esq., Botelho Law, PLLC
  "A discussion on how gifting or transferring your assets away affects Medicaid eligibility for individuals seeking Medicaid assistance to cover the cost of nursing home care and options for dealing with past gifts." 
  
  
• Advanced Directives vs. Guardianship: How Can Advanced Directives Prevent the Need for Guardianship - Aaron Carbone, Esq., Vella, Carbone & Vinson, LLP
  Advanced directives and guardianships are both important tools that can help someone act in your stead if you become incapacitated. This workshop will provide a general overview of and discuss the differences between advance directives vs guardianship.
  

Session 2 - 10:15 - 11:15 a.m.

• Wills v. Trusts - Phillip Vacchio, Esq., Herzog Law Firm 
  Learn about necessary legal documents that every adult person should have in place, important differences between Wills and Trusts, and the roles each play in a well crafted estate plan. Plan ahead to preserve your assets, control your future, and protect you and your loved ones. 
  
  
• How to Qualify for Medicaid Home Care - Louis Pierro, Esq., Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC
  If you desire to age in the comfort of your home, how can you afford the cost of long-term care without spending down your life savings? Unless you have long-term care insurance, the answer is Medicaid: a means tested government program that covers those exorbitant costs. In this Senior Law Day session, Louis Pierro, Founding Partner of Pierro, Connor & Strauss, walks you through the steps to become eligible for Community Medicaid. Find out how legal and financial planning using ‘trusts’ are powerful techniques to protect your assets and preserve income in order to qualify. Using a case study, you’ll learn why New York has one of the most generous programs in the country for home care.
  
  
• Scam Prevention and Tax Scams - Kristofer J. Kasnicki, Esq. and Xiaoxiao Pan, Esq, Legal Aid Society
  This seminar will cover scam prevention and touch on tax scams. 
  
  
• Guardianship - Sheila Shea, Esq., NYS Office of Mental Hygiene Legal Services 
  Program will introduce the Mental Hygiene Legal Service, a state funded legal advocacy agency for people with mental disabilities with an emphasis on guardianship in New York State.  Audience will be introduced to the State's two guardianship statutes, article 81 of the Mental Hygiene Law and article 17-A of the Surrogate's Court Procedure Act, the procedural differences between the two statutes, legal challenges to 17-A and the need for oversight of guardians appointed under either statute.   A new statute, Supported Decision Making, as an alternative to guardianship, will also be discussed

Session 3 - 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

• "Cyber Security and Elder Fraud: Scams Targeting Seniors" -  Alexander Wentworth-Ping, Esq., Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York. 
   Alex will give a presentation entitled “Cyber Security and Elder Fraud: Scams Targeting Seniors” in which he will explain the warning signs associated with financial exploitation scams targeting seniors and older adults, common examples of scams that are affecting our community, and will provide ways that the community can prevent and avoid falling victim to such scams.
   
• "What To Do When a Loved One Dies" -  Debra Verni, Esq., Rowlands, LeBrou & Griesmer, PLLC
   Confused about what are the immediate actions to take? Who to notify? Who makes the arrangements and who gets what? Learn how to make this heartbreaking event easier to manage.
  
  
• The Importance of a Comprehensive Estate Plan During Life and Death - Amanda Chesterfield, Esq., Burke & Casserly, P.C.
  This seminar will discuss the purpose of advance directives including health care proxies, living wills, and powers of attorney, and the importance of having these documents in place. Estate and succession planning will be addressed, including wills and trusts, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Finally, there will be an overview of the estate administration process, discussing the differences between a probate proceeding (where an individual dies with a will), versus administration proceedings (where an individual dies “intestate” or without a will), including the succession of property through beneficiary designations and other means.