Attorney Partners Jenna Franks and Landon Hodges Earn CELA Certification
Attorney Jenna Franks, Esq., and Attorney Landon Hodges, Esq., both partners at the elder law firm of Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak, recently both earned their Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA®) designation from the National Elder Law Foundation. The CELA® certification is frequently referred to as the "gold standard" for elder law and special needs practitioners, and fewer than 600 attorneys have this certification in the entire country, including just 68 in Pennsylvania as of September 2024. Jenna and Landon join fellow Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak partner attorneys Julie Steinbacher, Esq. and Amos Goodall, Esq. as CELAs, giving the law firm four of 68 in Pennsylvania, which is the second-most of any law firm in the state, and most of any firm in SGY’s geographic footprint, which spans northeastern, north central and central Pennsylvania.
Preparation for the CELA designation is rigorous and a multi-stepped process. Applicants for the certification must have practiced law for at least five years, half of which must be in the special needs/elder law field for at least the last three of those years. They also must demonstrate substantial involvement in special needs and elder law practice by showing a minimum number of individual cases spread across a number of different categories making up the "elder law" definition. They also must complete a day-long written exam, of which passing rates are usually below 50%. Finally, applicants must undergo a review by peers and colleagues, focused on the applicant's reputation for ethical and competent representation in elder law and special needs planning matters.
Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak Announces Addition of Law Office of J. Howard Langdon in Muncy; New Real Estate Legal Services
Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak, an elder and special needs law firm with locations in Altoona, State College, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, Wyalusing and Wysox, Pa., is pleased to announce that the Law Office of J. Howard Langdon in Muncy, Pa., has joined SGY, effective May 20, 2024. The now former office of Attorney Langdon, located at 3 South Main St. in Muncy, will become SGY’s seventh office location.
As part of the transaction, Attorney Langdon, who has been practicing law in Lycoming County since 1975, will become Of Counsel with SGY as he embarks toward his eventual retirement. Additionally, SGY will be branching out its practice area of law to include all aspects of real estate transactions, including both buyer and seller representation for both commercial and residential properties. Attorney Langdon, who has practiced real estate law for several decades, will assist SGY in setting up this new practice area.
“My staff and I have had the opportunity to work with Howard Langdon for several years on various cases and in all my dealings, I was impressed with his integrity and quality legal representation,” said Attorney Julie Steinbacher, CELA, founding shareholder of SGY. “He has served his community in Eastern Lycoming County and beyond extremely well during his long and distinguished career and we look forward to providing that same level of service that his clients have come to expect over the years. We are also grateful to Attorney Langdon for agreeing to stay on as Of Counsel to further assist us with the Muncy office.”
Meet the New Special Needs Planning Department!
Our Special Needs Planning department recently underwent a transformation, and we’d like to introduce two staff members who are knowledgeable on the planning process and ever-evolving regulatory changes.
Megan Ingram, Esquire – SNP Team Lead
Megan Ingram joined Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak as an associate attorney in November 2020. A 2020 summa cum laude honors graduate of Penn State Law School, Megan works out of the firm's State College office and primarily works in the wealth protection department, while also focusing on special needs planning. Megan graduated fourth (of 115) in her law school class, where she served as a senior editor of Penn State Law Review and was the recipient of several CALI Excellence for the Future Awards. Megan previously served as a legal assistant at Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak for two years while in law school, working primarily with Attorney Amos Goodall out of the firm's State College office. There, she helped draft estate planning documents such as trusts, wills, powers of attorney and deeds, as well as guardianship petitions, and also attended numerous attorney-client meetings for estate planning, special needs planning and Medicaid planning. In her new role in the special needs planning department, Megan oversees the drafting of special needs trusts as well as other important parts of estate plans and assists families and other staff in recognizing all aspects of this particular type of long-term care planning.
The firm is thrilled to have Megan direct the revamped special needs planning department!
Christina Spicer – SNP Coordinator
Christina joined Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak as a special needs planning coordinator in early 2024. A 2015 cum laude honors graduate of Lock Haven University, Christina holds a bachelor’s degree in Disability and Community Services. She has experience working in human services primarily in one-on-one environments alongside individuals with disabilities as well as the low-income population. Christina’s role as the SNP Coordinator is to support our clients and families by listening, counseling, and providing guidance during their special needs planning process. Additionally, she works to facilitate and assure the quality of all aspects of special needs planning by meeting with clients and their families to aid in establishing helpful resources, materials, and appropriate accommodations for their unique situation. Christiana also assists our clients with applying for government benefit programs and other useful services. She’s been updating the firm’s Summary of Our Wishes document, and she is equipped to support families seeking support for guardianship services. She truly does it all!
Megan and Christina are eager to answer any questions you may have about getting started with general special needs planning, or with continuing your planning efforts.
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