Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak Welcomes Attorney Alexandra Garver & Attorney Skylah Cunningham

Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak, an elder law firm with seven locations across northeastern and central Pennsylvania, is pleased to announce the addition of Attorney Alexandra Garver and Attorney Skylah Cunningham to the firm as associate attorneys. Alexandra will be working out of the Altoona and State College offices, and Skylah will be working out of the Williamsport office. Both are recent law school graduates that passed the bar exam last fall. 

Alexandra is a central Pennsylvania native, having been born and raised in Martinsburg, Pa., and is a graduate of Central Martinsburg. She attended both undergrad and law school at Penn State and received a bachelors in telecommunications in 2021. As an undergraduate she participated in mock trial, telecommunications club and THON.

During law school, Alexandra got experience at multiple law firms as an intern and legal assistant, including the Law Offices of Jayne Garver in Harrisburg and De Boef Lucchesi & Associates in State College. She prepared and drafted legal documents, conducted research, connected and maintained relationships with clients, and provided organizational support, among other duties. She joined SGY as a law clerk in August 2024 following completion of the bar exam. She will be working on the estate & long-term care planning team in State College and Altoona. 

Skylah is native of North Andover, Mass. and attended the University of Tampa, graduating in 2020 with a bachelor’s in political science and minors in law, justice & advocacy and criminology.

She also attended law school at Penn State and has worked for multiple law firms as both an undergrad and during law school, serving as a legal assistant and summer associate. She drafted and prepared documents, transcribed dictation, prepared exhibits for depositions and mediations, and facilitated communication between attorneys, clients, and opposing counsels. She also worked as an intern under Judge Suzanne Adams of the New York County Supreme Court, where she reviewed and discussed various motions, researched case law, and provided organizational support. Skylah joined SGY in September 2024 as a law clerk following completion of the bar exam. She will be working on the real estate, estate planning and wealth protection and planning teams in Williamsport.

SGY was founded in 2002 by Attorney Julie Steinbacher, who opened a single office in Williamsport, Pa., and for over the last two decades, has assisted thousands of clients with their legal planning needs for their second half of life. The firm acquired the State College elder law firm of Goodall & Yurchak in 2015. In 2021, upon the retirement of Attorney Leslie Wizelman, SGY acquired her former elder law firm with locations in Wyalusing and Wysox. In 2023, the firm opened new locations in both Altoona and Wilkes-Barre. In 2024, the firm acquired the Muncy law office of Howard Langdon, which became its seventh location. The firm’s mission is to provide protection in times of prosperity, security in times of uncertainty and comfort in times of crisis. It provides a full suite of elder law services, which include but aren’t limited to wills, powers of attorney, special needs planning, estate administration, guardianships, long-term care planning, nursing home Medicaid planning, wealth protection and tax planning, business succession planning, veterans’ benefits planning, elder care navigation, and Alzheimer’s and dementia planning. The vision of the firm has been to provide individuals and their families with a unique plan to protect their assets for their spouses and future generations, while providing for their immediate and long-term needs. More information, including resources and seminar information, can be found at PAElderCounsel.com. To schedule your appointment at any of its offices, call 1-800-351-8334.

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.

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