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, 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.”
Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak, an elder law firm with locations in Altoona, State College, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, Wyalusing and Wysox, Pa., is pleased to announce the addition of Attorney Amy George to its staff as an associate attorney. Attorney George will be working out of the Williamsport and Wyalusing offices and with the wealth protection & planning team.
Amy comes to SGY after practicing law in New Jersey since 2016 for two different law firms. She worked for Cestone & Thompson for just over five years and for Coughlin, Midlige & Garland for two years and in the practice areas of tax, trusts and estates, handling cases involving estate administration, fiduciary income tax, fiduciary litigation and estate planning. She also did a three-month stint as an extern with the Internal Revenue Service while in law school.
A 2016 cum laude graduate of Seton Hall Law School, Amy is admitted to the Bar in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She also holds a bachelor's degree in sociology/anthropology and studio art from Washington & Lee, as well as a master's degree of arts photography from Temple. She currently resides in White Haven, Pa. In addition to her legal career, Amy has served the Eastern Orthodox Christian community in church ministry including but not limited to liturgical chant, Sunday School programming and youth pilgrimage.
Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak is an elder care and special needs law firm offering quality representation to clients throughout Pennsylvania. It has six locations in Altoona, State College, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, Wyalusing and Wysox. Since its beginning in 2002, the firm has dedicated itself to practicing law with extraordinary standards of ethics and values. 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.
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