PSU-DSL Publishes Its Elder Law Clinic Newsletter

The Fall, 2007 issue of the newsletter "Adventures in Law and Aging" (PDF, 6 pages) was recently posted online by the Elder Law and Consumer Protection Clinic, of Penn State's Dickinson School of Law.

This issue of the Newsletter was introduced by Professor Katherine C. Pearson, who supervises the Clinic & teaches elder law at PSU/DSL.

Our Elder Law and Consumer Protection Clinic is now in its seventh year of operation. I’m pleased to announce developments, including relocation to the Dale F. Shughart Community Law Center at 45 North Pitt Street in Carlisle, where we share space with Penn State Dickinson’s long-established Family Law and Disability Law Clinics and the newest in-house clinic, the Children’s Advocacy Clinic.

Our students represent older adults on referrals from central Pennsylvania’s Area Agencies on Aging. * * *

With recent developments in federal and state laws, we’ve seen big changes in services for older adults. These changes put me on the road frequently, not just within the state but also nationally and internationally, to talk about the future of laws affecting older adults and their families. For example, in November I’ll be speaking in Vancouver at an international elder law conference hosted by the Canadian Centre on Elder Law Studies, as well as at the National Council on Family Relations’ annual meeting, focusing on my research into filial support laws.

This newsletter is written in large part by current students in the Clinic, who are certified to practice law under the guidance of our Clinic’s terrific visiting practitioners, Mark Allshouse, Douglas Roeder, and Nichole Walters, who each bring special knowledge and skills to bear for tough cases. * * *

The contents of the Newsletter (See: "Inside this issue", above) reflect a variety of elder law matters in this Commonwealth, viewed from the client cases conducted by law students, and also from the research & educational efforts of their Clinic's supervisors.

Professor Gerry W. Beyer recognized the Newsletter in a posting on his Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog, dated December 14, 2007, entitled "Fall Issue of Penn State’s Elder Law and Consumer Protection Clinic News".

This Clinic, its Newsletter, and the students who power such efforts, provide a vision of the future for "elder law" in Pennsylvania, from those who prepare to serve that clientele.