Elder Law Section
Annual Report
2022-2023
Section Membership
As of June 14, 2023 the Section has 447 members.
Financial Status
The Section had an account balance of $11,815.00 as of April 30, 2023.
CLEs & Events
The Section hosted 11 events in fiscal year 2022-23.
| Program Title | Date | Event Code | CLE Credits | Attendees | Virtual/ In-person/ Hybrid |
| Emerging Issues in Long-Term Care | 4/20/2023 8 | 484770 | 2.0 Standard | 48 | Virtual |
| What is Supported Decision-Making and What’s Guardianship Got to Do with It? | 3/16/2023 1 | 481159 | 1.0 Standard | 48 | Virtual |
| Strategies to Reduce or Retain Assets to Obtain Medical Assistance Benefits | 2/16/2023 1 | 480223 | 1.0 Standard | 83 | Virtual |
| Legal Research Tips for People Who Hate Legal Research | 1/11/2023 1 | "478846 | 1.0 Standard | 33 | Virtual |
| Medicaid Compliant Annuities for Married Couples - Strategies, Best Practices, and Pitfalls to Avoid | 11/3/2022 1 | 468200 | 1.0 Standard | 70 | Virtual |
| Elder Law 101 | Litigation Issue Spotting | 10/20/2022 | 471230 | 1.0 Standard | 61 | Virtual |
| Elder Law 101 | Lesser Known Medical Assistance Programs - Not the Nursing Home | 9/15/2022 1 | 470671 | 1.0 Standard | 89 | Virtual |
| Irrevocable Trusts After Geyen | 9/1/2022 | 470029 | 1.0 Standard | 158 | Virtual |
| Long Term Care Planning | 8/18/2022 1 | 468048 | 1.0 Standard | 104 | Virtual |
| Estate Recovery for Home and Community Based Services | 8/4/2022 | 468194 | 1.0 Standard | 89 | Virtual |
Annual Meeting and Election Results
The Section’s Annual Meeting was held on June 16, 2023 and 21 people attended.
The following council members were elected to serve on the Section’s Governing Council from 7/1/2023 to 6/30/2024:
Members in existing term 2022-2024
- Amber Hildebrandt
- John Austin
- Laura Orr
- Marit Peterson
- Mary Frances Price
- Cathryn Reher
- Bridget-Michaele Reischl
- Suzanne Scheller
- Traci Sherman
- Ruthanne Vos
- Bobbi Hermanson-Albers
- Margaret Cook
- Christy DePasquale
- Kate Graham
- Megan Kelly
Members starting a new term 2023-2025:
- Callyn Bedker
- Julian Zweber
- Joshua Damberg
- Gordon Solo
- Genevieve Gaboriault
- Lucas Spaeth
- Lauren Fink
- Brenna Galvin
Members leaving as of 2023:
- Jill Sauber
- Alexus Anderson
- John Kantke
- Maya Missaghi
- Joel Smith
- Daniel Steinhagen
Newly-elected members for 2023-2025:
- Ben Kaufman – Staff Attorney/Elder Law Advocate at SMRLS
- Kirsten Olson – Solo Practitioner / Mid Minnesota Legal Aid Staff Attorney/ Pro Bono Director
- Sara Green – Staff Attorney at the Minnesota Elder Justice Center
- Joy Mickels – Elder Law/Public Benefits Staff Attorney at Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota
- Riley Sullivan – Elder Law/Estate Planning Attorney at Bolt Law Firm
In addition to the attorney nominations made above, University of St. Thomas School of Law student Skylar Halbek has been nominated to become a student member.
The following officers were elected to serve on the Section’s Governing Council from 7/1/2023 to 6/30/2024:
Chair: Lauren Fink
Vice Chair: Genevieve Gaboriault
Secretary: Laura Orr
*Treasurer: Bridget Michaele-Reischl
*Jill Sauber is willing to help with transition of financial information/tasks.
Other Section Accomplishments
The Section submitted an amicus brief in opposition to the decision in Zika v. Elder Care of Minnesota, Inc., No. A21-1710, 2022 WL 3581828 (Minn. Ct. App. Aug. 22, 2022).
A special committee was formed to respond to Minnesota Veterans Homes 9050 proposed rule changes and provide comment.
The Section voted and passed, during the Annual meeting, changes to the Section’s Bylaws that will now be submitted to MSBA for their approval.
Submitted By:
Callyn Bedker, Section Chair
Date: June 21, 2023