Elder Law Clinic

The Elder Law Clinic is a general practice on behalf of the elderly. Areas of practice typically include health insurance (Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance), access to medical care, advance directives, social security issues, consumer law, housing law, and more. Students have substantial opportunities to interview and counsel clients, conduct fact investigations, grapple with thorny ethical issues unique to elderly clients, and advocate for clients in a variety of settings, including administrative proceedings. The Elder Law Clinic is part of the Syracuse Medical Legal Partnership collaborating with geriatricians to better serve our respective, and sometimes joint, clients and patients. Students interested in health care, elder law, family law, administrative law, and general practice will find this clinic a great place to develop skills and substantive expertise.

What to expect

ELC is a 1 semester, 6 credit clinic.  Students spend 20-25 hours per week on their cases and other clinic-related work.  Professional Responsibility and Elder Law are co- or pre-requisites.

Students will:

• Interview and counsel clients.
• Represent clients at administrative proceedings and in court.
• Conduct informal advocacy with agencies, health care providers, and family members.
• Engage in fact investigation.
• Counsel clients on planning for future health care, financial needs.
• Conduct legal research and analysis.
• Advocate on healthcare and other policy issues.

In the classroom

The ELC Clinic offers students the opportunity to learn about the following areas of law in context: Surrogate decision making, Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, social security, landlord tenant law, real property issues, consumer law, administrative law, and health law.