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Laura Remick, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Summer 2009
My internship at the ABA Commission on Law and Aging was an invaluable experience. The Commission staff was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I enjoyed working in the office.
This summer I worked with two attorneys researching the issue of reporting elder abuse under adult protective services laws and writing a paper, with accompanying reference charts that display provisions and penalties. This information is intended to provide awareness on elder abuse to the public.
During my internship, I had also the opportunity to broaden my knowledge on health law and elder law by attending the National Institute of Justice convention, observing a mock Social Security Disability hearing, and attending the National Health Policy Forum. As an intern I explored Washington through a number of fun and interesting activities, including visiting the Supreme Court and touring the Washington Monument. |
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Allison Hughes, Brigham Young University, Summer 2009
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience as an intern with the ABA Commission on Law and Aging. It was great to be a part of such a friendly and helpful staff who share my interests in elder law and policy. My project this summer focused on state advance directive registries and their development across the country. I learned a great deal about the issue and was able to improve my research and writing skills in the process. In addition, I was able to attend hearings on Capitol Hill on variety of current issues in aging and health policy. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such wonderful people on issues that are so important to me. |
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| Angela Gandy was the 2008 Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging Intern. Ms. Gandy worked closely with Assistant Director Erica Wood. During her internship, Ms. Gandy produced an article based on review of temporary emergency adult guardianship statutes across all 51 jurisdictions. Her article is the first intensive analysis of these provisions in 15 years. In addition, Ms. Gandy assisted with researching the legal issues of mandatory binding pre-dispute arbitration in nursing home contracts, and attended a hearing concerning pending federal legislation. Ms. Gandy brought to the ABA internship 20 years in the healthcare field as an intensive care unit coordinator and an insurance reimbursement specialist. |
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| Rachel Ney was the 2008 Coleman Summer Intern. During her internship, Ms. Ney worked with associate staff director Holly Robinson on a paper that compares provisions in state laws concerning continuing care retirement communities with the Fair Housing Act. It recommends that states incorporate the Fair Housing Act provisions prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability into state CCRC laws as a way of educating residents and providers on protections. |
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Matthew Bernt, Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, Washington, D.C., Summer 2007
My experience at the ABA Commission on Law and Aging was richer and more rewarding than I envisioned. I was able to work closely with a staff attorney examining the application of fair housing law to assisted living facilities. Working with my supervising attorney was an enriching experience, as I learned not only about the law in this area, but also about the work do ne by the many advocates in the field. I enjoyed working with a staff attorney on a more equal footing than would have been possible in a larger environment. As a result, I was able to experience a side of the law, and a work environment, that I would not have been able to experience had I not worked at the Commission. My experience was not limited to my work in the office. I was able to attend a number of briefings and hearings on Capitol Hill, as well as various forums on emerging issues in elder law. These experiences helped me broaden my understanding of the issues most likely to have a major impact on the law in the coming years. Finally, I am proud to have produced a paper of publishable quality that will, hopefully, be influential in impacting the way states and advocates protect the housing rights of assisted living residents.
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Law students Nisha Thakker and Abigail Petersen,
2006 summer interns at the ABA Commission on Law and Aging. |
Monica Sethi, University of Maryland School of Law, Baltimore, Md. Summer 2007
The ABA is a great environment to work in and the staff makes the interns feel at home. Staff attorneys are well-versed in their fields and easily approachable for advice or feedback. The experience tied in directly with my focus on health care law and policy, and I learned about a variety of issues touching upon Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, long-term care financing, and elder neglect and abuse. It was a great opportunity to learn about elder law, because it is a subject rarely taught in law schools. I had the opportunity to attend numerous Congressional hearings and briefings held in the House and Senate offices. My assigned project was to analyze all 50 state’s positions on medical futility and to write a paper based on my research discussing a patient’s right to direct his own health care vs. a provider’s right to decline to provide treatment. I am proud of my work product and excited that this is a topic many in the field are interested in reading. My experience has been invaluable and I would recommend it to others seeking experience in policy, health care, and elder law.
Abigail Petersen, St. Louis University School of Law, Summer 2006
I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed my experience with the ABA Commission on Law and Aging staff. The office is extremely friendly and very helpful. I attended numerous Congressional hearings and briefings in both the House and Senate, as well as presentations by various Commission staff. The people who work in the health and aging policy network in Washington are a great group. By the end of the internship, I got to know so many people that I was able to recognize and greet familiar faces when I attended meetings in the city. I worked on a survey concerning surrogate decision-making standards across the 50 states and wrote a paper, both of which I am extremely proud. I wholly enjoyed my internship with the ABA Commission and I recommend it to others seeking experience in policy and elder law.
Nisha Thakker, Washington College of Law at American University, Summer 2006
My experiences at the ABA Commission on Law and Aging this summer proved to be more valuable than I could have imagined. I was given the opportunity to write on a topic that will pave the way (we hope) for more research that is certainly needed in this country. The staff at the Commission was always available for assistance and guidance. The interns were given the chance to attend hearings on the Hill and expand our knowledge to include other aspects of elder law. I’m glad I decided to work at the Commission—it showed me a new sort of law that I would not have experience any other way.
