With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare settings, Jacqueline Shafer brings extensive knowledge of long term care, and geriatric physical and mental health issues to her elder law practice. She represents clients in a variety of matters including long term care planning; elder mediation; Medicaid planning; disability planning & guardianships; long term care dispute resolution; and estate planning and administration. She frequently lectures on elder law and estate law topics at some of the region’s most prestigious legal events, including the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Elder Law and Estate Law Institutes.

Prior to joining High Swartz, Ms. Shafer was a Vice President of a regional continuing care retirement community, and she also served as a policy analyst with the New Jersey Department of Health & Human Services, where she focused on funding and policy legislation for mental health, Medicaid, Medicare and family support programs.

Areas of Practice:
Elder & Disability Law
Guardianships
Estates, Trusts and Elder Law
Estate Planning
Special Needs Trusts
Will & Trust Litigation

Bar Admissions:

• Pennsylvania, 2006
• New Jersey, 2005

Education:

• Widener University School of Law, J.D., 2005
• Rutgers University, Master of Social Work, 1988
• Cedar Crest College, B.A., B.S.W., magna cum laude, 1987

Professional Affiliations & Honors:

• American Bar Association, Member of the Health Law Section
• Pennsylvania Bar Association
• Montgomery Bar Association, Member of the Elder Law Section
• New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators
• National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
• Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA)

Civic & Community Activities:

• Grand View Hospital, Member of the Foundation Board and member of the Ethics Committee
• Peter Becker Community, Co-Chair of the Ethics Committee

Publications & Presentations:

• “Ethical Issues in Long Term Care,” CLE Presentation on Ethics, October 2009
• “The Medicaid Application Process,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Twelfth Annual Elder Law Institute, July 2009
• “Assisted Living Contracts: What Every Practitioner Needs to Know,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Summer 2008
• “Understanding and Working with Long Term Care Facilities: What You Really Need to Know,” Pennsylvania Bar Association Elder Law Section Newsletter, Spring 2008
• “Guardianships 101: Practical Advice for the Beginning Practitioner,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Winter 2007
• “Advance Directives and Act 169,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Spring 2007