Our attorneys:

• John “Jay” F. Kearns III
• Lisa Vozzella Courser
• Ben Kiniry

John “Jay” F. Kearns III
Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA)

Jay holds the distinction of being Connecticut’s first attorney to be board certified as an elder law specialist by the National Elder Law Foundation under accreditation by the American Bar Association.

An inductee of The Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s oldest and most widely known academic honor society, Jay earned a B.A. in History at Fordham University and his J.D. from the Syracuse University College of Law.

His commitment to public service extends well beyond his private practice. Jay has served on the Board of Directors of several organizations, including: the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), an association of 4,000 elder law attorneys (1995-2001); The National Elder Law Foundation, an organization which examines and qualifies certified elder law attorneys (1996-2002); and HARC, a multi-service organization in Greater Hartford that serves people with intellectual disabilities and their families through support, education and advocacy (2004-2007). Jay has also served on the Advisory Board of General Electric Center for Financial Learning (1999-2005).

Currently, Jay serves on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Additionally, Jay is a founding member and past president (2005-2006) of the Special Needs Alliance, a national network of disability lawyers, and a past president of the Northern Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association (1997).

In 1999, Jay was inducted as a Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, acknowledging his “exceptional contributions to meeting the needs of older Americans,” as well as being “recognized by peers as a model for others, and an exceptional lawyer and leader.” Only 76 attorneys have received this national honor since 1989; Jay is one of only two Connecticut attorneys selected as Fellows of the Academy.

In 2007, Jay was named a Connecticut Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine in cooperation with Connecticut magazine. Super Lawyers magazine names the top 5% of attorneys in each state, based on scores from their peers and through independent research.

Jay coauthored “Preserving Your Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Settlement After Saunders” (Connecticut Lawyer, Connecticut Bar Association, March 2000) and “Why Trial Lawyers Need to Know About §468B Settlement Funds” (Connecticut Lawyer, Connecticut Bar Association, December 2008). He has been quoted in Modern Maturity, Business Week, Money and Kiplinger, and has appeared on CNNfn, NBC, CNN Radio, and The Wall Street Journal Radio Network for his insight into long-term care issues.

Lisa Vozzella Courser

A graduate of Fairfield University and Western New England College of Law, Lisa is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Connecticut Bar Association’s Elder Law and Estate Planning Sections, the Greater Hartford Probate Forum, and the Greater Hartford Elder Network.

Lisa has served on the Executive Committee and as Secretary for the Alzheimer’s Coalition of Connecticut, Inc. She has also served as Director and Chair of the Communications Committee for the Northern Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Ben Kiniry

A graduate of Keene State College and The University of Connecticut School of Law, Ben is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Connecticut Bar Association’s Elder Law and Estate Planning Sections.

Ben has conducted research regarding taxation, Social Security, Medicaid; special needs trusts and numerous additional topics affecting our practice areas. He has also protected our clients’ rights in conservatorship, commitment, probate and Medicaid hearings.