By Wendy Cappelletto, CAP, and Tamara Trujillo, Esq.
From the architectural beauty to the unrivaled food scene, Chicago was the perfect city to host the NAELA 2018 Summit.
With more than 270 attendees in Chicago for this year’s 2018 Summit, it is fair to say the November weather did not deter NAELA members. The Windy City provided a backdrop to not only learn but have some fun as well. The 2018 Summit offered 28 informative presentations covering three distinct learning tracks, preceded by a two-day Advanced Elder Law Review. This year’s conference presentations were concentrated on three major learning tracks – Guardianship, Special Needs Planning, and Practice Management (drafting).
After the initial general session, “A New Era for VA Aid and Attendance Benefits,” presented by Valerie Peterson, JD, the conference provided practitioners additional opportunities to stay current on a variety of issues impacting elder law and special needs planning with 27 more educational sessions and seemingly endless networking opportunities. Some of the substantive highlights of the Summit included:
• “The In Marriage QDRO®: How to Save a Pension,” presented by Marcus Foote, Esq. Attendees learned how the In Marriage QDRO® strategy utilizes the already existing ERISA structure to transfer assets, previously considered lost, to the community spouse producing results that have not previously been possible.
• “Grassroots Advocacy in Your State Chapter, Starting from the Ground Up.” Attendees learned how to move into an advocacy role within their state chapter … step by step.
• Louisa Day of True Link and Stephen Dale, Esq., presented a breakdown of the new POMS changes and updates, what they mean for trustee clients, and what practical impact they’ll have on establishing and administering trusts. The presenters offered a brief introduction to the scope and authority of the POMS, and in-depth coverage of the updates and of the trust review process.
• NAELA also offered a complimentary Presentation Skills workshop on Thursday morning for those attendees wanting to learn more about adult learning theory and active learning techniques. Attendees were able to practice what they learned by presenting an impromptu speech.
This year’s conference was full of excellent speakers with a breadth of topics appealing to a wide audience. In addition to great topics and speakers, the networking was fantastic. It appeared that every attendee met a NAELA member they hadn’t known before. Social options included tickets to Second City Comedy Club on Thursday after the Welcome Reception.
We are grateful for the dedication and commitment of the Planning Committee and for all our volunteer speakers. We want to thank all of them for working together to make this a great conference.
Mark your calendar now for the 2019 NAELA Summit in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. on November 14–16, 2019. We look forward to seeing you there.
About the Authors
Wendy Cappelletto, CAP, and Tamara Trujillo, Esq., were co-chairs for the 2018 Summit Planning Committee.