RICHARD A. (“Rick”) COURTNEY has practiced law since 1978 and is a
founding partner of the Madison law firm of Courtney Elder Law
Associates PLLC. His primary areas of practice are elder law,
public benefits law (Medicaid, Medicare and SSI), personal asset
protection and estate planning, trusts and trust administration,
special needs planning for persons with disabilities, guardianships
and conservatorships, nursing home and disability rights, and
probate administration. Rick is the first attorney in
Mississippi to be designated a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the
American Bar Association-accredited National Elder Law
Foundation. He is a former Assistant Dean and Adjunct
Professor of Law at Mississippi College School of Law and current
Adjunct Professor of Law at University of Mississippi School of
Law. Licensed to practice before all state and federal courts
in Mississippi, Rick is a former Director and member of the Council
of Advanced Practitioners and the Trusts and Special Needs Section
Steering Committees of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys;
the Probate and Trust Law Section of the American Bar Association;
the Trusts and Estates Section of the Mississippi State Bar; the
Mississippi Estate Planning Council; the Mississippi Financial
Planning Association; and the Special Needs Alliance, a national
organization of special needs planning attorneys. He is a
Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, has
been included in Best Lawyers in America in elder law and estate
and trust law, and has been designated a Mid-South Super Lawyer
annually since 2006 in the field of elder law by Law & Politics,
Inc., through professional review and peer recommendation. In
May 2009, Rick was awarded the 15th Annual Theresa Award by the New
York-based Theresa Foundation, for community service and
professional advocacy on behalf of children and adults with special
needs. In 2014, he was named a Fellow of the National Academy
of Elder Law Attorneys, that organization’s highest honor.
Rick testified before Congress in September 2015 in support of
legislation supporting adults with disabilities.
Rick and his wife,
Ruthie, have adult twin daughters, one of whom has a
disability. Rick has been active in community involvement as
a Director of Mustard Seed, Inc., President and Director of the
Cerebral Palsy Foundation of Mississippi, Inc., President of the
Advisory Board of Hospice Ministries Inc., a director of the
Heritage School for children with learning disabilities, member of
the Occupational Therapy Council of Advisors for the Mississippi
State Department of Health, and a member of the Alzheimer’s
Association-Middle Mississippi Chapter. He has written
articles and has delivered many presentations for lawyers,
health-care professionals, churches and community groups on elder
law and estate planning subjects and topics of interest to senior
adults, caregiver children and spouses, and families with special
needs.
"In this book, Rick Courtney writes knowledgeably from both a
personal and a professional level. The book is incredibly
practical, with real-world examples as well as comprehensive and
concise substantive information. This book should be part of the
library for any lawyer who does estate planning, elder law, or
special needs planning."--Rebecca C. Morgan, Professor of Law,
Boston Asset Management Chair in Elder Law, Stetson University
College of Law
"Rick Courtney is a leading expert on planning for persons with
special needs. He shares his years of practical and personal
knowledge in this outstanding book. It is a wonderful resource for
any attorney but is essential for those who practice estate
planning."--Richard Gershon, LL.M. (Taxation), Professor of Law and
former Dean, University of Mississippi School of Law
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