NAELA Theresa Award Honors Attorney Laurie Hanson, a Trusted Advocate for Individuals Living With Disabilities

The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) is pleased to announce that Laurie A. Hanson, Esq., was named the 2023 recipient of the NAELA Theresa Award, which recognizes the outstanding efforts made by individuals who go above and beyond in helping and advocating for people with disabilities.

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (https://naela.org) is pleased to announce that Laurie A. Hanson, Esq., was named the 2023 recipient of the NAELA Theresa Award, which recognizes the outstanding efforts made by individuals who go above and beyond in helping and advocating for people with disabilities.

Established in 1992, the Theresa Foundation (https://theresafoundation.org) supports arts, music, dance, and recreational programs through grants to help children with special needs attain the highest level of educational, artistic, emotional, physical, and intellectual achievement possible. The Theresa Foundation was created by NAELA member attorney Vincent J. Russo, CELA, CAP, Fellow, and his wife, Susan, in honor of their daughter, Theresa, who was born severely disabled and passed away when she was just five-and-a-half years old.

This year's Theresa Award recipient, attorney Laurie Hanson, has long had a passion for helping individuals with special needs. At just 14 years old, she was recognized by the city of Chicago as Junior Volunteer of the Year for her work with children with autism.

Starting out in a male-dominated field, Hanson has established herself as a trusted advocate for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and their families. She is a 1984 graduate of Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, where she was a member of the law review and editor-in-chief of the Women's Law Forum. Hanson practiced for 15 years at the Senior Law Project of the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis. She was awarded the Dawn Carlson Family Advocate Award in 2003 for her efforts in working with families with aging adults and in drafting Minnesota's third-party custody statute.

Hanson currently serves as a partner at Northwoods Law Group in Minneapolis, where she focuses her practice in the areas of elder care law and government benefits eligibility. She recently won a significant case before the Minnesota Supreme Court, Pfoser v. Harpstead — a major victory for Medicaid recipients over age 65 transferring assets into pooled special needs trusts to improve their quality of life.

Hanson regularly serves as faculty and makes presentations on elder law topics at continuing legal education courses for attorneys nationally and in Minnesota. She is active in the Twin Cities community, giving presentations to nursing home family councils, church groups, community groups, and law schools.

In honor of the award, the Theresa Foundation is making a $5,000 donation in Hanson's name to Camp Knutson (https://www.lssmn.org/campknutson), a camp for children and adults with disabilities, medical conditions, and other identified needs. Hanson has worked with them for the past 15 years and strongly believes that the camp is in line with the mission of the Theresa Foundation.

About NAELA

Established in 1987, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) is the only national association of attorneys that conditions membership on a commitment to the Aspirational Standards for the Practice of Elder and Special Needs Law. Understanding that older adults and people with disabilities need holistic, person-centered legal services, NAELA's 4,000+ members represent the diversity of practice. With a network including lawyers, judges, legal professors, law students, and others, we work to advance the dignity and independence of older adults, people with disabilities, and their families. Learn more at https://naela.org.

Media Contact

Susan Simolunas, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, 703-942-5711, ssimolunas@naela.org

SOURCE National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys