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Cona Elder Law (Cona Elder Law), an Elder Law & Estate Planning law firm based in Melville is pleased to announce that firm attorney, Kenneth M. Kern, was named one of Touro Law Center's "Outstanding Public Interest Attorneys" during the school’s annual “Goods and Services” auction held on Wednesday, April 2, 2008. The event was held in the Auditorium at Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center at 225 Eastview Drive, Central Islip, New York from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The evening commenced with a silent auction and cocktail reception and was then followed by the Public Interest Attorney Awards Ceremony and a live auction. Proceeds raised will go toward Public Interest Law Fellowships for Touro students who take summer legal jobs with public interest groups or in public interest law firms.
This year’s program recognized outstanding Attorneys of the Year from each of the top law firms on Long Island who best exemplify public interest legal work performed in the areas of poverty law, civil rights law or public rights law. Mr. Kern was honored for providing pro bono legal services to a single mother with a disabled child, who, as a result of a DHT vaccine, was rendered mentally retarded and autistic. Along with Mr. Kern, several other attorneys were recognized at the event for their charitable efforts.
An associate attorney at Cona Elder Law, Mr. Kern handles a wide range of complex matters affecting the elderly and disabled concentrating his practice in the areas of Medicaid Planning, healthcare facility representation, guardianships, estate administration and estate litigation. He is a New York State Certified Guardian, Guardian ad Litem, Court Evaluator and counsel to incapacitated persons.
Mr. Kern practices before the Supreme, District, Civil, and Surrogate’s Courts of Suffolk County, Nassau County and the City of New York. He is a member of the Health Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and a member of the Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations.
“We commend Ken for his pro bono work and his unwavering dedication to those with limited access to the legal system” says Jennifer Cona, managing partner of Cona Elder Law. “Ken truly exemplifies our firm’s commitment to advancing the public good and achieving social justice through the law.”
Mr. Kern has dedicated over 10 years of his life toward enhancing the lives of the mentally ill and physically disabled, donating his time to Park House Inc., a community residence located in Smithtown, New York and Concern for Independent Living, one of Long Island’s largest housing facilities for disabled adults. He was recently profiled in Suffolk Lawyer’s Elder Law edition in an article titled Good Things Lawyers Do: Reaching Out to the Needy. Mr. Kern received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and earned his Juris Doctor Degree with Honors from Hofstra University School of Law.
Cona Elder Law PLLC is recognized as the leading Elder Law and Estate Planning firm on Long Island, providing expertise in the areas of estate and tax planning, wealth transfer planning, asset protection planning, estate and trust administration, charitable giving, estate litigation and Elder Law planning. Working closely with their clients, Cona Elder Law customizes effective advance planning strategies to protect a client’s interests and preserve financial security. Cona Elder Law has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, CPA Wealth Provider, numerous times in Newsday’s “Ask the Expert” column, The New York Law Journal, LI Business News and many others. Their attorneys have appeared as guests on WNBC-TV, CNN, News 12 LI and Act II with Newsday.
