officers & directors

Officers

JAMES C. SIEBERT | PRESIDENT
James Siebert is the principal of the Law Office of James C. Siebert & Associates. The Law Office of James C. Siebert & Associates provides legal services throughout the Chicago area concentrating in Elder Law, Medicaid AND Long Term Care Planning, Asset Preservation, Medicaid Application Representation, Child Caretaker Agreements, Appeals of Medicaid Denials or unfavorable decisions, Nursing Home Contract Review, Nursing Home Injuries and Abuse, Estate Planning, Revocable Trusts, Irrevocable Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, Special Needs Planning, Probate Administration, Trust Administration, Guardianship and Real Estate. Mr. Siebert is one of only twelve Illinois Attorneys who have received the prestigious designation of CELA or Certified Elder Law Attorney issued by the National Elder Law Foundation the only national organization certifying practitioners of elder and special needs law certified by the American Bar Association. The Illinois Supreme Court does not recognize certifications of specialties in any area of law and the CELA certification is not required in order to practice elder law, however it evidences the enhanced knowledge, skills, experience, and proficiency in Elder Law necessary to achieve that certification.

Mr. Siebert is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Illinois Bar Association and the Northwest Suburban Bar Association.  Mr. Siebert received a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and a Juris Doctor from the De Paul University College of Law. Prior to going into private practice, Mr. Siebert worked as a Cook County Assistant Public Defender as a trial attorney and as an Assistant Illinois Attorney General assigned to the Environmental Law Division where he represented the People of the State of Illinois and State of Illinois agencies in various courts, administrative and appellate court proceedings. Mr. Siebert is a frequent speaker on a variety of topics related to Elder Law and Estate Planning, and has been actively involved in his community in numerous volunteer positions throughout the years.

HEATHER E. VOORN | PRESIDENT ELECT
Heather Voorn is a partner with Delaney Delaney & Voorn, Ltd. where she devotes her legal practice to elder law. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from  The Florida State University, magna cum laude and earned her J.D. at The John Marshall Law School, where she also graduated magna cum laude. While a student at The John  Marshall Law School, Ms. Voorn was on the Law Review and externed for the Honorable Charles R. Norgle of the Northern District of Illinois District Court. She also has been  published in the Forum on Public Policy; A Journal of the Oxford Round Table. Ms. Voorn is a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) in Will County. Ms. Voorn is a member of the Illinois State  Bar Association, South Suburban Bar Association, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She is currently serving as president elect of NAELA’s Illinois Chapter, and she is  on the board of the South Suburban Bar Association. Ms. Voorn received her CELA ( Certified Elder Law Attorney) designation by the National Elder Law Foundation in May 2012.  Ms. Voorn is also accredited by the Veteran’s Administration

ELIZABETH FINK | VICE PRESIDENT
Elizabeth Fink focuses her career on the practice of Elder Law, Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Administration, Guardianships, and Medicaid Planning.  She has been practicing law in Chicago, IL since 2009 and has represented clients throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.

Elizabeth received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Denison University and spent a semester  of study at Justus-Liebig-Universität in Giessen, Germany.  She received her Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, IL and was admitted to the Illinois State Bar in May 2009.

Elizabeth is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), Illinois Chapter and was elected to its Board of Directors in 2013, where she continues to serve as an active Board Member.  She also co-chairs the education committee for Illinois NALEA.  Elizabeth is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, participating in the Elder Law Committee and Probate Practice Committee, and is a mentor with the Chicago Bar Association group mentoring program in Probate and Estates.  Elizabeth is a member of the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) Elder Law Short Course planning committee and presented at the 11th Annual Course in November 2015.  She has also been named to the 2016 Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars list.

Elizabeth resides in Chicago, Illinois.

DAWN WEEKLY | SECRETARY
Dawn Weekly is an elder law attorney who assists individuals with long-term care planning and Medicaid/VA planning. She is a VA Accredited Attorney who also does consulting for other elder law attorneys across the country. She has given multiple presentations to national organizations on VA benefits. She is also well-versed in Medicaid planning and attended Medicaid Practice Systems training in 2007.

LINDA M. STROHSCHEIN | TREASURER
Linda Strohschein is the principal of Strohschein Law Group, LLC, a boutique estate planning and elder law firm in St. Charles, Illinois. She concentrates her practice on Estate and Long-Term Care Planning, Guardianship, Estate and Trust Administration and Probate Litigation.          

Ms. Strohschein is Certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation. Although CELA is not required by the State of Illinois, this title is earned through a multi-faceted process and the attorney must successfully pass a comprehensive certification exam to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of Elder Law. She is a frequent speaker on a variety of estate planning and disability topics. Ms. Strohschein is a current member of the Kane County Bar Association, Fox Valley Estate Planning Council, and the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association. In addition, she is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and serves as the President of the Executive Board for the Illinois chapter. Ms. Strohschein also serves on the Executive Board and is the active President of DayOne Reliance, in Batavia, Illinois, which offers trust services for seniors and disabled persons. Ms. Strohschein received her B.A. from George Mason University and her J.D. from the John Marshall Law School. 

HELEN MESOLORAS | IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Helen Mesoloras practices with Dutton & Casey, P.C. in Chicago. Prior to joining Dutton & Casey in 2012, Helen worked in two other well-respected elder law firms, where she concentrated her practice in the area of elder and disability law. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is currently serving as the Immediate Past President of the Illinois Chapter. From 2005 through 2007, Helen served as Vice-Chair and then Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Elder Law Committee. She is a coauthor of several chapters in IICLE publications, including Medicaid Planning in the Guardianship for Disabled Adults, Advance Directives and Mental Health Law publication, and Advising Elderly Clients, in the Estate Planning for Illinois Attorneys: The Basics and Beyond publication. She is also the coauthor of two chapters in Illinois Jurisprudence (Lexis-Nexis) covering Medicaid planning and basic estate planning. She received her B.A. with honors from DePaul University and her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.

Directors