We are pleased to announce that Donald D. Vanarelli has been named to the 2020 New Jersey Super Lawyers list for Elder Law. This is the 14^th consecutive year in which Mr. Vanarelli has been named to New Jersey’s Super Lawyers list in Elder Law.

Of over 85,000 attorneys licensed to practice law in New Jersey in 70 specialty categories, only 5% are named to the Super Lawyer list each year. To date, only 51 New Jersey attorneys have been recognized as Certified Elder Law Attorneys. Of the 51 Certified Elder Law Attorneys in New Jersey, 32 were named to the 2020 Super Lawyer’s list in Elder Law. Mr. Vanarelli is one of the very few Certified Elder Law Attorneys in New Jersey who has been consistently named to the Super Lawyers list.

Elder Law, which includes Special Needs Trusts and Special Needs Planning, is a legal specialty focusing on the legal needs of seniors and people with disabilities. To be certified in Elder Law, an attorney must meet the following standards: (1) Practiced Elder Law for at least five years, (2) Substantively involved in the practice areas that make up Elder Law, including estate planning and trust administration; probate litigation and will contests; disability planning, including guardianships and special needs trusts; protecting the elderly and disabled against abuse, neglect, and exploitation; resolving nursing home problems; and, qualifying for Medicare, Medicaid and other public benefits.  (3) Passed a full day written exam, (4) Received references from five certified Elder Law attorneys, and (5) Demonstrated substantial involvement in representing disabled clients with special needs.

In 2007, the New Jersey Supreme Court appointed a Special Master to conduct an investigation into the validity of the selection methodology used by “Super Lawyers” and other attorney ranking services. After a year-long investigation, the Special Master issued a 300+ page report, concluding that the “Super Lawyers” methodology for selecting outstanding attorneys was valid. As a result, in 2008 our Supreme Court, for the first time, permitted attorneys to publicly identify themselves as having been selected for inclusion in the list of “New Jersey Super Lawyers.” In re Opinion 39 of the Committee on Attorney Advertising, 197 N.J. 66 (2008)

The Super Lawyers website notes that “Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.” Bar associations and courts across the country, including the New Jersey Supreme Court, have recognized the legitimacy of the Super Lawyers selection process.

The list of New Jersey attorneys named to the 2020 Super Lawyer’s list in Elder Law follows:

The digital version of the 2020 New Jersey Super Lawyers Magazine, which  contains the entire print publication, is accessible here –  2020 New Jersey Super Lawyers Magazine.