Attorney Partners Jenna Franks and Landon Hodges Earn CELA Certification Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurc

Attorney Jenna Franks, Esq., and Attorney Landon Hodges, Esq., both partners at the elder law firm of Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak, recently both earned their Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA®) certification from the National Elder Law Foundation. The CELA® certification is frequently referred to as the "gold standard" for elder law and special needs practitioners, and fewer than 600 attorneys have this certification in the entire country, including just 68 in Pennsylvania as of September 2024. Jenna and Landon join fellow Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak partner attorneys Julie Steinbacher, Esq. and Amos Goodall, Esq. as CELAs, giving the law firm four of 68 in Pennsylvania, which is the second-most of any law firm in the state, and most of any firm in SGY’s geographic footprint, which spans northeastern, north central and central Pennsylvania.  

Preparation for the CELA designation is rigorous and a multi-stepped process. Applicants for the certification must have practiced law for at least five years, half of which must be in the special needs/elder law field for at least the last three of those years. They also must demonstrate substantial involvement in special needs and elder law practice by showing a minimum number of individual cases spread across a number of different categories making up the "elder law" definition. They also must complete a day-long written exam, of which passing rates are usually below 50%. Finally, applicants must undergo a review by peers and colleagues, focused on the applicant's reputation for ethical and competent representation in elder law and special needs planning matters. 

Jenna is licensed to practice law in both Pennsylvania and Florida. She joined SGY in 2017 as an associate attorney after moving back to Pennsylvania from Florida to be closer to family. A native of central Pennsylvania and a graduate of Penn State, Jenna received her law degree from Nova Southeastern University. She became a partner of the firm in April 2022. Jenna’s focus is primarily on estate planning, long-term care planning, and special needs planning. A Certified Dementia Practitioner, Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer, and also certified as a VA-accredited attorney, Jenna was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star each year from 2020-24. In addition, Jenna has co-authored the book Protect Your Family! What You Really Need to Know for the Second Half of Life as well as the 2021 and 2022 Supplements to the Pennsylvania Trust Guide: A Handbook for Trustees and Their Advisors. More recently, Jenna also became a Virtual Dementia Tour Certified Trainer, and in 2023, was named the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County’s (CBICC) Employee of the Year. She practices out of the firm’s State College and Altoona offices.

Landon is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and joined SGY during his last semester of law school in January 2017 as a legal extern prior to obtaining licensure to practice law and becoming an associate attorney. His primary practice areas are in wealth protection planning, long-term care planning, tax planning, elder care navigation and estate administration. In May 2021, Landon became a partner of the firm with the firm’s acquisition of the law office of Leslie Wizelman in Wyalusing, Pa. He has also been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star each year from 2020-24. In addition, Landon has successfully argued a case before the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court setting a statewide precedent affecting inheritance taxes applied to trusts. A native of Mount Airy, N.C., Landon is a graduate of Wake Forest and he earned his law degree from Elon University. He practices out of the firm’s Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, Wyalusing and Wysox offices.

“I am thrilled that Jenna and Landon have both earned their CELA certifications and are able to join this select and small group of elder law experts in Pennsylvania and nationally,” said Attorney Steinbacher, partner and founding shareholder of SGY. “Both have been giving our clients exceptional service for more than seven years, and while nothing is changing with how we help our clients through difficult times in their lives, these certifications are a further validation of our commitment to providing the best service to our clients by having the most knowledge in elder law of any firm in the areas we serve.”

SGY was founded in 2002 by Attorney Julie Steinbacher, who opened a single office in Williamsport, Pa., and for over the last two decades, has assisted thousands of clients with their legal planning needs for their second half of life. The firm acquired the State College elder law firm of Goodall & Yurchak in 2015. In 2021, upon the retirement of Attorney Leslie Wizelman, SGY acquired her former elder law firm with locations in Wyalusing and Wysox. In 2023, the firm opened new locations in both Altoona and Wilkes-Barre. In 2024, the firm acquired the Muncy law office of Howard Langdon, which became its seventh location. The firm’s mission is to provide protection in times of prosperity, security in times of uncertainty and comfort in times of crisis. It provides a full suite of elder law services, which include but aren’t limited to wills, powers of attorney, special needs planning, estate administration, guardianships, long-term care planning, nursing home Medicaid planning, wealth protection and tax planning, business succession planning, veterans’ benefits planning, elder care navigation, and Alzheimer’s and dementia planning. The vision of the firm has been to provide individuals and their families with a unique plan to protect their assets for their spouses and future generations, while providing for their immediate and long-term needs. More information, including resources and seminar information, can be found at PAElderCounsel.com. To schedule your appointment at any of its offices, call 1-800-351-8334.