Over 28 years serving CA, NJ, PA, & NY in the areas of special needs & elder law; estate planning & trust administration; trusts, probate, and probate; and litigation. Powers Smith has over 21 years of experience in the field of special needs and disability law including the following highly specialized practice areas: health care insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, Medicaid,
Medicare, special needs trusts, trust administration, estate planning & administration, guardianships, and accessing federal and state government disability-based benefits. Over the years, Valerie has concentrated her legal work in the area of health care law and has vigorously advocated for families and people with disabilities to gain medically necessary care from private insurance companies, Medicaid, Medicare, and other health insurance providers. Valerie has additionally focused her practice in the areas of special needs trusts and estate planning and routinely advise families, executors, and corporate trustees on the area of special needs law and the administration of the same. Valerie has written extensively on a variety of disability law topics, has co-authored several publications on accessing adult services, Medicaid, and health insurance; and is a regular contributor to several newsletters of disability-based advocacy organizations throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Admitted to Practice:
Pennsylvania Supreme Court (1998)
New Jersey Supreme Court (1998)
United States District Courts, New Jersey (1999)
United States District Courts, Eastern District of
Pennsylvania (2000),
United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
(2002)
State of California (2011)
State of New York (2011)
Affiliations & Activities:
The State Bar of California (since 2011)
The State Bar of New Jersey (since 1998)
The State Bar of New York (since 2011)
The State Bar of Pennsylvania (since 1998)
American Bar Association (since 1998)
Desert Bar Association (2011-Present)
The Warren Slaughter-Richard Roemer Inn of
Court, California (2010-2013)
Board of Directors, Easter Seals of
Southeastern Pennsylvania (2009-Present)
Executive Committee, Easter Seals of
Southeastern Pennsylvania (2013-Present)
Chair, Audit Committee, Easter Seals of
Southeastern Pennsylvania (2013-Present)
Board of Directors, Variety of the Desert (2015-
Present)
Executive Committee, Variety of the Desert
(2015-Present)
Advisory Board Member, College of the Desert,
Planned Giving Council (2014-Present)
Board of Directors, Desert Arc (2014-Present)
Chair, FUND/Development Committee, Desert
Arc (2014-Present)
Graduate, Leadership Coachella Valley, Class of
2015
Class Speaker, Leadership Coachella Valley,
Class of 2015
Board of Directors, Leadership Coachella Valley
(June 2015-Present)
One Hundred Woman, Desert AIDS Project
(2013-Present)
One Hundred Woman, Desert AIDS Project,
Steering Committee (2015-Present)
National legal consultant, MITO Action (Present)
National legal advisor, Turner Syndrome
Foundation, Inc. (Present)
Litigation/Advocacy Steering Committee,
National Association of Elder Law Attorneys
(2011-Present)
Chair, Litigation Committee, National
Association of Elder Law Attorneys (June
2015-Present)
Member, National Association of Elder Law
Attorneys (2011-Present)
Member, Women's Leadership Forum of the
Coachella Valley (2012-Present)
Member, Desert Estate Planning Council (2011-
Present)
Board of Directors, Caregivers of New Jersey
(2008-2012)
Advisory Board Member, Family Voices of New
Jersey (2008-Present)
Advisory Board Member, Autism Family
Services of New Jersey (2009-2011)
Governor appointment, New Jersey's Medical
Assistance Advisory Council (2006-2013)
