Helen Cohn Needham, Attorney

Helen Cohn Needham is a nationally known elder law attorney. She is one of the first practitioners of elder law in the United States, beginning her work in this field in 1984. In 1987, she became active in the newly formed National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). As part of its leadership, she played a principal role in the development and definition of the new specialty. She also led the effort to develop a national program to identify, test and certify attorneys as specialists in elder law. That program was accredited by the American Bar Association. In 1995, she became one of the first sixty-eight attorneys nationwide to be certified. Helen is also a member of the Academy of Special Needs Planners.

In 1994, Helen received the first NAELA President’s Recognition Award for her consistent outstanding contributions. In 1995, she was elected a NAELA Fellow, recognized by her peers as an "exceptional lawyer and leader."

Helen was named a Virginia Super Lawyer in 2007, 2008 and 2009. This recognition is given to only 5% of the attorneys in Virginia. She is also AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

While Helen does estate planning for persons of all ages, her primary focus is on planning for and dealing with the problems of the aged and the disabled. She shares her knowledge with families and attorneys nationwide. Helen loves working closely with clients and families and learning from them new ways to deal with life’s problems.

Helen has practiced law continually since graduating from New York University School of Law in 1968. She is married and has two adult children.