Center for Disability and Elder Law (CDEL) supervising attorney Thomas Wendt (seated) works with John Marshall student James Gentile who is completing an internship at CDEL funded by AT&T.
James Gentile, a second-year student at The John Marshall Law School, is better prepared for his future work in elder law thanks to an AT&T Scholarship, which enabled him to get a first-hand look at working with senior citizens through an internship at the Center for Disability and Elder Law (CDEL).
Gentile will complete the certificate in Elder Law by the time he graduates with a JD degree in May 2013.
During his 140 hours of service at CDEL during the spring semester, Gentile has been doing screenings by phone with possible clients gathering information on their needs. “After the screening, I sit down with the possible candidates and do a more in-depth interview to determine their legal issues,” he explained.
From that interview, Gentile writes a synopsis that then is distributed to attorneys from throughout Cook County who are willing to take on pro bono cases.
“In 2011, we had 2,200 clients. We couldn’t possibly do all the work that’s required without our interns,” said Susan Keegan, executive director of CDEL.
Gentile also has been invited to participate in CDEL’s Senior Center Initiatives where CDEL representatives meet with dozens of seniors at local community centers to assist them in filling out living will documents, simple wills and power of attorney for both property and health care needs.
“This is a mutually beneficial program that gives CDEL qualified and interested students, and the students get practical experience that law school doesn’t always provide,” said Thomas Wendt, CDEL’s chief legal officer and Gentile’s supervising attorney. “We strongly look forward to continuing this partnership.”
“The internship has been a great experience for me, and I’ve been able to transfer the knowledge I learned in my elder law classes in to a real-world setting. As helpful and insightful as the elder law classes have been, nothing can compare to learning on-the-job and being able to assist elderly individuals with real legal issues,” Gentile said.
The AT&T Excellence in Pro Bono Legal Service Award and Internship recognizes the excellent opportunities available to John Marshall students through internships and pro bono legal work in support of CDEL. The program, begun in 2010, is helping to provide much-needed resources for CDEL, while recognizing Gentile’s long-term commitment to pro bono service.
When Gentile was starting his law school career, an uncle who practices law suggested he take courses that could give him knowledge in the needs of the elderly, pointing out that the aging Baby Boomers were going to have questions and particular needs in the future that would require assistance from competent elder law attorneys. Gentile sought out Adjunct Professor Barry Kozak, director of the Elder Law Program, who encouraged him to attend a few elder law meetings and enroll in the introductory classes. After that, Gentile decided to complete the Elder Law certificate program.
Gentile, of Naperville, received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater and worked for several years before enrolling at John Marshall.