The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), an association of attorneys dedicated to improving the quality of legal services provided to older adults and people with disabilities, is proud to announce that Barbara McGinnis of Hendersonville, Tennessee has joined the NAELA Board of Directors. Her term begins on June 1, 2022 and runs through May 30, 2024.
McGinnis takes her seat on the NAELA Board after more than a decade of experience as an elder law attorney. Before receiving her license to practice law in Tennessee, she spent more than two decades as a Registered Nurse and Gerontological Nurse Practitioner, and nearly ten years as director of nursing services at a large continuing care retirement center in the Nashville area. Certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation, McGinnis has been a member of NAELA since 2011. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee; a master’s degree as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner from Vanderbilt University in Nashville; and a Juris Doctor degree from Nashville School of Law. She was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 2010, joined the Elder Law Practice of Timothy L. Takacs in 2011, and became a named partner in 2017.
Since becoming licensed to practice law, McGinnis has contributed her leadership skills to professional and civic organizations on the local and national level. She has served in leadership roles for the NAELA Tennessee Chapter, the Elder Law Section of the Tennessee Bar Association, the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association, the Tennessee Bar Association Elder Law Section Executive Council, and Vista Points. She is one of the principals of Life Care Consulting LLC, a firm that helps attorneys launch successful Life Care Planning practices. She is a frequent guest on MorningLine and OpenLine, both on Nashville’s CBS affiliate, and is co-host of the Aging Starts Now podcast. “I am deeply committed to using my experience to serve older adults,” McGinnis said. “It is an honor to be selected for service on the NAELA board of directors.”