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Shannon K. Briggs
Shannon K. Briggs
Shannon K. Briggs is an associate at DDV Law, Ltd., in Chicago, where she focuses her practice on elder law, estate planning, probate, and Medicaid. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Illinois Bar Association. She has been recognized as a Rising Star (2022 – 2025) in Illinois by Super Lawyers. Ms. Briggs earned her BS from the University of Missouri and her JD cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Kate Curler
Kate Curler
Kate Curler is the Principal Attorney at The Law Office of Kate Curler LLC in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice in the areas of adult guardianships, elder law, estate planning, and probate. She is a member of the Illinois State and Chicago Bar Associations, serving on the ISBA Elder Law Committee and the CBA Elder Law and Trust and Probate Committees. She is also a member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys. Ms. Curler received her BA with honors from Michigan State University and her JD from Santa Clara University School of Law.
Matthew R. Davison
Matthew R. Davison
Matthew R. Davison is an attorney at Monahan Law Group, LLC, in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on mental health, guardianships, and complex litigation and appeals. He is a member of the Illinois State, Chicago, and Seventh Circuit Bar Associations. Mr. Davison was selected as an Illinois Rising Star by Super Lawyers (2017 and 2018) and received the National Alliance on Mental Illness Chicago’s Light the Darkness Award for Community Advocacy (2020). Mr. Davison received his BA from Virginia Wesleyan University, his JD from University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, and his M.A. in Securities with distinction from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Susan L. DeCostanza
Susan L. DeCostanza
Susan L. DeCostanza is a Partner at Garcia & DeCostanza, P.C., in Chicago, where she focuses her practice on probate and guardianship matters. She is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and practices in various counties throughout Northern Illinois. Ms. DeCostanza is regularly appointed by the court to act as guardian ad litem for respondents in adult and minor guardianship cases. Ms. DeCostanza is a recipient of the Kimball R. Anderson and Karen Gatsis Anderson Public Interest Law Fellowship (2012). She received her BA from Boston College and her JD from DePaul University College of Law.
Michael S. Delaney
Michael S. Delaney
Michael S. Delaney is a Senior Partner at DDV Law, Ltd., in Chicago, where he focuses on elder law. Mr. Delaney is a Certified Elder Law Attorney and an author for ILLINOIS JURISPRUDENCE (Lexis-Nexis) and the legal treatise ETHICS IN ELDER LAW. He has served as Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Elder Law Section. He is a committee member of the Illinois chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is President of the National Elder Law Foundation. Mr. Delaney earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his J.D. from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
Pauline G. Dembicki
Pauline G. Dembicki
Pauline G. Dembicki is a sole practitioner in Evanston, where her practice focuses on estate planning, trusts, prenuptials, elder law, powers of attorney, probate and trust administration, guardianship administration, and related contested matters. She is a recipient of volunteer awards from IICLE^® and the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Volunteer Award and an award from the North Suburban Bar Association. Ms. Dembicki received her B.A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle and her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Ruben M. Garcia
Ruben M. Garcia
Ruben M. Garcia is a Partner at Garcia & DeCostanza, P.C., in Chicago,where he concentrates his practice in probate and guardianship matters. Mr. Garcia is regularly appointed by the court to act as guardian ad litem for respondents in adult and minor guardianship cases. He is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, and the Illinois State Bar Association. Mr. Garcia received his BS from the University of Illinois and his JD from University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.
Ann E. Krasuski
Ann E. Krasuski
Ann E. Krasuski is a staff attorney at the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission in Hines, where her work is concentrated in mental health law. Before attending law school, she worked for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program in Seattle and in New York, advocating for residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Ms. Krasuski received her M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and her JD from DePaul University College of Law.
Elizabeth A. Lawhorn
Elizabeth A. Lawhorn
Elizabeth A. Lawhornis an attorney at Monahan Law Group, LLC, in Chicago, where she focuses her practice on guardianship and probate litigation, elder law, mental health, and child law. She is licensed to practice law in both Illinois and Colorado. She received her B.A. from the University of Nebraska, where she graduated with honors and the distinction of Superior Scholar. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she was a Civitas Child Law Fellow and an Executive Editor of the Law Journal and received a Certificate of Specialization in Child and Family Law.
Helen Mesoloras
Helen Mesoloras
Helen Mesoloras is a Partner at Dutton Casey & Mesoloras, P.C., in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice in elder law. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and served as President of the Illinois Chapter in 2017. Ms. Mesoloras is a Certified Elder Law Attorney. She is also a member of the Chicago Bar Association, having served as Chair of the CBA Elder Law Committee. She received her BA with honors and her JD from DePaul University College of Law.
Joseph T. Monahan
Joseph T. Monahan
Joseph T. Monahan is the Founder of Monahan Law Group, LLC, in Chicago, where he is a steadfast advocate for persons with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who serve them. He has been an adjunct professor of mental health law for over 28 years at Loyola University Chicago School of Law and has repeatedly served as Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association Mental Health Law Committee. He is also a member of the Chicago Bar Association and numerous other professional and service organizations. He received his B.A. and M.S.W. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law.
Amy E. Orlando
Amy E. Orlando
Amy E. Orlando is an attorney at Monahan Law Group, LLC, in Chicago, where she focuses on guardianship, elder law, and probate. She is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and a volunteer at Chicago Volunteer Legal Services. Ms. Orlando received her BS from Illinois State University and her JD from the University of Chicago Law School.
Eric J. Parker
Eric J. Parker
Eric J. Parker is an attorney at Stotis & Baird Chartered in Chicago, where his practice focuses on elder law, probate, and estates. He is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Illinois State and Chicago Bar Associations. Mr. Parker received his B.A. from the University of Iowa and his J.D. from the Pepperdine University School of Law.
Laurel Spahn
Laurel Spahn
Laurel Spahn is a staff attorney at the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission in Hines, where her practice is focused on mental health law. She received the Chicago Bar Foundation’s Richard J. Phelan Public Service Award in 2012. Ms. Spahn received her JD from Wake Forest University School of Law.

Shannon K. Briggs

Kate Curler

Matthew R. Davison

Susan L. DeCostanza

Michael S. Delaney

Pauline G. Dembicki

Ruben M. Garcia

Ann E. Krasuski

Elizabeth A. Lawhorn

Helen Mesoloras

Joseph T. Monahan

Amy E. Orlando

Eric J. Parker

Laurel Spahn

Adult Guardianships, Advance Directives, and Mental Health Law (ARCHIVED 2021 EDITION)