Law Student Scholarship in Estate Planning for Families

 This guest post is from May-Lee Melki, Regent Law 3L and current Family Law student:

 

Earlier this year, I was fortunate to receive a scholarship to the Hampton Roads Estate Planning Council’s honorary one-year membership, including attending five dinners and educational meetings. This scholarship intends to raise awareness of estate planning as a career path for students studying accounting, finance, and law and to provide those students with meaningful networking, mentorship, and potential employment opportunities. 

The purpose of the Hampton Roads Estate Planning Council (“HREPC”) is to promote the multi-disciplinary approach to estate planning by supporting its Members, encouraging cooperation among Members to create a thorough and comprehensive estate plan for their clients and a better understanding of the role each Member plays in the process; and to provide education and learning opportunities for its Members and to increase public awareness of the importance of estate planning by a team of professional advisers. 

On September 20, 2022, Gina Maio, a Hospice Care Chaplain with Nyer Healthcare, gave an invaluable presentation on the importance of family law and estate planning attorneys in the last days of an individual’s life. What struck me the most in her presentation was her strong Biblical approach to hospice care and the critical responsibility of estate planning attorneys if a family starts second-guessing its estate plan last minute. Maio stressed the importance of facilitating grief without triggering any emotional decisions in a patient’s final days.

Then, on November 15, 2022, Mr. Bill Sanderson, a partner at McGuireWoods, presented the recent developments in federal wealth transfer taxation. In his presentation, Mr. Sanderson explained how estate planning attorneys should start changing their strategies in light of the recent changes to federal wealth transfer laws. Through a discussion of recent case law, Mr. Sanderson illustrated how the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled in recent complex wealth transfer cases and highlighted the areas where the law is still being developed.

For next year, I would encourage any 2L or 3L law student interested in family law or in estate planning to apply for this one-year membership with the HREPC for a chance to network with the best estate planning lawyers in the Hampton roads area.