My Elder Law Journey.

When my family migrated to the United States, I was 15 years old, I never thought of becoming a lawyer, let alone someday chairing the Elder Law Section.

Back then, my career goal was to become a neurosurgeon and I never seriously considered law as a career until my junior year in college, when to meet an elective requirement, I reluctantly took international law. Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying reading for class and looking forward to the class discussions. Upon graduation, I immediately entered the workforce and put my law school dreams on hold. Then, 10 years later, I decided to return to school and study law.

So, here I was, with two daughters in elementary school, managing a large commercial bank, attending soccer games, baking cookies for PTA, and studying for the LSAT. I was accepted into St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami where I met fellow student David Hook, who later went on to become chair of the Elder Law Section. He told me about an elder law clinic he was taking and spoke highly of the program. I applied and interviewed with a Broward County Administrative Probate Judge Mel Grossman. I enjoyed my internship and learned a lot about elder law. I also signed up for the elder law course offered by my school, which was taught by Professor Enrique Zamora, who also later became chair of the Elder Law Section.

Within months of graduating, I hung my own shingle and opened a general practice. My goal was always to have a full-time elder law practice, but until I could build up a large enough caseload, I kept the lights on with cases that walked through the door.

To realize my dream of a full-time elder law practice, I started to attend every CLE put on by the Elder Law Section and immersed myself in elder law books written by the "Father of Florida Elder Law," the late, great Jerome Solkoff. To gain experience, I wrote to all the Broward probate judges and asked to be appointed to pro bono cases. I also joined the Broward County Bar's low-cost panel and signed up with legal insurance carriers for elder law cases. I began attending Elder Law Section Executive Council meetings, where I would sit in the back and quietly observe.

Slowly, I started volunteering to work on projects and join committees to get to know section leadership. People started to take note of the work I was doing, and I got to know members from across the state who would become my mentors.

I...