Emily S. Starr concentrates primarily in assisting families whose members include elders, individuals with disabilities and special needs. Her areas of practice include benefits planning (Medicaid, SSI, Section 8 and VA benefits), estate planning including special needs trusts, guardianship/ conservatorship and estate and trust administration. 

Ms. Starr is a graduate of Vassar College and Boston University School of Law. She is a member of the Special Needs Alliance and  the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), has previously served on the Board of NAELA which awarded her the honor of Fellow. She is certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation[1]. She has chaired both the Boards of Elder Home Care Services of Worcester Area, Inc. and the Massachusetts Chapter of NAELA. She currently serves on the Fallon Health Ethics Committee and chairs the Ethics Committee of Briarwood Continuing Care Retirement Community. She serves on the Boards of the Boylston Public Library Foundation, Salem Community Corporation (Briarwood) as well as the Advisory Board of Trustees of the Seven Hills Foundation.

Ms. Starr was presented with the annual Award for Community Service by the Theresa Foundation in May of 2007 and, in January of 2009, with the Scholar Mentor Award by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE), which is presented to outstanding members of the bench and bar who have demonstrated leadership through long-term service to MCLE, excellence in teaching or writing, and creativity in the suggestion of program and publication ideas. She has been selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the area of elder law, Boston’s Best Lawyers, and since 2005 she has been named a Super Lawyer in various categories including elder law, top 100 lawyers in Massachusetts and top 50 women lawyers in New England.

She has written extensively and from the date of its original publication until 2017 served as co-editor of  a three volume treatise entitled Estate Planning for the Aged and Incapacitated Client in Massachusetts for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE). For twenty-five years she co-chaired the leading program on elder and disability law sponsored by MCLE and continues to speak frequently at continuing legal education programs and to other professional and non-professional groups.

[1] An organization approved by the American Bar Association to offer certification in the area of elder law.