Faculty Profile: Monica Franklin

Monica Franklin is Certified as a Specialist in Elder Law, commonly known as a “CELA” (Certified Elder Law Attorney), by the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF—www.nelf.org.) To learn more about certification, visit our website library: www.MonicaFranklinElderLaw.com/library and click on videos. These “vimeos” were produced by NELF and cover many different elder law issues. To learn how an attorney becomes certified as a specialist, go to http://www.nelf.org/becoming-certified. Monica serves as an East Tennessee Delegate for the Tennessee Bar Association-Elder Law Section, and she is the Chair of the TBA Elder Law Section’s executive committee July 2015-2016. Monica serves on the TBA Elder Law Section’s Advance Directive sub-committee studying the development of an Advance Directive that more thoroughly addresses end of life care for people who suffer a dementing illness. Monica serves on a committee which is focused on “The Conversation Project”. This is a program of the Knoxville Academy of Medicine’s Foundation. The Conversation Project is an effort to promote conversations about living into the end of life. “In 2014, the Institute of Healthcare Improvement adopted the Conversation Project as a quality initiative to change our death denying culture to be “Conversation Ready” about “What Matters”. In this context come three actions: Engage Patients, Steward their Plans and Respect their wishes at end of life.” (Quoted from the KAM’s website.) Monica is a fellow of the Knoxville Bar Foundation. “The Knoxville Bar Foundation was formed in 1992 as a 501(c)(3) organization to provide a means for lawyers in our community to make tax-deductible contributions to be used to support local law–related programs. The Knoxville Bar Foundation has instituted a Fellows Program designed to fulfil two purposes. First, to support the community services and programs funded by the KBF through Fellows' contributions and, second, to publicly honor and recognize those lawyers who have distinguished themselves in their practices and in their service to the Knoxville legal community. Since 1997, the KBF has awarded grants in excess of $300,000.00 to fund local projects and programs seeking to improve the administration of justice, to enhance the public's understanding of and confidence in the legal system, and to serve the legal profession." (www.kba.org) Monica writes a quarterly column for the Tennessee Bar Journal “Senior Moments” with Monica Franklin. In 2006, Monica won the prestigious Justice Joseph W. Henry award for her cover article: “Securing Momma’s Home”. Monica was only the second woman to receive the award and surprisingly, the first woman was named Monica as well! In addition, Monica has written two booklets: "Saving Momma's Home (2nd edition 2015) and "10 FAQs About Special Needs Trusts."These booklets are free to download at www.MonicaFranklinElderLaw.com. Monica is a member of professional organizations including: the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Tennessee and Knoxville Bar Associations. Monica was born and lived in west Tennessee, but moved to DeRidder, Louisiana at the age of eight. After teaching high school math, Monica happily left the humidity of Louisiana behind and moved to Knoxville in 1989 to attend UT College of Law. She graduated in 1992, cum laude. Monica has one son, human son, Connor, and an adorable canine boy, Scout. Scout is a strapping 95 pound, seven year old Yellow Labrador Retriever who will risk life and human limb to tree a squirrel or chase a ball.