About Dana E.
Dana E. Bookbinder took a traditional path into the law. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University in 1992 after beginning her undergraduate work in 1988. She stayed in the Northeast for graduate study and received her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School in 1995.
After law school she entered private practice and built a career centered on matters that affect older adults and their families. Over the years she has worked across the legal systems of two neighboring states. She is licensed to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and has handled cases that require careful coordination of state and federal rules and deadlines.
An important credential in her practice is certification as an elder law lawyer by the National Elder Law Foundation, an accreditation recognized by the American Bar Association. That certification reflects specialized training and testing in areas of law that are especially relevant to aging clients. It also signals an ongoing engagement with the technical and procedural elements of public benefits, long-term care planning, and incapacity planning.
Her work typically involves counseling clients and their families on how to manage the practical and legal challenges that come with aging. She drafts and reviews estate planning documents, advises on the implications of long-term care decisions, and assists with the legal processes that arise when an adult must have a guardian or conservator appointed. Her approach tends toward careful explanation. She breaks down complex rules so people can weigh short-term choices against long-term needs.
Colleagues describe her as steady in court and thorough in client meetings. She prepares for hearings and administrative proceedings with the same attention she gives to drafting durable powers of attorney and health care directives. Outside the courtroom she spends time keeping current on changes to Medicaid rules and other public-benefits programs, which often shift in ways that affect family plans.
She maintains an active practice in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As of 2026 she continues to represent older adults, their families, and fiduciaries in matters of elder law, estate planning, long-term care planning, and related public benefits issues.
