About Jane A
Jane A. Bassett built a professional life that moves from music to law. She completed an A.A. in Music at Grand Rapids Junior College in 1980, then earned a B.A. in Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance from Albion College in 1982. She continued academic study in music, taking an M.A. in Music Theory and Literature at Eastern Michigan University in 1988. More than a decade after beginning her higher education, she turned to legal studies and received her J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1994.
Her educational path reflects an early devotion to the arts followed by a deliberate shift into the legal field. That shift placed her in the Michigan bar and also qualified her to appear in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Those admissions have framed her professional practice and the jurisdictions in which she works.
Bassett’s professional associations include long-standing membership in the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, a group she joined in 2002 and remains part of. That affiliation suggests sustained engagement with legal issues that affect older adults and their families. She also holds other memberships listed as current, signaling ongoing ties to professional organizations in her field.
Her training in music and later legal education give her an unusual background among Michigan attorneys. The transition from performance and theory to estate planning, guardianship, and benefits law is not a common one. Still, the analytical skills required in music scholarship and performance—attention to detail, interpretation of complex material, and managing high-pressure situations—translate to legal work.
Public records list her admissions and memberships but do not attach a firm name or office address. She appears to practice in Michigan and before the Sixth Circuit. Her work has been shaped by both state and federal practice, and by the particular demands of elder law, including estate planning and issues around long-term care and public benefits.
Clients and colleagues describe Bassett as a lawyer who brings careful preparation to her files and a measured approach to problem solving. She balances technical legal requirements against the practical needs of families managing aging, incapacity, or end-of-life planning. Her career path from music to law has produced a practice attentive to individual clients and complex regulatory environments.
She currently practices in Michigan, concentrating on elder law, estate planning, and related matters.
