About Joel |
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Joel Bernstein is the attorney in the firm. Practicing law since 1980, I started in the Green Mountains of VT and then moved to MA in 1985. (BTW, I grew up in NYC but have preferred other, quieter locales since 1971).
In house counsel for real estate corporation My first law job was being named to be the first in-house attorney for the then well-known VT company, Hawk Mountain Corporation. This company built environmentally sensitive homes in Vermont's Green Mountains. By 1984 I had computerized their deeding system. As a result of an article I wrote based on my Hawk Mountain experience, the American Bar Association named me as a technology chief for their Real Estate User Group in 1985. Two advanced law degrees Seeing Vermont's beauty led me to a life-long study of all aspects of Property law. So, I earned a second law degree in Environmental Law at VT Law School in 1980. And, after meeting my wife in VT, we moved to MA in 1985. In MA I studied taxation law and earned another law degree at Boston University by 1989. American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys Starting about 1992 I learned about revocable living trusts (the modern approach to estate planning) from the San Diego based American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys. I was appointed to its board of governors. Public talks starting in 1992 I became among the first attorneys to give public talks about the revocable living trust. I enjoyed speaking on the topic and still continue to do it, although less frequently. Lectures for attorneys and accountants and featured speaker After seeing my early public talks, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of MA and the Foundation for Continuing Education hired me to provide continuing education to attorneys and accountants. Because of my automation and efficiency skills, I found the time to do this despite my busy law practice. Charles Schwab also hired me to lecture for their audiences. By year 2000, I'd given over 300 public and private talks. I've also addressed the American Bar Association, MA Society of CPAs and MA Society of Enrolled Agents. Speaker for major provider of CPA education I continue to lecture for the leading provider of continuing education to CPAs, Surgent McCoy. I've done this in several states on the U.S. East and West coasts. Professor Charles Rounds, Jr. In 2008, I met and studied under Professor Charles Rounds , Jr. of Suffolk University. He's the editor of Loring and Rounds: A Trustee's Handbook. Begun in 1898, the treatise is a leading authority in the trust field. I suggested and then edited a section in the treatise. In this well-known book Professor Rounds refers to me for my work in the automation of post death administration of trusts. |
