JANE L. HARNESS is an associate in Cohen and Wolf's Trusts & Estates and Elder Law Groups. Resident in the firm's Westport office, Ms. Harness concentrates her practice on elder law and estate planning with an emphasis on Medicaid asset preservation for the elderly and the disabled. Her practice includes utilization of supplemental needs trusts, Medicaid fair hearings and conservatorships. Her estate planning practice includes preparation of wills, trusts, and advance directives. Before joining Cohen and Wolf, Ms. Harness had been an associate with the law firm of Hersh & Fowler-Cruz, LLP. Prior to that, Ms. Harness was an associate at Rapaport & Ellenthal, PC, after a brief clerkship at Stamford Superior Court.
Ms. Harness is admitted to practice in Connecticut and the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. She is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the Fairfield County Bar Association. Ms. Harness has twice received the American Jurisprudence Award. Prior to January 2008, Ms. Harness practiced under the name of Jane L. Tyree.
Ms. Harness earned her B.A. in 1984 from Boston College and her J.D. in 1992 from Pace University School of Law, both cum laude. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).