Faculty Profile: Barbara McGinnis CELA

Attorney Barbara Boone McGinnis is certified by the National Elder Law Foundation as a Certified Elder Law Attorney and by the State of Tennessee as an Elder Law Specialist. She provides legal expertise on a wide range of client issues with a focus in Life Care Planning, Medicaid, and asset protection matters. She is a VA-accredited attorney. Before receiving her license to practice law in Tennessee, Barbara spent more than 20 years as a Registered Nurse and Gerontological Nurse Practitioner working in a variety of settings, including hospitals, long-term care centers, outpatient clinics, and home health. Barbara's passion for helping people deal with the changes that aging brings extends beyond her clinical experience. Her father had Alzheimer's Disease for more than eight years before he passed away and she helped her mother care for him and deal with difficult decisions. Being a part of her father's journey has given her tremendous empathy for families facing the prospect of long-term illness of an aging loved one. Barbara holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, a Master's degree as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and a Juris Doctor degree from Nashville School of Law. She is a past president of the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association, past-chair of the Elder Law Section of the Tennessee Bar Association and past-chair of the Tennessee NAELA chapter. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for NAELA.  In Barbara's spare time, she enjoys playing golf, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.