Whitney Yazzolino
Attorney at Law

A native Oregonian, Whitney holds a B.S from the University of Portland and a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School.

Prior to attending law school, Whitney worked as a Medicaid Case Manager with Multnomah County Aging and Disability Services.  

As a partner with Oregon Elder Law, Whitney’s practice focuses on guardianships and conservatorships, estate and tax planning, probate and trust administration, and Medicaid and special needs planning.

Whitney is a member of the Executive Committee for the Estate Planning Section of the Oregon State Bar. In addition, she serves on the Board of the Hollywood Senior Center and is a member of Oregon WINGS (Working Interdisciplinary Network of Guardian Stakeholders). She is a regular volunteer through the Multnomah County Senior Law Clinic and Milwaukie Senior Center, and was awarded the Multnomah Bar Association Volunteer of the Year in 2013.

Whitney is an instructor with Guardian Partners, teaching the Court mandated Conservators class. In addition, she is a Co-Editor of the Oregon State Bar’s Elder Law Handbook and Co-Editor of Managing Someone Else’s Money produced through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Whitney resides in NE Portland and enjoys spending her free time with her family and Cooper along the Deschutes River in central Oregon.

Julie Meyer Rowett
Attorney at Law

Julie started her legal career working as a staff attorney at Legal Aid Services of Oregon. There she assisted her clients with maintaining eligibility for essential housing and medical benefits. Working with seniors on Medicaid issues inspired Julie to further specialize in elder law.

A 2004 graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law, Julie’s expertise includes estate planning and administration, protective proceedings, special needs planning, Medicaid, and planning for long-term care. She is an active member of the estate planning and elder law sections of the Oregon State Bar. She is also an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Academy of special Needs Planners. Julie is a frequent presenter at continuing legal education events, presenting on diverse topics including Medicaid, Income Cap Trusts and guardianships and conservatorship.

Julie is a long-time volunteer with the Multnomah County Senior Law Project and the Senior Milwaukie Center. Through these organizations, she regularly meets with project clients to provide free consultations and on-going pro bono assistance. In 2013, she was co-awarded the Senior Law Project Volunteer of the Year through the Multnomah Bar Association. Julie is also an active volunteer with Guardian Partners and serves as an instructor for its conservatorship class. In addition to these volunteering activities, Julie is presently serving as the Chair of the Oregon State Bar Elder Law Executive Committee.

Gina Goddard
Associate Attorney

Gina earned her law degree from Vermont Law School and started her career working in the environmental law and policy field. After taking time off to raise her children, she wanted to return to the legal community in a different capacity because she missed working directly with clients and helping people during vulnerable times. Gina focused her interests in elder law issues and volunteered with Guardian Partners. Gina is now proud to be a part of the Oregon Elder Law team. In her free time, Gina enjoys exploring the landscapes and tastes of the Pacific Northwest with her family and friends.

Hannah Jarvis
Office Administrator

Hannah received her Bachelor of Science in both Psychology and Social Science from Portland State University. She became interested in elder law and estate planning while volunteering at the Dougy Center, where she works with children and families experiencing grief. In her free time, Hannah enjoys drawing and baking.

Michelle Wells
Paralegal

Michelle obtained her Bachelor of Arts from Reed College. After stints in the travel and construction industries, Michelle became interested in Elder Law after a member of her own family needed Medicaid planning. This experience piqued her interest in working as a legal assistant and led to her employment with Oregon Elder Law. In her leisure time, Michelle enjoys hiking and reading.

Lisa Akre
Paralegal

Lisa has over 33 years of experience in the practice areas of estate planning, probate, and trust administration. In addition to drafting documents and managing projects, Lisa has experience in all aspects of probate and trust administration and she routinely assists in preparing estate plans.

Lisa earned her Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education at Oregon State University. She has taught school, served as a parent-volunteer in her sons’ classrooms, and as team mom for many of their athletic teams. She is an avid gardener and a dog-lover from Gresham, Oregon.

Rebecca Vance
Paralegal

Rebecca was the Probate Coordinator at Clackamas County Circuit Court and was responsible for managing all conservatorships, guardianships, estates, small estates, trusts, and identity records. She also has experience working with civil commitments, forcible entry detainers, restraining orders, and civil cases. During her time as Probate Coordinator, Rebecca served on the Oregon Bench and Bar Commission on Professionalism, a committee established by the Supreme Court to promote professionalism within the legal community and Oregon's judicial branch. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and reading.

Joy Corgain
Paralegal

Joy is a native Oregonian with a background in the arts and non-profit work. She has been a paralegal for 13 years, having worked in many varied practice areas, from Criminal Defense to Surrogacy and Adoption to Estate Planning. She especially enjoys working with clients on protective proceedings, helping our clients to advocate for the most vulnerable members of our community.

In her free time Joy can be found gardening, cooking, singing and spending time with friends.

Cooper Yazzolino
Outdoor Events Coordinator

Cooper has worked at Oregon Elder Law since birth and is dedicated to making sure our staff and clients take full advantage of all that life in Oregon has to offer! Cooper is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys taking trips to the family cabin & spending time with his friends at Normandale Park.