Ellen S. Morris, Esq. is a partner with Elder Law Associates PA. Her practice is devoted to litigation in the guardianship, fiduciary, estate, trust, nursing home residents’ rights and broad elder law areas, and transactional work in elder law, including wills and trusts, guardianship and guardianship advocacy, Medicaid and nursing home planning, Medicaid applications, disability planning, special needs trusts, asset preservation planning, and estate and trust administration.
Ms. Morris is the immediate past Chair of the Elder Law Section of The Florida Bar. She is also Co-Chair of the Joint Public Policy Task Force of the Elder Law Section of The Florida Bar and AFELA and she serves on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys (AFELA). She has held all officer positions and was the Legislative Chair of the Elder Law Section of The Florida Bar for seven years. She also served as Co-Chair of the Elder Law Section of the South Palm Beach County Bar Association. She is an active member of NAELA and the Florida Association of Women Lawyers, South Palm Beach County section. In all of these roles, Ms. Morris participates in elder law-related legislative initiatives, devoting much of her time to analyzing new rules and updated regulations affecting seniors and others with disabilities who require government services and protection, and litigation issues.
Ms. Morris was named The Florida Bar Elder Law Section ‘Member of the Year’ in 2008. She was named to Florida Trend magazine’s Florida Legal Elite in 2007, 2009, and 2010–2017 as well as a Florida Super Lawyer from 2009 to 2016. Ms. Morris has an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating afforded an attorney.
Ms. Morris is a graduate of the University of Florida with honors where she received her undergraduate and then her law degree in 1989. Prior to focusing her career on elder law, Ms. Morris practiced as an Assistant State Attorney for Miami-Dade County, Florida under the direction of State Attorney Janet Reno.
As an active volunteer, Ms. Morris is involved in the National Council of Jewish Women. She has lobbied for women, children, families and seniors. She is also a Washington Club and Congressional Club member of AIPAC. Ms. Morris has also been involved with the Alzheimer’s Association, Southeast Florida Chapter, SOS Children’s Village, Jewish Family Services located in Broward and Palm Beach counties, the Florida State Guardianship Association and Junior Achievement.
Ms. Morris frequently lectures to other professionals and charitable organizations on elder law, special needs, and litigation topics. She was an instructor for Florida Atlantic University’s Lifelong Learning Society (LLS) in 2011. She was featured in the Palm Beach Post’s Moving Up section for her developing elder law and special needs practice and has been quoted in the Palm Beach Post, Wealth (Reuters), Sun-Sentinel and ABC News online.