Center for Elder Law & Justice
Jennifer Bigelow-Carlson is a dedicated legal professional currently serving as a Staff Attorney in the Kinship Unit at the Center for Elder Law & Justice since August 2022. Previously, Jennifer held positions as a Summer Law Clerk at Pasquale Bochiechio, P.C. and a Law Fellow at the Erie County Family Justice Center. Jennifer gained experience as a Summer Fellow at the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Inc., focusing on research in the Attorneys for Children unit. In academia, Jennifer has served as an Adjunct Instructor at Genesee Community College and Bryant & Stratton College, teaching English composition and transitional studies, as well as a Teaching Assistant at Fredonia. Jennifer started as a Substitute Teacher in multiple school districts, demonstrating strong classroom management skills. Jennifer holds a Doctor of Law (JD) from the University at Buffalo School of Law and advanced degrees in English from SUNY Fredonia.
Center for Elder Law & Justice
The Center for Elder Law & Justice is a non-profit civil legal aid provider, serving older adults, people with disabilities and low income populations. We provide full legal representation to individuals in eight Western New York Counties We also operate a statewide Senior Legal Advice Helpline staffed by attorneys 1-844-481-0973, who can provide brief legal advice and referrals to any NYS older resident. In 2020 we directly served 10,416 people, provided community education to 5,171 people and educated 3,009 professionals. CELJ provides trustee services through the WNY Coalition Pooled Trust in several counties (along with project partners People Inc., and Key Bank) managing over 12 million in fiduciary assets. CELJ also acts as court-appointed legal guardian in cases of elder abuse, or where there is no suitable family member able to assist. Our mission is to use the legal system to improve the quality of life for our clients and to help them live independently and with dignity. We have three office locations: Buffalo, New York (Erie County) 853-3087 Lockport, New York (Niagara County) 878-9297 Dunkirk, New York (Chautauqua County) 261-3275