Biography

Ms. Betsy Abramson received her law degree from the University of Wisconsin. From 1983-1991, she directed the Center for Public Representation’s Elderly Team. In 1991 she founded and became the director of the Elder Law Center at the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups, where she remained until 2000. From 2001 until joining the Law School faculty, she ran an elder law consulting business. During her 18 years in public interest law, Ms. Abramson developed a myriad of legal service programs for the elderly including paralegal services for public benefits advocacy, a Guardianship Support Center, volunteer and law student programs for assistance in executing health care advance directives, guardianship mediation and others. Her major areas of interest include long term care for the elderly and people with disabilities, elder abuse and adult protective services, health care decision-making and the ethics of elder law practice. Ms. Abramson was a registered lobbyist on elderly issues with the State of Wisconsin for over fifteen years and twice testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. She has been appointed as a public member to three different Wisconsin Legislative Council Study Committees.