07/27/2026
We are honored to spotlight ILNAELA member, Jayme Levin-Muriel, who was selected by fellow ILNAELA members based on her overall contributions to the organization.
Jayme is Of Counsel at Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP which merged with her former firm, Spain, Spain and Varnet, four years ago. While Elder Law was a larger part of her practice in the 1990s and 2000s, she now primarily focuses on special needs estate planning, guardianship, and decedent’s estate services, but Elder Law is often wrapped up in these services so is still a part of her overall practice.
Jayme has been practicing Elder Law since 1993. Her first job out of law school was at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled, n/k/a the Center for Disability and Elder Law, where she managed the Chicago Department on Aging Senior Services grant to provide legal services to 1000 elderly people per year. She moved to private practice in 1997 at Spain, Spain and Varnet where she focused on Elder Law, Special Needs Estate Planning, and guardianship/decedent’s estates.
Jayme finds the NAELA programs, including UnPrograms and lunch webinars, very helpful to understand constant changes and updates to laws and regulations plus trends at IHFS. She also enjoys the camaraderie of the attorneys. She said, “our job is to help people, and I like how the attorneys support each other to help our clients.” Jayme served on the IL NAELA board in the late 1990s while working on legislation to protect older Americans. Jayme also stated, “I learned then how IL and National NAELA provide a necessary role in legislative advocacy which is a great benefit to our clients.”
When asked what she enjoys most about the field of Elder Law, Jayme, stated, “A lot of my law school classmates either left the practice of law or have jumped around to different legal jobs. I love my job and cannot imagine not practicing. I know that through advice and advocacy, I help individuals and/or families with basic needs, such as obtaining SSI and Medicaid, which results in cash, food, shelter, and medical care to clients; supplementing these needs through planning is critical because the basic level of government support is not always enough. I enjoy speaking with clients on a daily basis and doing my best to advise them to put themselves in the best financial position under their unique circumstances. I also feel that my personal and work experience can guide clients through their decisions. I love the daily personal connection that attorneys in different fields do not have.”
A fun fact about Jayme that members may not know is that in 2007, she unexpectedly took nearly a 12-year hiatus from practicing law to take care of her family. Then she returned to the same job at Spain, Spain & Varnet where she took back her old guardianship and estate planning cases, and many estate planning clients did not even know she left! Although SSV merged with HLP, she can still be reached at the old SSV number and email. Many clients still contact her 15–20 years later and thankfully assume she is still practicing at the same place so that she can pick up where they left off. Jayme feels blessed that her firm welcomed her back and that old clients have the confidence with her to maintain contact after all these years.
Thank you, Jayme, for your contributions to ILNAELA!
