Melissa is one of only a few Certified Elder Law Attorneys in Illinois. She concentrates her practice in elder law, which includes Medicaid planning and applications, adult guardianship estates, trust and estate administration, and estate planning. Melissa also serves as a court appointed Guardian ad Litem (GAL) and counsel for Respondents in guardianship estates. She frequently presents to attorney, consumer, and healthcare professional groups on a variety of elder law topics.

Melissa has been named as an “Emerging Lawyer” in the field of Elder Law by the Leading Lawyers Network each year since 2018. Less than 2% of all lawyers licensed in each state have receive the distinction of Emerging Lawyer. Melissa has also been named as an Illinois Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in the field of Elder Law each year since 2018. The Rising Stars list recognizes no more than 2.5% of attorneys in each state.

Melissa is a current board member of the Illinois Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and President-elect of the Veterans' Legal Aid Society. She is a past chair of the Chicago Bar Association's Elder Law Committee. Melissa is also a member of M-Team, a volunteer multidisciplinary team focusing on combating abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of vulnerable adults on the north side of Chicago. 

In her free time, Melissa enjoys traveling, playing and watching sports, hiking, and spending time at her family’s camp in Upper Michigan. Melissa resides in Chicago with her husband, Dan, and their 4 cats - Izzy, Bitsy, Iris, and Leo.