Thursday Profile: Rosemary Buhl

Rosemary Howley Buhl, a partner at Buhl, Little, Lynwood & Harris, PLC, practices in the areas of elder law, long term care planning, estate planning and estate and trust administration. She frequently speaks on the topics of estate planning, elder law, long term care planning, and Medicaid eligibility.

She is a past chair of the Elder Law and Disability Rights Section of the State Bar of Michigan, and is on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Medicare, Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP). She is also co-chair of the Ingham County Bar Association Probate and Trust Section, and a past president of the Michigan Society of Gerontology (MSG) and the Greater Lansing Estate Planning Council (GLEPC).  

In 2015, Buhl was the recipient of the Joe D. Sutton, Call to Justice Award, presented by Elder Law of Michigan in recognition of her inspiring and significant contributions to the needs of vulnerable adults.
Buhl is a graduate of Michigan State University and magna cum laude graduate of MSU College of Law.

She lives in East Lansing with her husband and five children.

By Jo Mathis
Legal News

Favorite websites: Facebook, Reddit

What is your happiest childhood memory? Spending time at my grandmother’s cottage on Tawas Bay. The cottage was built during Prohibition, so it had several hidden storage spots and even a secret passage of sorts. Even today, the smell of certain pine trees, and the sound of a slamming wooden screen door take me right back to my childhood.

When you were considering law school, what was Plan B?
I knew I wanted to work with senior citizens, so my first choice was elder law. If that didn’t work, I would have likely pursued a MSW. Knowing now how much I love my job, I’m glad I didn’t have to go with Plan B.

What would surprise people about your job? How rewarding it is. As corny as it sounds, I like feeling like I made a difference in my clients’ lives. I just spoke with a client that I’ve been working with for over six years and it really hit me how much I knew about the family and how much they appreciated me. I helped this man coordinate care and benefits to bring his wife home from a nursing home, although she’d been there over two years. She’s been home for over four years now, and they both have a much higher quality of life. That’s a good result and a good feeling.

When you look back into the past, what do you miss most?
Free time. It’s pretty much non-existent in my life.

Who is on your guest list for the ideal dinner party? I lost my mom at 19, and my dad at 26. I’d love to have a dinner with them and my kids. No celebrities needed. I’d also want my mom to cook!

If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would that be? Probably my 17-year-old self. What a different perspective we’d each have!

What’s the most awe-inspiring place you’ve ever been? For beauty alone, as a Michigan native, I think of all of the breathtaking views here in our state. The oceans and redwoods are breathtaking too, but truly, the most powerful, awe inspiring place I’ve been is probably Arlington National Cemetery. The seemingly endless rows of crosses and their meaning really make you stop and think.

What’s something you changed your mind about recently?
Not going out to watch MSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. I won’t skip that again. I won’t take it for granted.

What word do you overuse? It’s unpublishable.

What is one thing you would like to learn to do? Play the piano. Maybe in my next life!

What is something most people don't know about you? I have ridiculous 1980s trivia skills.

What is the best advice you ever received? Keep a good sense of humor and don’t take yourself too seriously.

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