Welcome to Dave Emerson Website.
What is my background in law?
In 1973, following four years of active duty as a JAG officer with the U.S. Army, I began my legal career when I “hung a shingle” in Lexington, Kentucky. I “practiced law” for 55 years before finally retiring in February 2024.
When I opened my office in Lexington in 1973, in addition to developing a private civil practice, I worked as a part-time federal public defender for two years. My civil law practice at that time included representing injured individuals, on and off the job, doing simple divorces, and serving as a Receiver for a defunct mortgage investment company. After leaving the federal public defender project, I became a part-time Assistant Fayette County Attorney for 5 years. I represented the Commonwealth as a prosecutor of misdemeanors (any Kentucky or Lexington “criminal” offense for which the maximum penalty did not exceed confinement of more than 12 months) including possession of controlled substances or drugs, petty theft, vandalism, prostitution, indecent exposure, trespassing, simple assault, resisting arrest, public intoxication, and DUI. [When the Broadway production of Oh! Calcutta! came to Lexington in October 1977, I was tasked with that prosecution.] I also conducted preliminary hearings for individuals accused of felony offenses.
In the early 1990, I received a request from the Kentucky Association of State Employees to work with that organization and its members. Again, as a part-time practice, I served as its General Counsel until the fall of 2010. Whether I was representing traditional state employees in disciplinary actions, or challenging Kentucky’s Executive Branch as it reorganized the Department of Education, the goal was always to protect these employees’ civil and employment rights.
While I prepared Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Living Wills from my early days as a JAG Officer, in 2013, I started the retirement process. I no longer sought to represent injured workers, motor vehicle accident claimants, victims of personal injuries, medical negligence, legal negligence, and Social Security disability applicant as all of those kinds of cases typically take more than two years to complete. Under the guidance of a long-time friend and former law partner, I started limiting my legal practice to Elder Law matters, which are 1-9 month projects.
Education:
- University of Kentucky
B.S. Psychology, 1965 - University of Kentucky – College of Law
J.D., 1968 - New York University – College of Law
L.L.M., 1971 - University of Kentucky – College of Agriculture, Families and Environment
Donovan Student in Horticulture, 2015 through Spring 2017