Samantha Bardwell, Esq.

Samantha Bardwell graduated cum laude from Albany Law School and received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, magna cum laude, from the City University of New York, Hunter College. She was motivated to apply to law school by her experiences working in nursing home Medicaid eligibility, and estate planning has always been her primary area of interest.

Her interest was further narrowed to special needs planning by her time interning at the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, the Albany Law School Health Law Clinic, and the Albany County Surrogate’s Court. In these roles, she was exposed to both the logistics of special needs planning and the negative outcomes when proper planning has not occurred. She is also interested in the policy sphere of disability advocacy and served as the Albany Law School 2022 Edgar and Margaret Sandman Fellow. In this role, she spent a year researching and writing about guardianship and supported decision-making in the context of medical decision-making by and for adults with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Samantha’s skills have been honed by her professional experiences, but her passion is driven by her role as the proud older sister of two disabled younger siblings. This personal knowledge of the unique struggles facing profoundly disabled individuals and their caregivers grants insight that can only be gained through lived experiences and shapes the way she approaches the practice of law.

In her free time, Samantha enjoys visiting her mom and siblings in her hometown of Cherry Valley, knitting, cooking, and traveling with her friends. She lives in Clifton Park with her family.