Attorney Biography
Melissa Q. Leavy received her J.D. from the St. Louis University School of Law with a Tax Concentration in Estate Planning . She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Melissa is a member of the Missouri and Illinois Bar Associations. She is an active member of the Missouri Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Missouri Bar Elder Law Committee, Maplewood Chamber of Commerce, and Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. Melissa is a also VA-accredited attorney. Prior to becoming an attorney, she served as the Uptown Coordinator for the City of Collinsville, Illinois. Melissa worked with businesses and residents in a low-income district to develop policies and procedures that still benefit Collinsville’s historic location today. During law school, she worked at both the Internal Revenue Service and the Missouri Department of Revenue, assisting in complex litigation cases and resolution of tax controversy cases. Melissa represents clients in Medicaid and VA eligibility cases as well as matters involving the Missouri Department of Social Services, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), other Social Security Administration programs, and Veterans Administration. Melissa's VA-accreditation authorizes her to represent clients directly in their initial claims and appeals for Veteran Benefits. She helps clients and their families with a wide-range of long-term care issues, including Medicaid, Veteran’s Benefits, other government programs, tax and estate planning, asset protection and Special Needs Trusts, and Probate matters.