Valerie Zaloom-Buccino

Early in her legal career, Valerie served as a Senior Attorney for the Mental Hygiene Legal Service in the Second Judicial Department of the New York State Supreme Court. In that role, she was appointed as counsel representing individuals alleged to be incapacitated and as a court evaluator in guardianship proceedings. Through this work, Valerie saw firsthand the profound importance of thoughtful estate planning and the emotional and financial toll of failing to prepare. From that experience, she committed herself to helping families protect their futures through proactive, compassionate legal planning.

Valerie earned both her undergraduate and law degrees from St. John’s University. For more than 26 years, she has worked with families across New York and New Jersey, providing legal services in estate planning, special needs planning, and guardianship matters.

As the parent of two children with learning differences, Valerie understands the challenges families face in securing appropriate educational supports. Her personal experiences deepened her passion for education law, and upon meeting Regina Skyer, she recognized that joining forces would allow her to better serve families in need of her expertise.

Valerie continues to serve as a fiduciary of the New York State Supreme Court, representing individuals as appointed counsel and acting as a court evaluator in guardianship proceedings. She was recently appointed by the Chief Judge of the New Jersey Supreme Court to serve as an attorney member of the District Ethics Committee. In addition, Valerie is a licensed Continuing Education Instructor who teaches Trusts and Estates planning in New York City and Brooklyn.

A Staten Island native, Valerie now lives in New Jersey with her family, their dog, and several cats. She is an active member of her community, having served two terms on the North Caldwell Board of Education, volunteered as a Girl Scout leader and religious educator, and coached youth soccer, baseball, and softball teams. She currently serves as Moot Court coach at Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston, and her family volunteers with Cause 4 Paws, a nonprofit animal rescue organization.

‍