James A. Caffry

James A. Caffry is a Partner at Caffry & Keating PLLC, a Vermont firm focused on Special Needs Planning, Estate Planning & Advocacy. His work serves individuals with disabilities and their families, alongside broader estate planning needs. These matters require attention to present circumstances and future arrangements. The practice helps clients consider how legal planning can address their wishes, responsibilities, and the needs of people who depend on them.

Caffry earned a J.D., cum laude, from Albany Law School in 1994 and an M.S.E.L., magna cum laude, from Vermont Law School in 1993. He received his bachelor’s degree from Colgate University in 1988 and has been licensed in Vermont since 1995. His academic training supports research and planning in matters where personal objectives must be considered alongside detailed legal requirements.

Caffry practiced at a central Vermont law firm from 2000 through 2010 before opening Caffry & Keating PLLC in 2011, the predecessor to his current firm. Earlier, he worked as in-house counsel to a ski resort company and as an attorney for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. His later professional service has concentrated on issues affecting people with disabilities, including housing and developmental services policy.

James A. Caffry is a member of the Special Needs Alliance, joining its Board of Directors in 2018 and being elected President in 2022. His memberships also include the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and state and national bar associations. His planning practice and disability-related service provide context for helping families examine legal options and prepare arrangements suited to the needs they are seeking to address.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Caffry & Keating PLLC
• Member, Vermont Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
• President, Special Needs Alliance (2022)
• Board Member, Champlain Community Services (2014-2019)
• Board Member, Mad River Valley Community Fund
• Board Member, Mad River Valley Health Center
• Board Member, Camp Dudley, Inc.
• Member, Vermont Developmental Disabilities Housing initiative
• Member, Vermont Development Services Payment Reform Advisory Committee (2018-Present)
• Appointed Member, Developmental Services Legislative Study committee (2013)
• Member, Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council (2009-2014)
• Member, Vermont Autism Task Force (2007-2010)

Licensed State

• Vermont

Education

• Albany Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD) Cum Laude
• Vermont Law School
  M.S.E.L. ( Magna Cum Laude
• Colgate University
  Bachelor’s degree

Awards & Badges