Jerry Allan Kasner was a nationally-recognized estate planning authority who served as a mentor to many estate planners and family wealth / tax planning attorneys in Santa Clara County. It is because of Jerry’s outstanding contributions to estate planning professionals that the Kasner Symposium is held in his honor. This symposium provides an opportunity for those with careers in estate planning to come together to share developments and innovative solutions to challenges in the field.

Jerry was a lawyer and a law professor, in addition to being a CPA. He taught at Santa Clara University School of Law for 38 years, from 1961 to 1998. An expert in tax law, he spoke at professional seminars across the country and taught continuing education classes for the California CPA Society’s Education Foundation for many years. In 2004, Jerry received the 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award from the California CPA Education Foundation and the California CPA Education Foundation’s Award for Meritorious Service in 1985. Jerry’s commitment to teaching and his expertise led him to write several books on estate planning, including The Tools and Techniques of Estate Planning and After Death Tax Planning: Minimizing Tax Liabilities and A Guide to Practical Estate Planning.

Proceeds from the Jerry A. Kasner Estate Planning Symposium contribute to the Jerry A. Kasner Endowed Professorship at Santa Clara University School of Law. In June, 2021, Santa Clara University Acting President Lisa Kloppenberg announced the appointment of Professor Bradley Joondeph to a 5-year term as the first Jerry A. Kasner Chair.