Honors and Awards:

• For contributions to the Special Masters Program, Certificate of Appreciation, Connecticut Judicial Department
• For contributions to the Connecticut District REDRESS Mediation Program, Special Recognition Award, United States Postal Service, 2002

Bar/Professional Activity:

• PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:   Connecticut Bar Association: Family Law Section (Treasurer 2008-2009, Secretary 2009-2010, CLE Chair 2010-2011, Vice Chair 2011-2012, Executive and Legislative Committees 1998-present, Board of Editors of the Connecticut Family Lawyer 2006-, Mediation Committee 1994-1998, Judicial Liaison Committee 1996-1997).  Hartford County Bar Association: Board of Directors (1985-1986), Family Law Committee (1989-present), Co-Chair of Family Law Committee 2003-2005.   Hartford Association of Women Attorneys: Vice President - Treasurer (1981-1983), President (1983-1984).  Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (1980's and 2004-present).   Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) a national mediators organization formerly the Academy of Family Mediators (1994-present), Practitioner Member (1996-present). Charter member of the Connecticut Council for Divorce Mediation and Family Dispute Resolution, 1995, Board of Directors 1996-2001; Secretary 1998-1999; Co-President-Elect 1999-2000; Co-President 2000-2001; Past-President  2001-2002; Also served on a committee which drafted Standards of Practice for family mediators which were adopted by CCDM in 2001;  Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) (2002-2008); Connecticut Collaborative Divorce Lawyers, Inc., Treasurer 2004 - 2011; International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, member 2006-present.  Collaborative Divorce Professionals, 2009- present; Collaborative Divorce Team of CT 2010-present.  PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:   Statewide Grievance Committee: July, 1994 - June, 1996; Neighborhood Legal Services Volunteer Public Defender Program: 1978-end; Lawyer Referral Service Program of Hartford County Bar Association since inception; Federal Special Public Defender;  

Pro bono/Community Service:

• PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:   Small Claims Commissioner: Between 1981 and 1987, I heard and decided Small Claims matters in G.A. 14;  Special Master: Pretrial of divorce matters in the Hartford Judicial District since the program began in 1987; also serves in Middlesex, Tolland and at the Regional Custody docket and served in New Britain; Attorney State Trial Referee: Appointed annually since November, 1990 to hear certain civil non-jury matters, subject to agreement of the parties; Statewide Grievance Committee: July, 1994 - June, 1996; Neighborhood Legal Services Volunteer Public Defender Program: 1978-end; Lawyer Referral Service Program of Hartford County Bar Association since inception; Federal Special Public Defender;  

Scholarly Lectures and Writings:

• Co-author "Connecticut Civil Procedure," Basic Practice Manual, 1980 Revision, Young Lawyers Section, Connecticut Bar Association, 1981.  Speaker and author of material for seminar on family law in Connecticut, presented by Legal Education Institute, January, 1990 and March, 1991. Speaker and author of material for a seminar called "Tax Aspects of Divorce in Connecticut," presented by National Business Institute, 1993.  Speaker for workshops presented by the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF), such as "Understanding Your Divorce."Author:  "Public Accommodations Law in Connecticut," a pamphlet written for CWEALF in 1977 while I was employed as a law student intern. Speaker and co-author of material for workshop on relocating parents presented at the 1997 Conference of Connecticut Council for Divorce Mediation and Family Dispute Resolution. Facilitator and author of materials for panel discussion on unauthorized practice of law at the November, 1999 Conference of Connecticut Council for Divorce Mediation. Speaker and author of materials for a workshop on unauthorized practice of law by mediators at the Gathering of New England Mediators, May, 2000.Organizer and Moderator for a seminar presented by CCDM in May, 2002 entitled "Challenging Our Assumptions About Children, Families and Divorce."Speaker and author of materials for a workshop on the role of consulting lawyers in the mediation process, June, 2005 Conference of Connecticut Council for Divorce Mediation and Family Dispute Resolution.Co-author of an article on drafting complaints for dissolution of civil unions, The Connecticut Family Lawyer, Fall, 2006.Speaker and author of materials for a workshop on non-attorney mediation, June, 2007 Conference of Connecticut Council for Divorce Mediation and Family Dispute Resolution.

Educational Background:

• Norwalk High School, 1971 Ursinus College, B.A., cum laude, 1975University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D., 1978Mediation training including basic and advanced courses and seminars and workshops totaling over 260 hours since 1994, Collaborative law and interdisciplinary collaborative practice training, over 75 hours 2000-2010