14 th Annual Family Law Conference

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1 14 th Annual Family Law Conference Faculty Cynthia L. Albin The Center for Family Law Clayton and St. Charles, MO Ms. Cynthia L. Albin represents clients in complex divorce and other family matters in St. Louis County and St. Charles County Circuit Courts. She is a member of the firm The Center for Family Law. With approximately over 18 years family law experience, Ms. Albin is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. She received her J.D. from Washington University School of Law. Professional Memberships include The Missouri Bar (member of the Family Law Section), the Bar Association of Metropolitan of St. Louis, St. Louis County Bar Association, Women s Lawyers Association of St. Louis and the Collaborative Family Law Association. In addition to her litigation practice, Ms. Albin also mediates family law matters. She serves as a Guardian ad Litem in St. Louis County and St. Charles County Circuit Courts as well as volunteers for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and Legal Advocates for Abused Women. In the greater St. Louis community, Ms. Albin is a board member of the Jewish Community Center in St. Louis and the St. Louis Section of National Council of Jewish Women, an organization that is committed to working towards a better quality of life for women, children and families. Susan Amato Amato Family Law Clayton In 1992, after nearly a decade as a successful attorney and divorce mediator, Susan Amato founded her own practice with a focus on mediation and family law matters. Susan is a recognized trailblazer in mediation and collaborative law, on the forefront of introducing, developing and utilizing these methods in the St. Louis legal arena. She also has years of experience resolving complex family matters through litigation. Susan received her B.A. in 1980 from St. Lawrence University. Susan then earned her law degree in 1983 from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. She has been named by Saint Louis Magazine and by U.S. News as a Best Lawyer in the areas of Collaborative Family Law and Family Law Mediation, and holds the Martindale Hubbell AV Peer Review Rating for achieving the highest level of professional excellence. Susan was the founding President of the Collaborative Family Law Association in St. Louis and has served as treasurer and on the board. She is an Advanced Practitioner Member of the Family Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution, is a member of and serves on the board of the Association for Missouri Mediators, is a member of the International Association of Collaborative Professionals and of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. She is a member of The Missouri Bar, the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Missouri and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. She maintains membership in the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and the Women Lawyer s Association. A--1

2 Robin H. Ballard, Ph.D. Ballard+Petersen Seattle, WA Dr. Robin Ballard earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Indiana University, conducting research on effective interventions in family law mediation and assessing intimate partner violence in divorcing couples. Dr. Ballard publishes research in national, peer-reviewed law and psychology journals and she is a frequent presenter at professional and academic conferences across the country. She is also a trained family law mediator. As a graduate student, Dr. Ballard co-taught an interdisciplinary seminar at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law that was designed to help upper-level law students understand connections between family psychology and family law. She is presently the Director of the Sub-Acute Care Program at Ryther, a residential treatment center and outpatient mental health service facility in Seattle that is a recognized leader in behavioral health services for children and families facing complex challenges. Her clinical experiences with distressed, anxious, oppositional, and neuro-atypical children make her an excellent resource for parents of children whose unique strengths and difficulties require carefully customized parenting plans. Ann Bauer St. Louis The Center for Family Law Ms. Ann Bauer concentrates her law practice in the area of family law, including mediation, collaborative law and serving as a Guardian ad Litem and Parenting Coordinator. She has a master s degree in Child Development from the Erikson Institute of Loyola University in Chicago and her law degree from Washington University. She is a past chair of The Missouri Bar Family Law Section and has served on the annual conference planning committee. Active in the St. Louis Collaborative Family Law Association (founding member) and the Missouri chapter of AFCC (founding member), she has been included in the Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyers list of family lawyers since 2005 and in February 2010 was admitted into the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), a national organization that promotes the highest degree of professionalism and ethics in the practice of family law. She currently serves as a volunteer for family cases for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and as a volunteer attorney for St. Louis County s domestic violence dockets, assisting parties in developing parenting plans. In 2012 she received a Pro Bono service award from the Missouri Bar. She received the Roger Krumm Award for the Family Law Practitioner of the Year in A--2

3 Ronnie Beach, Ed.S. Conflict Resolution Services, Inc. Olathe, KS Ronnie Beach, Ed.S. is the owner of Conflict Resolution Services, Inc., an entity specializing in serving high conflict families. These services partially include Mediation, Parent Coordination, Supervised Parenting, Parent Coaching, Educational Trainings and Mentoring. He has mediated over 1500 domestic cases. Ronnie has three advanced degrees, two in Psychology and the other in Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution. He teaches Mediation and Social Psychology at Avila University and in the graduate program at Park University teaching Conflict Management and Mediation. Ronnie is President Elect of the Association of Missouri Mediators (AMM) and active in the Missouri Chapter of Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (MO-AFCC). Hon. Douglas R. Beach 21 st Judicial Circuit St. Louis Judge Douglas R. Beach was appointed Associate Circuit Court Judge for St. Louis County Missouri in 2005 and appointed to the Circuit Court by Governor Jay Nixon in Judge Beach has been assigned to the Family Court since he was appointed in He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is a frequent lecturer on Family law and other legal topics. He was in the private practice law in St. Louis being named in the Best Lawyers of America publication for 10 consecutive years. Was an incorporator of the City of Chesterfield in 1988 and served as the City Attorney for 17½ years before his appointment to the bench. Judge Beach graduated from Central Conn. State University in 1970, and received his law degree from New England School of Law (Cum Laude) in He retired from the United States Marine Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel where he served as Judge Advocate. Kathleen H. Bird Office of Dispute Resolution Services Seventh Circuit Court of Missouri Liberty Ms. Kathleen H. Bird received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas A&M University (1973) and her juris doctor degree from Southern Methodist University (1980). She is licensed in the states of Arkansas, Missouri and Texas. She is currently the Director of the Office of Dispute Resolution Services for the Seventh Circuit Court of Missouri and serves on the Supreme Court Committee on Access to Family Courts. She was a member of The Missouri Bar Special Committee on Limited Scope Representation and has made numerous presentations for The Missouri Bar on the topic. In 1986 she became a certified Family Law Specialist, Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She has lectured for the Arkansas and Missouri Bar organizations on various domestic relations practice topics and mediation. Ms. Bird entered the field of mediation with her first training in 1987, mediating for court-connected programs and in the private sector. A--3

4 Lisa Ghan Blumenstock Attorney at Law Springfield Ms. Lisa Ghan Blumenstock was born in Springfield, Missouri, and raised in Jefferson City where she graduated from Jefferson City High School. She went to the University of Missouri in Columbia where she earned an undergraduate degree in English and also her Law Degree. She moved to Springfield after graduating from law school. In 1986 she joined the Law Firm of Lowther, Johnson, Attorneys at Law where she practiced primarily in the area of family law. In January of 2009, Lisa went out on her own, still practicing in family law, but concentrating to a greater degree in the area of family law mediation. Lisa has been named a Super Lawyer in Missouri from by Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers magazine, and in 2008 she was named as one of the top 50 women attorneys in Missouri. She has also been named as a Best Lawyer in every edition of The Best Lawyers in America since 2007 in the areas of family law and mediation. In 2013 she was named Lawyer of the Year in family law in Springfield, Missouri, by The Best Lawyers in America. In 2014, she received the Nationally Ranked Top Ten Attorney Award for excellence in the field of Family Law from the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys. Don Blythe Roe, Overland Park, Kansas Phone: dblythe@blythepaperless.net Mr. Don Blythe is a divorce financial mediator, certified public accountant and collaborative divorce financial neutral practicing in the greater Kansas City area since Don helps divorcing couples document their financial position, values their business and retirement plans, and mediates the couple s asset and liability division, monthly budgets, expected income and spousal support. For couples with children, Don refers the parenting plan mediation to a family professional and, on completion of the parenting plan, calculates and integrates child support into the overall divorce financial mediation. Don is profiled by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as an accounting pathfinder by its CPA Vision project. Don has a Master s in Business Administration (MBA) and a BS in Journalism from the University of Kansas and an Associate s degree in information systems from Johnson County Community College. Megan S. Carney, Ph.D. MU Assessment & Consultation Clinic Columbia Bio not available at time of printing A--4

5 Marjorie K. Carter Carter Family Law Group, LLC St. Louis Ms. Marjorie Carter opened Carter Family Law Group, St. Louis first holistic family law firm, in She focuses her practice on family law, including collaborative practice, mediation, cooperative practice, litigation and parenting coordination. Ms. Carter received her law degree, cum laude, in 1991 from St. Louis University School of Law, and has a B.A. in management, magna cum laude, from Webster University. She has had substantial experience serving as a guardian ad litem in cases in the Family Court of St. Louis County and in abuse, neglect, delinquency and adoption cases in the Juvenile Court. Ms. Carter served as chairperson for the Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board for the State of Missouri for 9 years. She currently serves on the Missouri Task Force on Children s Justice. She is a past President of the Women Lawyers Association of Greater St. Louis, a founding member of the Missouri Chapter of the AFCC, and a founding member of the Collaborative Family Law Association (CFLA), and has served on the CFLA Board. Ms. Carter has also served on the boards of the International Alliance of Holistic Lawyers, and Citizens for Missouri s Children. Patricia Carter, Ph.D. Missouri Department of Mental Health Jefferson City Dr. Patricia Carter has been with the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) since 1989 working in various capacities with children and families. She has worked in both inpatient and community settings, providing clinical and administrative services. She is a Certified Forensic Examiner for the MO Dept. of Mental Health and responsible for setting policy and supervising evaluations on individuals under the age of 18 years. Dr. Carter is the juvenile justice liaison as well as Trauma Lead for the MODMH. Her current role as Director of Children s Clinical Services for the Dept. of Mental Health focuses on enhancing clinical practices to promote quality care in meeting the needs of children and youth with emotional, behavioral, developmental or substance abuse disorders. Most recently, Dr. Carter now has a joint position with DMH and Children s Division/Social Services to expand clinical and trauma consultation to the child welfare system. Dr. Carter received her Bachelor s degree in psychology from the University of Missouri- Columbia and her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Mississippi. A--5

6 Hon. David P. Chamberlain 7 th Judicial Circuit Liberty Judge David P. Chamberlain was born December 13, 1962 in Cambridge Nebraska. He graduated from Southwest Missouri State, now known as Missouri State University in 1985 with a BS in Economics; University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law in He married Bobbi L. Block, January 4, 1986, two children, Amanda and Hannah. He is a member of The Missouri Bar, Clay County Bar, Kansas City Missouri Bar Association. He was appointed to the Associate Circuit Bench April 10, 2008 pursuant to the non-partisan court plan. Prior to the bench he practiced for 19 years, most recently at Patton & Chamberlain. He had a general practice with an emphasis on all litigation matters. As a member of the Family Court in Clay County he has a docket that consist of about 90% domestic matters. Commissioner Sue Chrisman 31 st Judicial Circuit Springfield Commissioner Sue Chrisman was appointed as a Family Law Commissioner for Greene County, the 31 st Circuit, on August 1, Prior to her appointment, she practiced family law and federal criminal law at Hosmer, King and Royce in Springfield. Upon her graduation from law school, Commissioner Chrisman worked as a federal law clerk for Senior District Judge Russell G. Clark, until his retirement. She attended law school at Denver University, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the University of Denver Law Review. Chad T. Courtney Courtney & Mills, LLC Springfield Mr. Chad T. Courtney practices in areas of workers compensation, personal injury, domestic relations and general civil litigation. He is a 1999 graduate of the University of Missouri, where he served as Treasurer of the Student Bar Association. Mr. Courtney received Bachelor Degrees in Political Science and Sociology in 1996 from the University of Missouri. He is a member of Mr. Courtney is a member of The Missouri Bar, Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, FarmHouse Fraternity, and is admitted to practice in the state of Missouri and Federal bar of Missouri. A--6

7 M. J. Crawford Domestic Relations Service Mediator 21 st Judicial Circuit Clayton Bio not available at time of printing Hon. Margaret T. Donnelly 21 st Judicial Circuit St. Louis Commissioner Margaret Donnelly is a Family Court Commissioner in the Twenty-First Judicial Circuit, St. Louis County. In addition to a private practice of 20 years, concentrating in family and juvenile law, she served from as the Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. She also served in the Missouri House of Representatives from Commissioner Donnelly received her J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law and has her BSSW and MSW from the same university. Hon. John R. Essner 21 st Judicial Circuit Clayton Judge Essner was appointed associate circuit judge in July 1999 and has maintained a domestic docket continuously since that time. For more than twenty years Judge Essner was an attorney for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and was responsible for direction of the Volunteer Lawyers Program. Judge Essner is a member of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the St. Louis County Bar Association, the Lawyers Association, Women Lawyers Association, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Judge Essner resides in St. Louis County with his family. A--7

8 Douglas C. Fredrick Law Office of Doug Fredrick, LLC Springfield Mr. Douglas Fredrick received both his Bachelors in Business Administration and law degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City. Before entering private practice, Mr. Fredrick had the opportunity to clerk for Commissioner Cheryl Rosen in Independence, Missouri, study comparative law at Peking University in Beijing, China, and work on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. In 2005, he entered the Army Reserves as a JAG officer, and graduated from the United States Army Judge Advocate General School in Charlottesville, Virginia. After practicing with Fredrick, Rogers, & Vaughn, P.C. in Springfield, Missouri for five years, Mr. Fredrick started his own solo practice in 2008 with an emphasis in family law, business transactions and litigation, and real estate law. He has successfully argued before the Southern District Court of Appeals and the Missouri Supreme Court. In 2011, Mr. Fredrick authored the Missouri Bar publication Military Issues in Family Law, which has become the definitive guide in that area of Missouri law. He is also part owner of two real estate investment/management companies involving both residential and commercial units. In February, 2013 his accession to the Air Force Reserve JAG Corps was approved and he is currently attached to the 509 Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base. In addition, he serves on the Missouri Bar Family Law Executive Council, the Family Law Conference Planning Committee, and the Special Committee on Veterans Issues. Cynthia Garnholz The Center for Family Law St. Louis Ms. Cynthia Garnholz has been practicing law for over thirty years and was awarded her Juris Doctorate at Washington University. She is a partner at The Center for Family Law, where her practice is entirely devoted to assisting families in matters including divorce, custody, support, paternity, probate and estate planning. She is also a collaborative practitioner, mediator, guardian ad litem for children in family court proceedings, and special prosecutor in Domestic Violence Court in St. Louis County. Ms. Garnholz is a founding member of the Collaborative Family Law Association where she has served as board member and officer, and is actively involved in the International Association of Collaborative Practitioners (IACP), Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, Women Lawyers Association of Greater St. Louis, Association of Missouri Mediators (AMM) and The Missouri Bar. She presently serves as a provisional judge for St. Louis County Municipal Court and as an alderman in the City of Clayton. A--8

9 Shannon D. Grisham Pratt & Jensen, LLC Springfield Ms. Shannon D. Grisham has been employed with Pratt and Jensen since May Her practice emphasizes a focus in the area of family and juvenile law which includes but is not limited to dissolutions, modifications, paternity actions, guardian ad litem work, adoptions, juvenile cases and guardianships. Shannon is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. She attended Evangel University, graduating in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She obtained her law degree at The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. While in law school, she was a Member Phi Alpha Delta, McKellar Chapter and recipient of University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law CALI Excellence for the Future Award in the Study of Copyright, Spring In 2005, Shannon was admitted to practice before Missouri state courts and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Shannon is a member of The Missouri Bar, Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association along with the SMBA Family Law Committee and Juvenile Law Committee. She is also a member of the American Bar Association and the American Bar Association s Young Lawyer s Division Family Law Committee. She was the recipient of the Cambridge Who s Who. She is also a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) as well as the Missouri chapter of the AFCC. Shannon is a frequent lecturer on family and juvenile law for The Missouri Bar and the local bar associations. She is currently serving as an editor of the Missouri Bar Family Law Section Newsletter and 2012 Chair of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Family Law Committee. She is a member of the Missouri Bar Family Law Planning Committee for 2012 Guardian Ad Litem training and speaker for said training. In addition, she has served as board member of Cherish Kids since 2010, an organization that serves to raise awareness for the needs of foster children and adoption. A--9

10 Hon. Kevin D. Harrell 16 th Judicial Circuit Kansas City Governor Jay Nixon appointed Judge Kevin D. Harrell to the bench on July 24, At the time, Judge Harrell was the Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the Jackson County Prosecutor s Office. In that position, he directly supervised five Chief Trial Assistants, the Chief of Operations, two Chief Warrant officers, the Victim Services Division, as well as, indirectly supervised an additional 186 employees including assistant prosecutors, investigators and support staff. He worked for the Prosecutor s Office for 15 years. Judge Harrell is a Kansas City native. He obtained his J.D. degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) in 1998, and a Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Justice from UMKC in From 2002 to 2010, Judge Harrell taught classes in trial preparation and presentation to new attorneys and prosecutors as an instructor and lecturer for several colleges and associations including the National District Attorneys Association. In 2001 and 2003 he was voted by his colleagues as the Victim Champion of the Year. In 2005, he was again voted by his colleagues as being the Trial Attorney of the Year. Since 2013, Judge Harrell has exclusively presided over Family Law cases and has become proficient in deciphering and resolving the legal issues commonly experienced with these types of cases. Lynne Harris, LPC, LCSW lynneharriscounseling.com Columbia Ms. Lynne Harris is a licensed Professional Counselor, a licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a Court approved Mediator, with an office in Columbia, Missouri. She has thirty years of experience in providing psychotherapy services to children, teens, and adults in individual and family therapy, as well as working on co-parenting relationships. Her current focus is in helping parents and children through separation and divorce including; understanding the grief process, keeping children out of the middle, creating developmentally sensitive parenting plans, assisting children in understanding their parent s divorce, parental alienation, estrangement, child custody evaluations, and helping parents to minimize conflict in their parenting relationship. Other areas of expertise include; behavioral problems in children, treatment of victims of child abuse and neglect, post-traumatic stress, guardianship cases, forensic interviewing, and family therapy. A--10

11 Sandra Grant Hessenflow Law Offices of Sandra Grant Hessenflow Kansas City Ms. Sandra Grant Hessenflow is a graduate of the University of Missouri Columbia. While at Mizzou, Ms. Hessenflow attended the Arts and Sciences Honors College, which allowed her to obtain three major and two minor degrees in While at the University of Missouri, she was Activities Director for the campus-wide Student Government, on the Governing Board for the College of Arts and Sciences, and active in her sorority, Chi Omega. She was also selected by the University of Missouri Board of Governors as their student lobbyist at the Missouri Legislature in 1988 and In 1992, Ms. Hessenflow received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri Kansas City. While at law school, she received the American Jurisprudence Award for Appellate Advocacy, and she continues to participate in that program by judging local and regional moot court competitions. Ms. Hessenflow has been a speaker at more than twenty family law educational programs and events. She is a member of several legal associations and committees, and she currently serves as the President-Elect of the KCMBA Family and the Law Section. She is the immediate past Chair of the KCMBA Domestic Law Committee (2011); she was the Co-chair of the KCMBA Domestic Law Committee (2010); and, she was the Vice Co-chair of the KCMBA Domestic Law Committee (2009). She has also served on: the Bench Bar Planning Committee (2011 and 2012) and on the Domestic Violence and Children s Interdisciplinary Conference Planning Committee ( ). In her spare time, she serves as a member of the Collector s Forum at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, where she also volunteers as an Educational Docent. She also enjoys wine tastings and is a Certified Level I Sommelier. Carla Holste Carson & Coil, P.C. Jefferson City Ms. Carla Holste received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice in 1980 from Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana. In 1985 she received her Juris Doctorate degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. While in law school, she became a member of the Jessup Moot Court team and received the Order of the Coif. From she was a staff attorney with Legal Aid of Western Missouri, Warrensburg office. From she was Assistant General Counsel with the Missouri Division of Transportation where she filed complaints of violations against motor carriers. In 1989 Carla became an associate in the law firm of Carson & Coil, P.C. and is now a partner with that law firm. Her practice deals primarily with family law cases and employment discrimination. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Courts for the Western District of Missouri and the District of Columbia. Ms. Holste has served as a member of the executive council for the Family Law Section of The Missouri Bar for several years, as vicechair for two years, and as Chair for two years. Ms. Holste continues to serve the Section as chair of its legislative sub-committee. Ms. Holste is a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. A--11

12 Susan S. Jensen Pratt & Jensen, LLC Springfield Ms. Susan S. Jensen, of Pratt & Jensen, LLC, practices in family law. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She received a Women s Justice Award for Litigation Practitioner from Missouri Lawyer s Weekly in Ms. Jensen is named a SuperLawyer in the area of family law since 2009, and one of the top fifty women attorneys in Missouri and Kansas by KCMagazine. Ms. Jensen is the Chair of the Missouri Bar Family Law Section. Ms. Jensen graduated from William Jewell College in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in Communication. She attended the University Of Iowa College Of Law, where she graduated with distinction in Ms. Jensen clerked for the Honorable Paul M. Spinden at the Missouri Court of Appeals-Western District, for the Honorable John E. Parrish at the Missouri Court of Appeals-Southern District, and for the Honorable Nancy Steffen Rahmeyer at the Missouri Court of Appeals-Southern District. In 1999 she received from The Missouri Bar one of three David Dixon awards for appellate advocacy. Jill M. Katz Jill M. Katz LLC Kansas City Ms. Jill M. Katz is a sole practitioner. She practices in the area of Family and Juvenile Law. She was previously with Stinson, Mag & Fizzell, which later became Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP where her practice focused on the representation of indigent parents and children in matters of abuse, neglect, delinquency, paternity, protective orders, dissolution, custody modifications and adoptions. She currently serves as the Chair of the Missouri Bar Juvenile Courts and Laws Committee and serves on the Family Law Section Executive Council. Ms. Katz started her legal career as an attorney for Legal Aid of Western Missouri and from 1990 to 1993, she was an attorney for the juvenile officer in the Jackson County Family Court. From 1993 she was with Stinson, Mag & Fizzell, and Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP until 2005, when she opened her own law firm. Ms. Katz is active with the local bar associations, a frequent lecturer in the area of family and juvenile law. She is a founding member of the Lawyers Encouraging Academic Participation (LEAP Foundation) and was recognized in 2003 and in 2001 for her work with the children of Jackson County, Missouri. Ms. Katz attended the University of Missouri Kansas City where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1985 and in 1989 she received her Juris Doctor from their School of Law. She was admitted to the Missouri Bar in Ms. Katz received Mediation Training at the Johnson County Community College in 1999 and is recognized as a Court-approved child custody mediator in Jackson County, Missouri. A--12

13 Dustin Kennedy Springfield Bio not available at time of printing Anne E. Kern Carson & Coil Jefferson City Ms. Anne E. Kern practices family law, juvenile law, and adoption law throughout the state of Missouri. She is experienced with divorce, paternity, child custody, domestic violence, juvenile matters and adoptions. Ms. Kern currently resides in Columbia with her husband, Andy, and their children David and Lydia. She received her B.S. in Justice Systems, Magna Cum Laude, from Truman State University, Missouri, and her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, She has received the Thomas E. Deacy Jr. Trial Advocacy Award; CALI Excellence for the future Award for study of Child Protection and the Law; National Association of Women Lawyers Award; and the Moot Court Top Ten Oralist A--13

14 Robert K. Kirkland Kirkland Woods & Martinsen PC Liberty Mr. Bob Kirkland is President of the law firm of Kirkland Woods & Martinsen PC, which has offices in Liberty, Missouri and Overland Park, Kansas. He works with a variety of individual clients, handling the preparation of Wills, Living Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney, Irrevocable Trusts, Charitable Trusts and Minor s Trusts, and counseling clients in the areas of gifting techniques, asset protection, charitable planning and business succession planning. He also advises fiduciaries in estate, conservatorship and trust administration matters. Mr. Kirkland is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel ( ACTEC ), is the immediate past Missouri State Chair of ACTEC, and is a member of the ACTEC Board of Regents and the ACTEC Executive Committee. He is also a member of the Employee Benefits Committee (Chair), Sponsorship Advisory Committee, Digital Property Task Force, Charitable Planning Committee, Communications Committee and Bylaws and Manuals Committee of ACTEC. He is listed in the most recent editions of The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers. Mr. Kirkland has successfully completed the Effective Probate Mediation Training course sponsored by ACTEC, and frequently serves as a mediator of trust and estate disputes. Bob also served as the ACTEC Observer to the Uniform Law Commission Drafting Committee on Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets, and is the Chair of the Missouri Bar Subcommittee of the Probate and Trust Committee on digital assets. Among several professional and civic activities, Mr. Kirkland is a member of the Board of Directors of the Liberty Women s Clinic, the Board of Directors of Autism Works, and the Board of Directors of the Midwest Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Mr. Kirkland also serves as Planning Chair of the annual Missouri Bar Estate & Trust Institute (which conducts annual attorney seminars across the state), and is a Vice Chair of the Missouri Bar Probate and Trust Committee. Mr. Kirkland is a frequent author and lecturer in the estate planning and charitable giving areas. He has lectured on a variety of topics at seminars sponsored by ACTEC, The Missouri Bar, The Kansas Bar Association, The Oklahoma Bar Association, the UCLA Institute on Estate Planning, The MO-KAN Trust Conference, University of Missouri-Columbia, and the Estate Planning Councils of Baltimore, Philadelphia and St. Louis. Mr. Kirkland holds a B.S. in accounting from William Jewell College (1980), a J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law (1983), and an L.L.M. in estate planning from the University of Miami, Florida School of Law (1985). During his tenure at the UMKC School of Law, he served as Managing Editor of the UMKC Law Review. A--14

15 Dawn Kuhlman, MA Kuhlman Conflict Solutions, LLC Ms. Dawn E. Kuhlman is the owner of Kuhlman Conflict Solutions, LLC, an entity specializing in Conflict Resolution, Educational Trainings, Group Facilitation, and Consulting. She enjoys working with clients in a variety of settings; Government, Judicial, Educational, Social Service, Health, Mental Health, and Non-profit. Dawn is a Continuing Education Instructor at Johnson County Community College. She serves as an adjunct professor at Baker University, Park University and MidAmerica Nazarene University. Dawn is also a consultant for a statewide non-profit mediation program called M.A.R.C.H. Mediation. Dawn holds a Masters (MA) in Clinical Psychology from the University of Dayton, and a Bachelor of Science Degree (BS) in Psychology from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She is a mediator, trainer, conflict coach, and parent coordinator. She is also a certified administrator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Her areas of Expertise Include: Workplace conflict Diversity Personality Type Temperament Conflict resolution Leadership skills Communication and listening skills Motivational interviewing Emotional intelligence Non-verbal communication Dawn has 10+ years of experience in the court system and social service industry. She has educated thousands on conflict resolution and communication. Dawn is the Corresponding Secretary for the Missouri Chapter of Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (MO- AFCC) and member of the Association of Missouri Mediators. Dawn also serves as a Board member for the Clay County Transitions Program. A--15

16 Hon. Michele F. Lowrance Cook County Circuit Judge (ret) Chicago, IL Hon. Michele F. Lowrance has spent 20 years as a domestic relations lawyer and has served as a domestic relations judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois since She is a renowned mediator, author and television analyst. Her appearances include, Good Morning America, the CBS Morning Show, The Joy Behar Show, Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell, and American Justice with Bill Kurtis. She is co-host with Jill Egizii of the radio show Family Matters and is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post (now AOL Online). She has been a guest lecturer at Chicago Divorce University, the Chicago Bar Association, the University of Chicago, DePaul Law School, Kent Law School, Northwestern University, the Forensic Forum and the Chicago Think Tank. In addition to being a certified mediator for Harvard Law School, Judge Lowrance authored the acclaimed book, The Good Karma Divorce. A child of divorce who was raised by her grandparents, she has been divorced and has devoted her professional life to helping those similarly situated. Hon. John P. Lukachick 31 st Judicial Circuit Springfield Commissioner John P. Lukachick received a Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa College of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Southwest Missouri State University. He has been an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America. Prior to his appointment he practiced family law with Springfield law firm Tuck & Lukachick, P.C., specializing in domestic relations and serving as a guardian ad litem. He also worked in juvenile matters involving neglect, abuse and termination of parental rights. Hon. Larry G. Luna 38 th Judicial Circuit Ozark Judge Larry G. Luna was elected as Associate Circuit Judge for Christian County and has served in that capacity since January 1, He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Missouri of Kansas City. He served three terms as Prosecuting Attorney for Ozark County, Missouri, has worked in the private sector, and been engaged in the general practice of law in Southern Missouri since being admitted to The Missouri Bar in While in private practice, he received special recognition from Legal Services of Southwest Missouri for his volunteer work representing indigent clients. He is a member of the Christian County Bar Association, the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association and the Missouri Association of Associate and Probate Judges. He is a member of the Juvenile Courts & Laws Committee and the Family Law Section of The Missouri Bar. Judge Luna and his wife Laurie live in Christian County. They have 3 children and one granddaughter. A--16

17 Hon. Jeffrey B. Marquardt 31 st Judicial Circuit Springfield Bio not available at time of printing Simone Haberstock McCartney The McCartney Law Firm St. Louis Ms. Simone Haberstock McCartney graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1991, cum laude, and completed the LLM program in Dispute Resolution at University of Missouri School of Law in She is also a CPA. Ms. McCartney has practiced in the area of divorce and family law for over twenty years. She is a member of The Missouri Bar; a former member of the Board of Governors-Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; Former President-Collaborative Family Law Association; Member, Family Law Section-Missouri Bar; Association of Missouri Mediators; Approved Family Court Mediator-St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and Jefferson County; and co-author, Retirement Chapter, Elder Law CLE, Missouri Bar. J. Matthew Miller Baird Lightner Millsap Springfield Mr. J. Matthew Miller is a partner in the law firm of Baird Lightner Millsap in Springfield, Missouri. His areas of practice include family law, civil litigation, mediation and appellate practice. He began his legal career as an associate with Baird Lightner Millsap in 2001 and became a partner with the firm in Mr. Miller received a Bachelor of Science magna cum laude in Education from the University of Missouri in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri in He was a research assistant for Professor Martha Dragich at the University Of Missouri School Of Law. He is a member of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association Committee for Alternative Dispute Resolution, a member of the Family Law Committee and has been a member and served as chairperson of the Mock Trial Committee. In 2009, Mr. Miller traveled with other members of the SMBA to Connecticut to study the Special Master Program of dispute resolution developed by the Connecticut Bar Association. In 2013 he traveled to New Delhi, India to meet with the Delhi Legal Services Authority and judges at Patiala House District Court to observe and study the Lok Adalat system of dispute resolution developed by the Indian court system. He has recently written the Sources of Proof chapter in the Missouri Bar Evidence Deskbook and is currently writing an article on the Indian Lok Adalat system of dispute resolution. A--17

18 Mark J. Millsap Baird Lightner Millsap Springfield Mr. Mark J. Millsap is a shareholder in the firm Baird Lightner Millsap. He was admitted to The Missouri Bar in He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science summa cum laude. Mark received his J.D. Degree with distinction from the University of Missouri in Kansas City in He is a member of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar, The Missouri Bar, and the ABA. His areas of practice include Family Law, Insurance Defense and Appellate Practice. He has spoken on numerous occasions on behalf of The Missouri Bar and the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association on various topics pertaining to Domestic Relations issues. Cary J. Mogerman Zerman Mogerman, LLC St. Louis Mr. Cary J. Mogerman is a partner in law firm of Zerman Mogerman LLC, where his practice is limited to divorce law and related appellate practice. He obtained his J.D. degree from the Washington University School of Law (1985) and his BA from Drake University (1982). He has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since He is a former chair of the Family Law Section of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and a past-president of the Missouri Chapter, AAML. He has been listed in the book, The Best Lawyers in America, for Family Law, since 1998, and as a Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyer since He received The Missouri Bar s Roger P. Krumm Family Law Award in 2008, and since 2012 has been a faculty member of the Annual ABA/NITA Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute in Boulder, Colorado. He has co-authored several articles on divorce law for legal journals including the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the St. Louis Bar Journal. He is the co-author of two chapters in the two-volume Missouri Bar CLE Deskbook entitled Missouri Family Law, and is a frequent speaker at family law seminars. Art Nissenbaum Law Office of Arthur H. Nissenbaum, LLC St. Louis Mr. Art Nissenbaum has a domestic relations practice in St. Louis. He often acts in the capacity of a Guardian Ad Litem. Art is also a mediator and parent coordinator. Art received his law degree from John Marshall School of Law in Chicago, Illinois. His undergraduate training was in psychology and human development/family at the University of Kansas. Art also received his Master of Arts degree in public administration from St. Louis University. Art currently participates on the St. Louis County Parent Coordinator Committee and is the current President on the Board for the Missouri Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. A--18

19 Hon. Lisa P. Page 23 rd Judicial Circuit Hillsboro Hon. Lisa P. Page is a Circuit Court Judge in the 23 rd Judicial Circuit. She was born September 12, 1966, in Festus. Judge Page graduated magna cum laude in 1988 from Southeast Missouri State University and cum laude from Saint Louis University School of Law in Judge Page practiced law from with a strong emphasis in ADR and domestic relations. She was appointed family court commissioner on April 29, 2005, and, when the position was eliminated, was elected Jefferson County s first female circuit judge effective January 1, Larry Rice Rice, Amundsen & Caperton, L.L.P.C Memphis, TN Mr. Larry Rice is a board certified Family Law Specialist and partner at Rice, Amundsen & Caperton, L.L.P.C. in Memphis, Tennessee. He has lectured at more than ten American Bar Association conventions and to lawyers from Massachusetts to Hawaii and Canada to the Caribbean, on topics ranging from Law Office Management to Ethics to Trial Practice. He is the author of several articles and books including, The Complete Guide to Divorce Practice, Forms and Procedures for Lawyers, 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd and 25th Anniversary Editions. Mr. Rice holds a B.A. in communication arts and history, was a British Studies student at University College, Oxford, England, and completed the American Trial Lawyer Association National College of Advocacy. He is Super Lawyer and Avvo rated as superb. Hon. Sherrill P. Roberts Family Court Commissioner Clay County Sherrill P. Roberts currently serves as Family Court Commissioner in Clay County, Missouri. She was appointed to that position in August, Prior to her appointment as Family Court Commissioner, she was a partner in the firm of Kuhlman, Reddoch, Sullivan & Roberts, P.C., a small general practice firm, where she concentrated on family law litigation and Guardian ad Litem work. A--19

20 Anita I. Rodarte Bernstein, Rodarte & Hatheway, P.C. Kansas City Ms. Anita I. Rodarte is a shareholder with the law firm of Bernstein, Rodarte & Hatheway, PC. She has been practicing family laws since 1984 and maintains her license in both Missouri and Kansas. She limits her practice to family law and has been a frequent lecturer on family law topics. She is recognized in Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers of Missouri and Kansas in the field of family law. Anita is the author of Chapter 6, Dissolution of Marriage in the Missouri Bar Family Law Deskbook. Anita is a fellow of the Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) in addition serving on the Board of Directors of the International Commission on Couple and Family Relationships, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the Association of Women Lawyers. Anita is particularly proud of her work with the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Foundation where she currently serves as President-Elect. The foundation is the charitable arm of the AAML that annually funds grants to programs to aid families and children affected by divorce. Hon. Sherrill L. Rosen Jackson County Family Court Independence Commissioner Sherrill L. Rosen received her B.S. degree in Journalism at the University of Colorado in 1975, and her J.D. degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in She is a member of The Missouri Bar, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. She is also a member of the National Association of Counsel for Children, the Association of Women Lawyers Kansas City, and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Commissioner Rosen was employed by Legal Aid of Western Missouri from 1978 to 1982, and then was in private practice in the area of family law until She helped to draft and lobbied for the passage of Missouri s adult abuse statute, and handled its constitutional challenge in She was often appointed as a guardian ad litem. Commissioner Rosen was appointed Family Court Commissioner in 1994 and has presided over contested family law cases for 20 years. Additionally, she has presided over a truancy court program, known as Success Court, in two different middle schools for the past ten years. She has given numerous professional presentations in the area of family law and has taught at the Missouri Judicial College. Commissioner Rosen was honored in May 2013 by the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association with the inaugural Kelly J. Moorhouse Dedication to Children award, and is a 2014 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women s Justice Award winner. A--20

21 Megan C. Roth Shook Hardy & Bacon, LLP Kansas City Ms. Megan Roth is an attorney with the SHB Pro Bono Division. Her practice focuses on cases related to juvenile delinquency and certification, abuse, neglect, guardianships, adoptions, and adult criminal matters. Before joining SHB, Megan spent seven years with the Missouri State Public Defender's Office. In this role, she tried more than 50 cases and successfully resolved more than 1,000 cases involving juvenile delinquencies, misdemeanors and felonies, including first-degree murder. During law school, Megan was editor-in-chief of the UMKC Law Review, staff associate of The Urban Lawyer and a member of the Moot Court National Team. She received the Charles E. Whitaker Award for Academic Excellence and Wilbur Pollard Law Review Award, and was inducted into the Order of the Barristers. Megan is a member of the Kansas Bar Association, The Missouri Bar and the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association. She is Assistant Director of the Kansas City Youth Court. Megan is admitted to practice before the state courts of Missouri and Kansas, and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. She received her J.D. from the University of Missouri - Kansas City Law School in 2003, and her B.A., from Knox College in Abbie Rothermich Legal Aid of Western Missouri Warrensburg Ms. Abbie Rothermich is an attorney at Legal Aid of Western Missouri in Warrensburg. Abbie graduated from the University of Missouri- Columbia School of Law in May 2010 and was admitted to the Bar in the following September. Abbie first took employment with Legal Aid in April She focused her first year of practice serving as a legal representative for litigants in Adult and Child Order of Protection cases over a fifteen county area. Since that time, she has focused her caseload on doing trial work in the domestic relations area; she has also handled appellate cases. Abbie participated in the Missouri Bar Leadership Academy and has attended the Family Law Conference for the past three years. A--21

22 Jeffrey S. Royer Attorney at Law Blue Springs Mr. Jeffrey S. Royer is a 1987 graduate of the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law and received a B.S. from Central Missouri State University in He is a solo practitioner in Blue Springs, Missouri and his practice is devoted exclusively to preparing and reviewing QDROs and pension valuations for attorneys and their clients. Mr. Royer is a member of the Missouri Bar Family Law Section and the QDRO National Education Society. He has been a presenter at the Missouri Bar Family Law Conference and the annual QDRONES conference for the past several years. Patricia Tricia M. Scaglia Scaglia Law Firm, LLC Independence, MO Ms. Patricia Tricia M. Scaglia, received her Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri- Kansas City. Ms. Scaglia received a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She served as law clerk to the late Honorable Kelly J. Moorhouse, Sixteenth Judicial Circuit of Missouri and to the Honorable Robert E. Larsen, United States District Court Western District of Missouri. Ms. Scaglia practices primarily in the area of Family Law, frequently serving as a Guardian Ad Litem and mediator. Ms. Scaglia also handles family law appeals. She has appeared before the Western District of Missouri, Eastern District of Missouri and the Missouri Supreme Court. Ms. Scaglia was elected to the Missouri Bar Board of Governors in 2012, and is just beginning her second term. She serves on the Missouri Supreme Court Committee for Access to Family Courts. In 2012 the Family Law Section awarded her the Roger P. Krumm Family Law Practitioner of the Year Award. Ms. Scaglia is active in the Missouri Bar Family Law Section Council currently serving as Vice- Chair of the Executive Council; Chair, Continuing Legal Education and Co-Chair, Family Law Conference Planning Committee. She has also been active in her local bar association, currently serving as an At-Large Board Member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (KCMBA). Previously she served as Past President of the Family and the Law Section and Past Chair of the Family Law Committee. In 2008 she received the KCMBA President s Award for her work as Chair of the KCMBA Family Law Committee. Ms. Scaglia serves as the Assistant Secretary for the Association of Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City (AWL), where she has been a Board Member since In 2010 she received the AWL President s Award. She has been honored by the Kansas City Business Journal as Best of the Bar for Ms. Scaglia is licensed in Missouri and Kansas. A--22