Sandra Joan Morris, Of Counsel

Transcription

1 Sandra Joan Morris, Of Counsel P: F: Family Law With a career of 44 years as a family law attorney, Ms. Morris has extensive experience in a broad range of family law issues both as a counselor and litigator, making it her goal to help each client through the process with dignity and ease. With extensive training and experience in mediation, collaborative law, arbitration and settlement negotiation, she serves as an advocate to family law clients who choose alternatives to traditional litigation in resolving their family law matters. Ms. Morris has long been recognized as one of the preeminent family law attorneys in the United States. Engaged in the private practice of family law since 1970 Pro Tem Judge of San Diego County Juvenile Court ; and Superior Court 1977 to approximately 1998 Settlement Judge of San Diego Superior Court, Family Law Division, early 1980 s-2004 Adjunct professor of Juvenile Law Western School of Law, 1979 State Bar Board Certified Family Law Specialist since 1980 Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 1981 Fellow, International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 1989 Diplomate, American College of Family Trial Lawyers since 1993 Mediation Training, USD Law School and American Arbitration Association, 1984; 40 hour Intensive Mediation Training, Center for Understanding in Conflict, 2011 Certified Arbitrator by American Arbitration Association and American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 1989; AAML Arbitration Training Faculty Negotiation Training, Harvard Negotiation Training Project and American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2008 Certified Collaborative Law Attorney, 2010 Education University of Arizona, Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, Scholarship, Honors University of Arizona School of Law, Scholarship, Honors Western School of Law, Juris Doctor Employment Background Ms. Morris founded her own law firm in 1970, which she ran until joining Seltzer Caplan in November Representative Matters REPORTED APPELLATE CASES: Appellate and/or Trial Counsel

2 In re James M. (1976) 65 Cal.App.3d 254 Father s conviction of murder of the children s Mother did not necessarily constitute neglect nor deprive the children of a home for an extended period of time. Denial of Petition to free the children from Father s custody and control, affirmed. Cited in multiple Appellate and Supreme Court decisions. In re Nicole B. (1979) 93 Cal.App.3d 874 Court properly exercised jurisdiction over minor child where Mother s boyfriend abused the child, even though Mother was not present at the time and boyfriend not permitted in the home. Test is welfare of child, not wrongdoing of parent. In re Robert D. (1984) 151 CaLApp.3d 391 Order of trial court for ongoing grandparent visitation, affirmed. In re Brendan P. (1986) 184 Cal.App.3d 910 Superior Court had exclusive jurisdiction over custody dispute involving abuse allegations because proceedings regarding it were filed there first and orders regarding custody and visitation had been entered in the matter. In re Marriage of Harbach (1987) 195 Cal.App.3d 629 Stipulated modified decree providing support non-modifiable, properly extended when expectations of parties as expressed in the Stipulation were not met. In re Marriage of Feldman (2007) 153 Cal.App.4th 1470 Trial Court properly ordered sanctions for husband s failure to disclose material facts and information about assets and income. Wife was not required to show harm, or to move to compel disclosure or to preclude evidence. Professional Affiliations & Admissions Supreme Court of State of, January 15, 1970 United States District Court Southern District of, January 15, 1970 United States Court of Claims, April 1, 1970 United States Tax Court, April 28, 1970 United States Supreme Court, March 24, 2004 SAN DIEGO COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES: Certified Family Law Specialists Committee Member since 1981 (Year of Formation) Executive Committee 1995 Chair-Elect 1996 Chair 1998 Counsel 1981 Present Chaired various committees, including: Summer Seminar, Annual Retreat, Family Court Services, Settlement Judges Seminar. Frequent lecturer/demonstrator for over thirty years on variety of Family Law topics, most recently cross-examination, direct-examination, post nuptial agreements, Elkins rules, child custody under Elkins, presenting yourself in court, and litigation skills Lecturer and demonstrator of cross examination of a forensic expert, family law, College of Trial Advocacy. INNS OF COURT: Domestic Clinical Program 1979 Faculty Legislation Committee 1977, 1978 Chaired Juvenile Legislation Subcommittee 1979, 1980 Co-chaired Family Legislation Committee Delegate, State Bar Convention 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985 Youth and Law Committee Chaired film production re: Juvenile Court process; Technical advisor to production company 1975 Chaired Committee when merged with Juvenile Law and Education Committee

3 Juvenile Law and Education Committee Chaired various subcommittees 1974, 1975, 1976 Chaired Committee CALIFORNIA STATE BAR ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES: Family Law Section Member since Executive Committee 1992 Moderator, Hot Tips from the Experts Annual State Bar Conference 1993 Lecturer, State Bar Conference Convention Calendar Coordinating Committee 1980, 1981 Member Continuing Education of the Bar 1977 Panel member, Juvenile Justice Program 1978 Panel member, Child Custody Program 1981 Moderator, Child Custody Program 1984 Panel member, Child Custody Program 1985 Panel member, Fundamentals of Family Law Practice 1986 Panel member, Child Custody Program 1987 Panel member, Advanced Family Law Institute 1989 Panel Member, Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements 1990 Moderator, Ethics and Avoiding Malpractice 1991 Moderator, Family Law Litigation 1992 Moderator, Ethics and Avoiding Malpractice 1992 Panel Member, Recent Developments in Family Law 1993 Panel Member, Representing Clients in Spousal and Child Support Matters 1994 Panel Member, Recent Developments in Family Law 1995 Panel Member, Recent Developments in Family Law Juvenile Justice Committee Member OTHER LAW RELATED ACTIVITIES: Alternatives to Litigation Family Law Arbitration/Mediation Panel member American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Fellow since 1981 Offices held: Vice-President, Southern Chapter (first year of Chapter s existence) President, Southern Chapter National Board of Governors Co-Chair, Arbitration Committee, which conducted first arbitration training program with American Arbitration Association at Stanford Law Center; faculty member November ; Certificated Arbitrator since Parliamentarian Chair, Recertification Committee Chair, Long Range Planning Committee National Board of Governors Treasurer Vice President Chair, Focus on Forever Committee Representative, National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, Family Law Joint Editorial Board First Vice President President-Elect

4 President Immediate Past President 2004 Family Law Person of the Year Award, Southern Chapter ( Normy Award) Parliamentarian Lectures Presented: 1987 Panel member, Transmutation of Property, National Conference, Tucson, Arizona 1988 Lecturer, Sexual Abuse, The New Weapon, National Conference, Maui, Hawaii Lecturer: The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act and the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, National Conference, Chicago, Illinois 1994 Lecturer, Direct Testimony, Regional Trial Institute, La Costa, 1994 Demonstrator, Cross-Examination of a Psychological Expert, National Conference, Chicago, Illinois 1995 Demonstrator, Direct and Cross-Examination of Witnesses, Regional Trial Institute, Newport Beach, 1996 Panel Member, Strategies for Obtaining High Maintenance Awards, National Conference, Chicago, Illinois 1997 Panel Member, Litigating Complex Tax Issues in the Family Law Arena, Regional Trial Institute, La Costa, 1997 Panel Member, Trial Preparation: Expert Witness Preparation, Lay Witness Preparation, Trial Aids and Practical Tips, National Conference, Cancun, Mexico 2000 Panel Member, Advanced Motion Practice Hot Tips and Practical Approaches to Difficult Problems, Regional Trial Institute, Coronado, 2002 Panel Member, Advanced Motion Practice Hot Tips and Practical Approaches to Difficult Problems, Regional Trial Institute, Santa Monica, 2003 Panel member Direct and Cross-Examination of the Expert Business Valuator, Regional Trial Institute, La Costa, 2003 Lecturer: Ethics and the Bounds of Advocacy, Kentucky Chapter Annual Conference, Louisville, Kentucky 2003 Lecturer: Spousal Support and Maintenance, Mountain States Chapter Annual Seminar, La Jolla, 2004 Panel member, Advanced Motion Practice Hot Tips and Practical Approaches to Difficult Problems, Regional Trial Institute, Costa Mesa, 2008 Panel Member Direct and Cross-Examination of Forensics in Financial and Custody Issues, Regional Trial Institute, Santa Monica, ; and Annual National Conference, Chicago, Illinois 2012 Panel Member, Initial Client Interview and Case Assessment, Regional Trial Institute, San Diego, 2014 Lecturer: You ve come a Long Way Baby Or Have Your? A 40 year Retrospective of Gender Bias in the Family Law Courts, Southern Chapter Annual Retreat, Santa Barbara, American Bar Association Member since Vice-chair, Juvenile Law Committee of Juvenile Law Committee of Family Law Section 1982, 1983 Executive Member, Juvenile Law Committee of Family Law Section Executive Member, Marital Property Committee of Family Law Section Lecturer, Hot Tips from the Experts, numerous National Conferences 1990 Lecturer, Transmutation of Property, National Conference, Chicago, Illinois 1991 Lecturer, The Ultimate Trial Notebook, National Conference, Vail, Colorado 1992 Lecturer, Dissipation of Marital Property, National Conference, San Francisco, 1993 Lecturer, Preparation of Demonstrative Exhibits, National Conference, San Diego, 1994 Demonstrator, Comparative Cross-Examination, National Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana Permanent Faculty Member, Annual Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute, Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas American College of Family Trial Lawyers Diplomate since Panel Member, Mock Supreme Court Argument re Same-Sex Marriages, Annual Retreat, Laguna Nigel, 2001 Panel Member, Ethics Problems American Psychology-Law Society (One of the founding members, San Diego Chapter) 1979, 1980 Advisory Board

5 Attorney General s Task Force on Juvenile Justice 1978, 1979 Member, Advisory Commission on Family Law which drafted duly-enacted Domestic Violence Prevention Act, Conciliation Court Mediation laws, and joint custody legislation. Project completed and recommendations signed into law State Senate Subcommittee on the Administration of Justice 1974, 1975 Representative of the San Diego County Bar Association Association of Certified Family Law Specialists Member since Panel Member, Here, There, But Not Everywhere: Unique Problems Involving Fiduciary Duties, Annual Spring Seminar, Palm Springs, Western School of Law 1970 s Adjunct Professor, Juvenile Law 2006 Lecturer, Ethical Issues in Family Law Women Lawyers Member since inception Collaborative Family Law Group of San Diego Member since Member of By-Laws, Standard Forms and Retreat Committees International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Fellow since Board of Governors, U.S. Chapter Judicial Council of Administrative Office of the Courts Elkins Family Law Task Force Member. Project completed and recommendations signed into law Lawyers Club of San Diego Member since 1972 (One of the Founding Mothers ) 1972 Chaired various committees 1973 Member, Board of Directors 2008 present Member, Bradley Bunch 2013 Panel Member, Work/Life Balance in the Practice of Law San Diego Family Law Bar Association (Formerly Certified Family Law Specialists Committee of the San Diego County Bar Association) Member since 2013 (Year of Formation) 2013 Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel Professional Affiliations & Admissions San Diego Regional Criminal Justice Planning Board 1979 Member, Committee on Rape, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Childrens Hospital and Health Center Human Research Committee/Institutional Review Board Attorney member; patient/child advocate Rape Crisis Center of San Diego 1973 Original consulting attorney Townhouse Foundation, Inc. 1973, 1974 Member, Board of Directors of adolescent residential treatment center San Diego Community Child Abuse Coordinating Council (One of the original members) Representative of the San Diego County Bar Association; chaired various task forces

6 1977 President of Council 1978 Member, Board of Directors 1978 Representative to Consortium of Child Abuse Councils Publications & Speaking Engagements New Developments in Juvenile Law, Dicta, San Diego County Bar, September, 1976 Book review, Criminal Justice Journal, Western State University Law Review Spring, 1978 Rights of Putative and Natural Fathers, Trial Bar News, San Diego Trial Lawyers Association, May, 1984 Sexual Molest Which Court s on First? Trial Bar News, San Diego Trial Lawyers Association, August/September, 1985 Abuse Allegations A Child s Story, A Lawyer s Nightmare, The Complete Lawyer, American Bar Association Section of General Practice Summer, 1986 Overview of Pension Law, Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Volume 3, 1987 Sexual Abuse Allegations in Divorce/Custody Cases, Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Volume 5, 1989 Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Friends: How is the Court to Decide Which Relationships Will Continue? Family Advocate, American Bar Association Family Law Section, Volume 12 No. 2, Fall, 1989 Ms. Morris has lectured extensively, provided demonstrations of methods and techniques, and conducted workshops on subjects including family law, fiduciary duty, ethics, litigation, negotiation, valuation, asset division, support, gender bias, and child abuse at the local, state, national and international levels; and served as consulting legal expert to Urban and Rural Systems Associates, which was funded by HEW to provide training materials for medical and mental health experts in the field of child abuse. Professional Awards & Honors Best Lawyers in America, 1995 through current Edition Who s Who Among San Diego Women: The Power Source Who s Who in America, 50th Edition through current Edition Who s Who in American Law, 2nd through current Edition Who s Who of American Women Who s Who in Who s Who in the West, 33rd Edition through current Edition Who s Who in the World, 23rd Edition through current Edition San Diego s Sharpest Divorce Lawyers, San Diego Magazine, April, 1983 The Top Lawyers in San Diego, San Diego Magazine, November 1996 The Best Lawyers in San Diego, San Diego Magazine, September 2001; April 2005 and each year to present Top 50 Lawyers Top 25 Women Lawyers May 2007; Super Lawyers Family Law each year 2007 to present; Super Lawyers Alternative Dispute Resolution 2014 (only San Diego family law attorney in this category,) Super Lawyers Southern San Diego Family Law Attorney of the Year, Best Lawyers, 2010 Top Lawyers in San Diego, Metropolitan Magazine 2010 Best Lawyers First Tier Law Firms, US News & World Report, 2010 to present Best Matrimonial firm of the Year, USA, Finance Monthly, 2011 AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell since 1984