, J.D., L.L.M. 184 South Stratford Dr Tucson, AZ 85716 520-861-8291 rebecca@stahlfamilylaw.com LEGAL EXPERIENCE Rebecca M. Stahl, Attorney at Law, PLLC Attorney Family and Juvenile law April 2015 present Pima County Office of Children s Counsel, Tucson, AZ Staff Attorney Dec. 2011 April 2015 Represent children in child welfare, family law, and as victims in criminal cases. Advise child clients of their rights, counsel them, and provide the court with their perspectives of the case. Participate in a variety of mediations, including facilitated settlement conferences, reunification at risk mediations, and post-severance adoption mediations. Write and file motions with the court, research legal issues, and address behavioral health needs of my child clients. Conduct research on best practices for lawyers representing children in child welfare cases. Keep up-to-date on the research regarding trauma, child welfare, child development, best practices, domestic violence, and emerging programs in juvenile and family law. Self-Employed Contract Attorney, Phoenix Arizona Attorney Aug. 2010 Jan. 2011 Contract work for a several family law attorneys, including an appeal, trial issues, and document review. The Honorable Diane M. Johnsen, Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One, Phoenix, AZ Judicial Law Clerk Aug. 2009 Aug. 2010 Conducted factual review and analysis as well as legal research of each case to determine the preliminary legal issues to be decided in the case and discussed them with the judge. Wrote the preliminary draft opinion of each case and presented it to the panel of three judges who would ultimately rule on the case. Cases covered civil, criminal, juvenile, mental health, and family law. The Honorable Sarah R. Simmons, Pima County Superior Court, Presiding Family Court Judge and Presiding Juvenile Court Judge, Tucson, AZ Judicial Law Clerk Aug. 2008 Aug. 2009 Acted as a liaison between the judge and the public, including self-represented litigants. Researched legal issues related to family and juvenile law and discussed the facts and rulings of cases with the Judge. Prepared hearing memoranda for the Judge prior to each hearing outlining the factual and legal issues to be addressed at the hearing. Updated the juvenile case law summary for the Honorable Stephen Rubin. Gained an intimate knowledge of the courthouses and the necessity and functions of all aspects, including juvenile court mediation and the Conciliation Court.
University of Arizona Child Advocacy Clinic, Tucson, AZ Law Clerk Aug. 2007 May 2008 Represented children throughout the dependency process. Filed an appeal on behalf of a parent in a child welfare case. Represented a child in an administrative proceeding at school. McDonald Carano Wilson, LLP, Reno, NV, Law Clerk May 2007 Aug. 2007 Drafted research memoranda, letters, and motions on various topics, including rescission, Title VII, Sarbanes-Oxley, evidence, federal and state legislation, Bell Atlantic v. Twombly, and immigration. Updated in-house Nevada Digest on Contracts. Wrote and published article on sealed court cases. Volunteer Lawyers Program, Tucson, AZ Law Clerk Sep. 2005 Jul. 2008 Helped self-represented litigants file divorce petitions, navigate the court process, and calculated child support payments for default divorce litigants. Received Outstanding Student Volunteer Award in May 2006. University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Tucson, AZ Research Assistant Jan. 2006 May 2008 Researched comparative constitutional law and federalism issues for Professor Ana Maria Merico. Researched legal education and developments and criminal law for Professor Marc Miller. Research the role of Guardians ad Litem in child protective proceedings and abortion issues for Professor Barbara Atwood. Researched the reporter s privilege for Professor Ronnell Andersen-Jones. Honorable David C. Bury, U.S. District Court, Tucson, AZ, Judicial Extern Aug. 2006 Dec. 2006 Drafted research memoranda on the CAN-SPAM Act 2004. Wrote an order dismissing the claim of a federal prisoner under 1983. Participated in jury selection voir dire. Observed trials and motion hearings. Asylum Program of Southern Arizona, Tucson, AZ, Legal Intern Jul. 2006 Aug. 2006 Researched country conditions to determine whether there were sufficient grounds for an asylum claim. Interviewed clients in French and English to obtain their factual histories to determine the best course of action for their asylum claims.
EDUCATION Fulbright Graduate Fellow, University of Otago College of Law, Dunedin, New Zealand Master of Laws, with Distinction, 2012 Thesis: Becoming an Imaginary Friend: The Role of Lawyers for Children in Care of Children Act Cases Researched a variety of family law and juvenile law issues in New Zealand, including the role of the Lawyer for the Child and the growing role of Family Group Conferences. University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Tucson, AZ J.D., May 2008 Magna Cum Laude GPA 3.71 Class Rank 11% Honors: o Distinguished Graduating Senior 2008 o Grand Legal Writing Competition Honorable Mention, Spring 2008 o Phi Delta Phi Balfour Scholarship, Spring 2007 o American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers Scholarship, Fall 2007 o Best Oral Advocate, Best Brief, Best Overall Advocate, Fall 2006 o Excellence in First-Year Legal Writing, Spring 2006 Activities: o Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law (Managing Editor 2007-08) o Morris K. Udall Inn of Court 2007-08 o Curriculum Committee 2006-08 o Writing Fellow Fall 2007 o Ares Fellow, Civil Procedure 2006-07 o Phi Delta Phi Legal Ethics Fraternity (Vice Magister 2006-07, Scribe 2007-08) o LEAD Mentoring Tutoring: o Civil Procedure 2006-07 o Constitutional Law I 2006-07 o Regulatory State 2007-08 Study Abroad: European Law Summer Program, Indiana University School of Law, Summer 2006, Strasbourg, France and London, England. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI B.A., May 2004, French and Francophone Studies; Honors B.A., Comparative Literature Honors Thesis: The Romantic Revival of Shakespeare in France: A study of Comme il vous plaira by George Sand. Academic Year in Aix-en-Provence, Université d Aix-Marseille, France, Jan. June 2003. PUBLICATIONS Don t Forget About Me : Implementing Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 24 Ariz. J. Int l & Comp. L. 803 (2007)
PRESENTATIONS Arizona Dependency Process Overview, Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Tucson, AZ, December 2014 When Just Get Over It Isn t Enough, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Annual Conference, Toronto, Ontario, June 2014 Domestic Violence Triage: Assessment and Recommendations for Alleged Perpetrators, Victims and Children, Arizona Association of Family and Conciliation Courrs, Sedona, Arizona, February 2014 Crossing the Divide: Family and Juvenile Law, State Bar of Arizona Advanced Family Law CLE, Tucson, Arizona, November 2013 Practical Best Practices for Representing Children: An Interdisciplinary Approach for Representing Children, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Las Vegas, Nevada, June 2013 Crossing the Divide: Creating Understanding Between Family and Juvenile Courts, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Annual Conference, Los Angeles, California, June 2013 Invited Colloquium: Listening to Children s Voices, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, March 2013 Communicating in the Trenches: A Model for Representing Abused and Neglected Children, Sixth World Congress on Family Law and Children s Rights, Sydney, Australia, March 2013 Plenary: Bringing Children s Views into Court, Arizona Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Sedona, Arizona, January 2013 Children Taking Sides: History and Children s Loyalties, Arizona Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Sedona, Arizona, January 2013 What am I Doing Here Two Countries Perspectives on the Role of Child s Counsel, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, June 2012 Becoming an Imaginary Friend: The Role of Lawyers for Children, Arizona Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Sedona, Arizona, January 2012 Family Law in the Digital Age: How to Befriend New Technologies, Arizona Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Sedona, AZ, January 2011 (via Skype from Wellington, New Zealand) Family Law in the Digital Age, National Counsel of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Annual Conference San Diego, CA, July 2010 Family Law in the Digital Age: How to Befriend New Technologies, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Annual Conference Denver, CO, June 2010
Children in Divorce: Listening to Children, Helping Children Understand, Arizona Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Sedona, AZ, January 2010 Children in Court, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Reno, NV, November 2009 The Missing Link: Speaking with Children, National Judicial College, Phoenix, AZ, September 2009 The Missing Link: Speaking with Children about their Parents Divorce and Dependency Cases, National Association of Counsel For Children, Brooklyn, NY, August 2009 The Missing Link: Talking to Children about their Parents Divorce, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts International Conference, New Orleans, LA, May 2009 42-Hour Mediation Training October 2014 PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP Board Member: Arizona Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Board Member: Tucson Chapter of the University of Michigan Alumni Association National Association of Counsel for Children Association of Family and Conciliation Courts State Bar of Arizona, Bar Number 026376 BAR MEMBERSHIP State Bar of California, Bar Number 267264 (Inactive) French Proficiency (Intermediate) OTHER English Teaching Assistant, Education Nationale, Dreux, France October 2004 May 2005 Site Director and Counselor, Mt. Diablo Region YMCA, Danville, CA 1999 2002