Resume
My practice centers on family, elder and divorce mediation and collaborative law, as well as trusts and estates law. I specialize in working with non-traditional families. I have represented children and parents in family law proceedings for over 13 years, and have mediated hundreds of hours of family disputes. My professional experience reflects a lifelong commitment to non-violent communication and to addressing issues of multiculturalism, race and class.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Rosenthal Law & Mediation,
New York, NY: 2006 - present
Attorney at Law, Mediator
Member:
• CUNY Community Law Resource Network
• Part 36 Guardian Ad Litem Panel (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn Surrogates Courts)
• Family and Divorce Mediation Council of Greater New York (Board of Directors)
• International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
• New York Association of Collaborative Professionals
• New York County Lawyers Association
• New York State Bar Association
• New York State Council on Divorce Mediation
• New York State Dispute Resolution Association
• Senior Umbrella Network of Brooklyn
NYC Family Court Mediation Panel,
New York, NY: 2006-present
Mediator
Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Division,
Bronx and Brooklyn, NY: 1997 - 2006
Staff Attorney/Law Guardian: (on leave 2001-2002)
• 2002-2004: Represented adolescents as they prepared to "age out" of the foster care system.
• 2000-2001: Wrote appellate briefs for child protective and delinquency cases.
• 1997-2000: Represented children and youth in neglect, abuse, custody, visitation, foster care, termination of parental rights, and adoption proceedings. Counseled and located family members, worked closely with social workers and investigators. Supervised students from Columbia, Fordham and New York University Law Schools.
New York University School of Law Family Defense Clinic,
New York, NY: 2001-2002
Fellow
Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT),
New York, NY: 1996-1997
Legal Coordinator
The Door Legal Services Center,
New York, NY: 1996-1997
Paralegal
Admitted to the New York State Bar, 1st Department: 1997
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
New York University, Office of the President,
New York, NY: 1990-1993
Speechwriter
Smith & Rosenthal, Inc.,
Visalia, CA: 1988-1989
Business partner
PaineWebber, Inc.,
New York, NY: 1985-1988
Retirement Plans Analyst
City of Cambridge Community Development Department,
Cambridge, MA: 1981-1984
Residential Energy Coordinator
Connecticut Citizen Action Group,
Hartford, CT: 1980-1981
VISTA Volunteer, Community Organizer
EDUCATION
City University of New York School of Law, Flushing, NY,
Juris Doctor: 1996
• City University Student Leadership Award
• Child Welfare Fellow
University of Massachusetts/Amherst,
Bachelor of Arts, Women's Studies: 1980
Professional Trainings:
• Matrimonial Law for Mediators: Center for Mediation in Law(16 hrs): Fall 2008
• Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice: OCA (16 hours): March 2008
• Intensive Mediation: Center for Mediation in Law (39 hrs): April 2007
• Collaborative Law: NY Assn of Collab. Professionals (2 days): March 2007
• Basic & Custody/Visitation Mediation: CMS/OCA (52 hours): March 2006
• Part 36 Guardian Ad Litem Training: ABA (16 hours): November 2006
• Basic Mediation: Community Mediation Services (30 hours): November 2005
Regularly attend continuing education and continuing legal education courses on various aspects of family law, trusts and estates law, elder law and mediation.
Additional coursework:
• New York University School of Social Work
• Harvard University Divinity School
• Smith College
