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The Fight!

May 1, 2023 By Joy Rosenthal

My CUNY Law students had a fight in class last week. 😡 We were talking about a case that’s before the Supreme Court challenging the Indian Child Welfare Act (more about that another time) and one of the students brought up a case that’s been in the news of a US soldier who abducted an Afghani baby girl. Another student said, “There’s an argument to be made that a girl will have a better upbringing in the US than in … read more »

Filed Under: conflict resolution, Cultural Competence, General, Negotiation, Nonviolence

Who Gets the Benefit of the Doubt?

January 15, 2023 By Joy Rosenthal

Believe black women

My sister-in-law posted a piece by DEI trainer Madison Butler on LinkedIn this week that started, “I always keep the receipts.  As a Black woman, I feel compelled to keep every receipt, document everything I do, preserve every paper trail.  I delete nothing.  I throw nothing away … When Black women talk about racism, homophobia or other abuses we deal with, people demand to see the receipts. That is the writing of someone who does not expect to be given … read more »

Filed Under: conflict resolution, Cultural Competence, Families, Nonviolence Tagged With: common ground, compassion, conflict, Dignity, inclusivity, inner voice, understanding, win-win

The New York City Family Courts are Clogged Worse Than the BQE at Rush Hour

February 26, 2022 By Joy Rosenthal

I filed two uncontested divorces in early February 2021 in Manhattan Supreme Court, and neither of them have been signed yet.  That is nearly 13 months. It is stressful for my clients, and has a real economic impact, because they cannot transfer or access their retirement accounts until their judgment of divorce is signed. — But that is nothing compared to what is going on in Family Court.  I worked in the Family Courts for 10 years before I became … read more »

Filed Under: Children, Cultural Competence, Divorce, General

Learning and Teaching

June 8, 2021 By Joy Rosenthal

  I just finished teaching Family Law for the third semester in a row at the CUNY School of Law.  Every semester, I learn almost as much as I teach.  It is a pleasure to have a beginner’s mind, as they say – to remember what it is like to NOT know.  CUNY students are particularly inspiring – many are going back to school after or while they are working, and there is always a wide range of life experiences … read more »

Filed Under: Cultural Competence, Families Tagged With: assumptions, CUNY Law School, family, Family Law, Family Law class, learning, New York Family Law, teaching

Who Are We?

November 30, 2018 By Joy Rosenthal

Who Are We? by Joy Rosenthal

One of the oddest questions I have to ask when I am preparing adoption petitions or processing divorces is how people identify in terms of religious heritage, race, or ethnicity. The Court requires this information — but it is always more than a little awkward to ask. After all, why should it matter? But it is interesting to hear how clients respond. Some answer quickly, indicating that they have a clearly defined identity, while others respond as though they are … read more »

Filed Under: Cultural Competence, Families Tagged With: Cultural Identity, Diversity, Ethnicity, race

R-E-S-P-E-C-T — Find Out What it Means to Me!

August 22, 2018 By Joy Rosenthal

R-E-S-P-E-C-T — Find Out What it Means to Me! by Joy Rosenthal

I write this just days after the death of the infamous Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Hers was the voice of a generation — my generation — but she meant so much more. While it is difficult to imagine a world without her, I am grateful for her music, which will live on. From my perspective, Aretha’s most influential song was “Respect,” written by Otis Redding. As Wesley Morris wrote in her obituary, she turned the song — and the … read more »

Filed Under: Clients, Collaborative Process, Cultural Competence, Divorce, Happiness, Marriage, Mediation, Mindfulness, Negotiation, Nonviolence Tagged With: Aretha Franklin, Dignity, Donna Hicks, Respect

Keep Your Enemies Closer

June 26, 2018 By Joy Rosenthal

Keep Your Enemies Closer by Joy Rosenthal

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the book, Dignity, by Donna Hicks. Today I am writing about another important book I’ve read recently, The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity, by Sally Kohn. Sally was my intern many years ago when she was in law school and she was funny, sometimes quirky, and wicked smart. She is a progressive lesbian feminist from Brooklyn, who is also a television commentator. She appeared often on Fox News, … read more »

Filed Under: Cultural Competence, Families, Happiness, Mindfulness Tagged With: Dignity, Donna Hicks, Empathy, Sally Kohn, The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity, understanding

Implicit Bias

June 19, 2018 By Joy Rosenthal

Implicit bias by Joy Rosenthal

“What will you do about your implicit bias?” Jennifer asked me as she sat across the table. She, a woman of color, was in my office with her husband, a white man, for an introductory session to discuss using mediation as a process for their divorce. Hers was a fair question. And it was one I have never been asked before. “Are you familiar with the concept?” she continued, apparently expecting me to say that I wasn’t. “I was a … read more »

Filed Under: Collaborative Process, Cultural Competence, Mediation, Negotiation Tagged With: #metoo, Implicit Bias, mediation, Neutral Mediator, Stereotypes

Review of Dignity published!

December 20, 2013 By Joy Rosenthal

I’m excited to announce that my review of the book, Dignity, by Donna Hicks was published this week in ACResolution, the quarterly magazine of the national Association for Conflict Resolution. God gave each of us inherent worth and value; accept it in yourself, discover and encourage it in others, and peace may just be possible. ~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu Dr . Hicks, who has worked on international conflicts all over the world, uses this concept as the premise for her … read more »

Filed Under: Cultural Competence, General, Mediation, Negotiation, Nonviolence

Lesson from Mandela: Ubuntu

December 10, 2013 By Joy Rosenthal

I can hardly believe that I woke up today, listening to the President of the United States talk about that most powerful concept, ubuntu. It was in his tribute to Nelson Mandela – Madiba, a speech given today before thousands, in Johannesburg. Here is what he said: Mandela understood the ties that bind the human spirit.  There is a word in South Africa — Ubuntu — a word that captures Mandela’s greatest gift:  his recognition that we are all bound … read more »

Filed Under: Cultural Competence, Mediation, Mindfulness, Negotiation, Nonviolence

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212.532.4704

Joy S. Rosenthal, Esq.
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