Meet the leaders of the ABA Section of Family Law!
Clicking on the contact link will take you to the leader's entry in the ABA Member Directory. (Please note that only ABA members will be allowed to access that information. Please view the Directory Usage Agreement here.)
We will continue to update this page. If you are a Family Law Officer or Council member, just send your photo and short bio (no more than 350 words) to hilary.glazer@americanbar.org.
Leader Biographies
Officers
| In 1978, this born-and-bred New Yorker accepted a VISTA-volunteer assignment in Anchorage, Alaska. After three winters attending law school at the State University of New York at Buffalo, this was not a difficult transition. Upon completing two years with VISTA, she opened her own solo practice in 1985. Committee work for the Alaska Bar includes serving as a law examiner for 20 years. She currently represents the Alaska Bar in the ABA House of Delegates. Besides participating in the Alaska Pro Bono Project, she has spent nine years as a board member of Alaska Legal Services. As an ABA Section of Family Law member, she has served on the CLE Committee (including as cochair for two years), Long Range Planning, Bylaws, Diversity, Trial Practice committees, and as a council member. She also is a member of Soroptimist International of Anchorage, the ATHENA Society, and is a life-long New York Giants and Yankee fan, aunt to four kids, a bicyclist, and a foodie. Contact Information
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| Scott N. Friedman exclusively practices Family Relations Law with Friedman & Mirman Co., L.P.A. in Columbus, Ohio.
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Mr. Friedman is also licensed to practice in the state of Florida. Mr. Friedman is an Ohio State Bar Association Family Relations Law Specialist. | |
| Lori W. Nelson focuses her practice primarily in the area of domestic and family law. Lori's case load consists of family law cases representing individuals of all sexes, ages and economic backgrounds, in trials, evidentiary hearings, mediation, and every other phase of domestic practice.
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| Her cases have covered every aspect of family, including, but not limited to: divorce; modifications; adoptions; child support; and, complicated custody cases involving mental health issues. They have also involved, among other things: contract interpretation; probate law; intellectual property; real property law; water law; and, criminal activities intersecting in a family case. Lori has also conducted extensive legal research and writing including writing appellate briefs and trial memoranda. She is the co-chair of the Utah State Bar Governmental Relations committee and the legislative liaison for the Family Law Section, past chair of the Family Law Section Executive Committee and has served as a member of the Judicial Council Standing Committee on Children and Family Law since its inception in April 2000. She was named Family Law Lawyer of the year 2001-2002 and is listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" 2003-2006 editions and in the 2007 "Super Lawyers" edition for family law. Lori served as an adjunct professor of legal writing at Westminster College from 1994-2000. Lori is a trained mediator with extensive mediation experience. Lori received her JD from the University of Utah in 1992, during which time she was a member of the National Moot Court Team, and a regional semi finalist. As a third-year representative of the Women's Law Caucus, Lori organized the first Women's Law Caucus scholarship lecture with a panel who presented the Gender and Justice Task Force Report. Lori received her Bachelor of Science degree in Philosophy from the University of Utah in 1987. Contact Information
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| Greg Ortiz practices family law exclusively and is a partner in the law firm Ham and Ortiz, LLC. Mr. Ortiz obtained his bachelor of arts in economics from University of Colorado and his juris doctorate degree from University of Denver.
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Over the last seven years he has worked in various capacities in the areas of juvenile and family law. He has published and spoken on many topics in the area of family law. Mr. Ortiz has been a member and leader on numerous committees with the American Bar Association Family Law Section including the CLE Planning Committee, Long Range Planning, Diversity Committee, Marital Property Committee, Nomination Committee, and has been a producer of numerous programs during the American Bar Associations Family Law Section's Spring and Fall CLE Conferences. Mr. Ortiz is a member of the Family Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association; Colorado Indian Bar Association; Colorado Hispanic Bar Association; and Metropolitan Denver Interdisciplinary Committee. In addition, Mr. Ortiz has volunteered his services to numerous legal aid and pro bono legal services in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area. | |
Deborah Akers-Parry
Financial Officer
| Deborah Akers-Parry has served as ABA Family Law Section financial officer from 2004 to 2008, as a member of the Publications Board, since 2000; Trial Advocacy Institute faculty 1992-1994, 1997; and is a member of the Litigation Section.
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| She is a fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and member of American Bar Foundation. Ms. Akers-Parry is active in the Ohio Bar as a delegate to Council of Delegates since 1990; Family Law Committee since 1984 (chair 1994-96); Family Law Certification Board 1999-2000; Specialization Committee (chair, 2001-03). Cuyahoga County Bar Association: Family Law Section since 1985 (chair 1992-93); Trial Advocacy Institute chair 1990-91, 1993; Certified Grievance Committee 1986-96. Cleveland Bar Association: Family Law Section 1987 to present (chair 1989-90); Professional Ethics Committee 1987-93. Life Member, Eighth Ohio Appellate District Judicial Conference. Frequent Lecturer and Author on Family Law. Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 1987-present; Martindale Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers since 1993; Ohio Super Lawyers, 2004-08, Top 100 Lawyers in Ohio (2006) and Top 50 Women Lawyers in Ohio (2004-07), Law and Politics/Cincinnati Magazine. Contact Information
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Randall M. Kessler
Immediate Past Chair
| Born in Gainesville, Florida, raised in New Orleans and having attended college at Brandeis University near Boston, MA, Randall M. Kessler came to Georgia in 1985 to attend Emory Law School.
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He has over 20 years of experience in Domestic Relations and Family Law matters including divorce, custody, paternity, prenuptial agreements and child support. Mr. Kessler is known for representing and often opposing Celebrities and Athletes in Divorce, Custody and Support matters as well as for preparing their Prenuptial Agreements. | |
Anita M. Ventrelli
Section Delegate
| Anita M. Ventrelli is a partner of Schiller DuCanto and Fleck LLP. She has a strong background in trial and settlement of complex matters, employing her extensive experience in computer analysis and litigation support techniques.
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| A graduate of DePaul University School of Law, Ms. Ventrelli was recommended by peers to Best Lawyers in America, the Leading Lawyer's Network and Illinois Super Lawyers and was named one of the "40 Under 40 Illinois Attorneys to Watch" in 2003 by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. Ms. Ventrelli is currently a member of the Board of the Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute as well as a faculty member. She is a past chair of the ABA Section of Family Law, and has served on the governing council, the Publications Development Board, the Continuing Legal Education Committee, the Long Range Planning Committee, and formerly chaired the Domestic Violence/Family Abuse Committee and Ethics Committee. Ms. Ventrelli is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a member of the Board of Managers of the Illinois Chapter. The Illinois State Bar Association named Ms. Ventrelli Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year in 2001. She served on the Illinois State Bar Family Law Section Council, chaired the Minority and Women Participation Committee, was a member of the Special Committee on Women and the Law, and served on the Judicial Evaluation Committee. Ms. Ventrelli has lectured on family law topics for the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and community groups. She is a co-author of the "Trial Practice Considerations" Chapter of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education's Illinois Family Law Series and has published articles in the American Bar Association's Family Advocate magazine and other periodicals. Contact Information
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Marshall J. Wolf
Section Delegate
| Marshall J. Wolf of Cleveland, Ohio is a partner in the Family Law firm of Wolf and Akers. Mr. Wolf is a founding member of the Trial Advocacy Institute faculty and was involved in the creation of the Institute by the Family Law Section.
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| He is a Past Chair of the Family Law Section and currently represents the Section as a Section Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates. Mr. Wolf was the founding President of the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and Ohio Superlawyers. Mr. Wolf is a frequent lecturer on Family Law Trial Techniques and Procedure. He served as keynoter and head of the U.S. Delegation to the First World Congress on Family Law and Rights of Children in Sydney, Australia and has appeared before legislative and executive branches of government, including both branches of Congress on Family Law matters. Contact Information
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Council Members
| Jonathan R. Levine is a member of the law firm of Levine & Smith, LLC, where he practices in the areas of domestic relations and family law in Atlanta, Georgia. |  |
| Mr. Levine received his B.B.A. decree from the University of Texas, his J.D. degree from the University of Georgia and his LL.M. degree in litigation from Emory University. Mr. Levine is a frequent lecturer on family law issues. He was a contributing author for 101 Practical Solutions for the Family Lawyer, published in 2003. He is a former Chair of the Atlanta Bar Association, Family Law Section. Mr. Levine is a Council Member of the American Bar Association, Family Law Section. He is a barrister of The Georgia Family Law American Inn of Court and a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. In May 2006, he was named to Ten Leaders of Matrimonial & Divorce Law of Greater Atlanta. Mr. Levine was also selected as one of Georgia's Legal Elite for 2006 and a Georgia Super Lawyer in 2007. Contact Information | |
| Edward H. Newman was appointed a Magistrate of the Rhode Island Family Court on December 17, 2002. He received his BA from Providence College in 1969 and his JD from Suffolk University Law School in 1972. |  |
| He was admitted to practice before the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 1972, the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island in 1972, United States Tax Court in 1974 and the United States Supreme Court in 1978. Magistrate Newman served as lecturer at Providence College from 1974 to 1986 and he presently lectures for the Rhode Island Bar Association and has lectured at Roger Williams University Law School. He has served as a member of the American Bar Association's Family Law Section (on council); the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Rhode Island Trial Lawyers Association (vice-president); the Rhode Island Bar Association, (Chair of the Superior Court Bench Bar Committee); member of the Family Law Bench Bar Committee; member of the House of Delegates, Rhode Island Bar Association; and the Rhode Island Family Law Inn of Court (president, 3 years). Magistrate Newman has served as the Chair of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Ethics Advisory Panel, Supreme Court Permanent Advisory Committee on Women and Minorities in the Court, and Chair of the Education Subcommittee for the Rhode Island Supreme Court Permanent Advisory Committee for Women and Minorities. He has served as Town Solicitor for the Town of Richmond, Rhode Island, and was Probate Judge from 1988 to 2002 for the Town of Richmond, Rhode Island. He was also a Bail Commission authorized to issue judicial warrants statewide and set bail for the Rhode Island Family Court and Rhode Island District Court. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Contact Information | |
| Peter M. Walzer is the founding partner of the Southern California law firm Walzer & Melcher LLP which is focused exclusively on family law. |  |
| He is a past president of the Southern California Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is a former chair of the executive committee of the State Bar Family Law Section. Mr. Walzer has been a Certified Family Law Specialist for 22 years and is a former president of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists. He is on the Continuing Legal Education Committee of the ABA Section of Family Law and on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section. He is a member of the Elkins Family Law Task Force, a statewide panel charged with proposing measures to improve efficiency and fairness in family law proceedings and ensuring access to justice for family law litigants. He was named Family Law Person of the Year in 2009 by the Southern California Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is a vice-president of the US Chapter of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He was named Fellow of the Year by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in 2010 and was appointed to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Board of Governors for the 2010-2012 term. Contact Information | |
Roberta (Bobbie) Batley
At-Large
| Bobbie Batley is a New Mexico Board Recognized Specialist in Divorce and Family Law. She is a partner in the Albuquerque firm of Little, Gilman-Tepper & Batley, P.A. The firm practice is devoted to litigation, collaboration and negotiation in all areas of complex divorce and family law. |  |
| Ms. Batley is listed in Best Lawyers in America and is an active member of the American Bar Association Family Law Section. She is currently Co-Chair of the Membership and Marketing Committee and Co-Chair of the Continuing Legal Education Committee. Ms. Batley is a member of the ABA/APA Working Group on Psychological and Legal Interventions. Ms. Batley is a member of the Albuquerque Collaborative Practice Group and sits on the New Mexico Collaborative Practice Board. She has written numerous articles and lectures frequently, both nationally and locally, in the area of family law. In May 2001, Ms. Batley graduated from the prestigious American Bar Association Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute. Ms. Batley received her Bachelor's Degree and Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico. She is a member of the U.S. District Court Bar for the District of New Mexico, the New Mexico State Bar, the Albuquerque Bar Association and the New Mexico Women's Bar Association. Contact Information | |
Candace (Candi) Peeples
At-Large
| Candi Peeples is partner in the Birmingham, Alabama law firm of Shaw, Anderson, & Peeples LLC. She has concentrated her practice solely in the areas of Family Law since 2000. |  |
| Candi was chosen by Birmingham Magazine as one of the city's "Top 5 Attorneys" in the area of Family Law in 2009, 2010, and 2011. She was also selected in 2010 by Alabama Super Lawyer Magazine as a "Rising Star" in this statewide publication and selected by the Birmingham Business Journal "Top 40 Under 40" in 2005. Ms. Peeples is currently serving as the Chair of the Family Law Section of the Alabama State Bar, and as a council member and Committee Chair of the American Bar Association Family Law Section. Candi is a frequent presenter of Continuing Legal Education for both local and national organizations and participates in pro bono activities by providing family law services to low income clients. Ms. Peeples earned her B.A. degree at the University of Georgia and her J.D. degree cum laude at Cumberland School of Law of Samford University. Contact Information | |
| Mr. Wolfe focuses his practice on sophisticated business litigation and matrimonial disputes. He began his career practicing as a member of the Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy litigation department in New York. Mr. Wolfe's practice at Milbank focused on securities and commercial litigation. |  |
| Mr. Wolfe utilizes his background in financial disputes to represent clients in complex matrimonial matters. He represents leaders or the spouses of leaders from the business, professional and entertainment/sports communities. A significant portion of his practice is devoted to business valuation (including private equity and hedge funds), the treatment of trust assets in divorce and the protection of non-marital assets. He also assists clients in all other aspects of matrimonial and family law, including custody, parenting time, and the negotiation and preparation of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Mr. Wolfe has been featured or quoted in a wide variety of local and national publications, including the New York Times, New York Post, Wall Street Journal, Consumer Affairs, The National Law Journal, Law.com, New Jersey Star Ledger, New Jersey Lawyer, New Jersey Law Journal, American Journal of Family Law, Commerce Magazine and NJBIZ. Mr. Wolfe is a frequent author and lecturer on a wide variety of legal issues throughout the country. He is a member of the American Bar Association Board of Governors and House of Delegates. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and holds a variety of leadership positions in the American Bar Association Family Law Section, served as Chair of the Family Law Committee for the ABA General Practice Section, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association Family Law Section. He received the 2008 Professional Achievement Award from the New Jersey State Bar Association, was recognized as one of New Jersey's top "40-Under-40" business leaders by NJ BIZ, a leading New Jersey business publication, and has been recognized by Law & Politics and New Jersey SuperLawyers as a "Rising Star" since 2006. Contact Information | |
| Jean Crowe, lead attorney, Family Law Section, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, is a 1981 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School and has a diploma from the Institute on International and Comparative Law, Paris. |  |
| She joined the Legal Aid Society in 1985, after private practice in Madison, Wisconsin. She is a frequent presenter at local, state, and national events on the issue of domestic violence. Currently she serves on the ABA Commission on Domestic Violence, as a member and as liaison from the Section of Family Law. She is also section liaison to the ABA Commission on the Renaissance of Idealism in the Profession and to the ABA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services. She is a council member for the ABA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division. She serves on the Family Law Quarterly Board of Editors. In Tennessee, she has served as the state chair of the Domestic Relations Section for the Tennessee Bar Association and is a member of the Domestic Relations Code Commission. She served on the original Tennessee Child Support Commission, the Child Support Advisory Task Force, and on the DHS Enhanced Child Support Enforcement Committee. She helped found the Nashville Coalition of Domestic Violence and is chair of its board of directors. She was instrumental in establishing the Davidson County Domestic Violence Death Review Team and is its current chair. She is a member of the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court. Contact Information | |
| Michael Mosberg is a partner with Aronson Mayefsky & Sloan LLP in New York, where he represents clients in all aspects of family law. |  |
| Actively involved in city, state and national bar associations, Mr. Mosberg is chair of the Matrimonial Law Committee for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (2011-2014), a member of the ABA Section of Family Law Section (chair, Trial Practice & Techniques Committee; member, CLE and Sponsorship & Fundraising Committees), a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (member, Technology Committee), and a member of the Family Law Section of the New York State Bar Association (member, Executive and Membership committees). Mosberg frequently lectures and writes on topics involving family law and trial practice. He has spoken before the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (New York Chapter), the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the New York County Lawyers Association and the Legal Education Institute. He has authored "Prenuptial Agreements in New York: An Overview" (2011) for the treatise Drafting Prenuptial Agreements (Aspen Law & Business), "Avoiding Deposition Pitfalls" (Winter 2010), and "The Secret To Success: Using Witness Consultants to Prepare Your Client" (Fall 2009), among other articles. Mr. Mosberg was recently selected as one of the Ten Leaders in Matrimonial and Divorce Law in New York City under the age of 45 and a "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Virginia M. Morgan of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Contact Information | |
| Karl W. Topor's practice is primarily focused on family law issues including divorce, litigation, mediation, and collaborative law. |  |
| He is licensed throughout Massachusetts, in the United States District Court, and the United States Supreme Court, and has received advanced certification as a mediator and collaborative law attorney. Mr. Topor is a member of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys Board of Delegates, fellow of the American Bar Foundation, founding member of the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts—New York Chapter, member of the American Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, American Association for Justice, and sits on the board of directors of the Divorce Center in Newton, Massachusetts. He is also Public Education chair of the Divorce Center where he teaches, organizes, and coordinates seminars for the public on divorce and family-law issues. He is involved in several pro-bono groups, including the Senior Partners for Justice Volunteer Law Project of the Boston Bar Association, which is dedicated to promoting justice for all litigants in the family court system. Mr. Topor is actively involved in the American Bar Association Section of Family Law in numerous capacities. He has been chairperson of the Bankruptcy Committee for several years. He also serves as an executive member of the Alimony, Child Support, and Law Practice Management/Technology committees of the Section of Family Law and is the liaison from the ABA Section of Family Law to the ABA Law Practice Management Section. Mr. Topor has written articles on a variety of topics covering family-law issues and frequently speaks, moderates, and produces various CLE programs at the local, state, and national level. Contact Information | |
| Mary Vidas Region I Ms. Vidas is a partner in the law firm of Blank Rome LLP. She is admitted to practice in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey and has been routinely admitted pro hac vice in Delaware. She is a Past Chair of the Philadelphia Family Law Section and is an active member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. Ms. Vidas has previously served as Chair of the Taxation Committee and the Scope and Membership Committee of the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association. She also served for several years as a member of the American Bar Association Family Law Section Continuing Legal Education Committee. Ms. Vidas is presently serving as a member of the American Bar Association Family Law Section Executive Council and Vice-Chair of the Taxation Committee. Ms. Vidas has served as a member of the Executive Council of the Family Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and is presently serving as President of the Nicholas Cipriani Family Law Inn of Court in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ms. Vidas is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers serving on the Board of Examiner Committees for the National AAML Organization. She is an officer in the Pennsylvania Chapter of the AAML and currently serves as the Chair of the Pennsylvania Chapter Board of Examiners. Ms. Vidas lectures and writes frequently on family law issues. Since 2005, she has been named as one of the top ten leaders of matrimonial and divorce law in Philadelphia, PA. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and her J.D. from Temple University School of Law in 1984. |
| Linda J. Ravdin practices family law exclusively with the Bethesda, Maryland, law firm, Pasternak & Fidis, P.C. She is admitted to practice in Virginia (1974), Maryland (1984), and the District of Columbia (1974). |  |
| From 2003 to 2008 she was chair of the ABA Section of Family Law Publications Development Board; she continues on the board as a member. Linda has written for the Family Law Quarterly as well as the Advocate. She has participated in numerous section CLE programs at ABA Annual Meetings and at the section Fall and Spring CLE conferences. Linda is the author of three treatises, TM849 Marital Agreements (Tax Management Inc., 2003), Domestic Relations Manual for the District of Columbia (LexisNexis, 2002) (with coauthor, Hon. Diane Brenneman), and with Pasternak & Fidis partner Marcia Fidis, Premarital and Domestic Partnership Agreements in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia (Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers, expected publication, April 2009). Washingtonian magazine named her one of the metro area's best divorce lawyers in 1995, 2000, 2004, and 2009. Contact Information | |
Region III
William R. Biviano
William R. Biviano is principal of Biviano Law Firm in Warren, Ohio. Bill is a 1974 graduate of Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. Thirty years ago Bill limited his practice to matrimonial law. |  |
| Bill is a long time member of the American Bar Association and the Family Law Section. He is a multiple presenter and author addressing issues from law practice management for the solo practitioner, trial preparation and presentation techniques, UCCJEA issues, retainer agreements and domestic violence defense techniques. Bill is a Certified Family Relations Law Specialist in the State of Ohio and a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Bill has been selected an Ohio Super Lawyer from 2005-2012 and was again selected as one of the top 100 lawyers in Ohio. Best Lawyers awarded Bill Lawyer of the Year for the Akron/Youngstown region. Bill is a sustaining member of the Ohio State Bar Association and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. | |
Henry M. DeWoskin is a partner at the law firm of Alan E. DeWoskin P.C. in St. Louis, Missouri. |  |
| His practice consists of family law, military law, wills, estate planning, probate, social security and general civil litigation. Mr. DeWoskin is admitted to practice law in Missouri, Illinois, the U.S. Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Mr. DeWoskin holds multiple leadership positions in the ABA Section of Family Law, the ABA General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. Currently, he serves as Chair of the Family Law Section’s Long Range Planning Committee, Co-Chair of the Member Benefit Development Committee, and Co-Chair of the Sponsorship & Fundraising Committee. In addition, he has served on the Section’s Bylaws, CLE, Diversity, Military, and Young Lawyers committees. Further, he is currently a member of the Board of Governors of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. Further, Mr. DeWoskin is a frequent speaker of continuing legal education on military family law for local and national organizations. In addition, he is a major in the Judge Advocate General's Corps in the United States Army Reserve. He received his B.A. from Bucknell University in 1992 and his J.D. from Temple University in 1996. Contact Information | |
Virginia R. Dugan is an attorney and shareholder with Atkinson & Kelsey, P.A., the oldest and largest divorce and family law firm in New Mexico. |  |
| She specializes in alimony, child support, collaborative law, and pre- and post-nuptial agreements. Prior to being elected to the Family Law Section Council, she served as chair of the section's Scope & Correlation and Marital Property committees and was a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Continuing Legal Education. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a member of New Mexico Supreme Court's Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Committee, a past president of the New Mexico State Bar's Board of Bar Commissioners, and has chaired the New Mexico State Bar's Committee on Professionalism and Bench & Bar Committee. With an "A" rating from Martindale-Hubbell, she has been listed as a Southwest Super Lawyer annually since 2007, in Best Lawyers in America since 2010, and was named Best of the Bar for Family Law in 2011 by New Mexico Business Weekly. She has lectured and taught about a variety of domestic relations issues for the ABA, National Business Institute, Lorman Education Services, Today's Law School, and New Mexico State Bar. She earned her J.D. degree from the University of New Mexico's School of Law and holds master's and doctoral degrees in education from the same institution. | |
| Allen M. Bailey, J.D., is a family law practitioner and former municipal prosecutor in Anchorage, Alaska. He has been on the ABA Section of Family Law Council since August 2011. |  |
Bailey is co-author of Alaska's statute establishing a presumption against awarding custody of a child to a batterer. He was a member of the ABA Commission on Domestic Violence in 2006-2009 and is currently FLS Liaison to the commission. | |
Kathleen (Kathy) A. Hogan
Editor, Family Advocate
| Kathy Hogan is a partner in the Denver, Colorado law firm of McGuane and Hogan, L.L.P. She is also of counsel to Rutkin & Oldham in Westport, Connecticut. |  |
| She limits her practice to family law and focuses on complex financial and custody issues at trial and on appeal, as well as prenuptial and marital agreements. She also regularly volunteers as a pro bono lawyer for family law matters. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Law where she was associate editor of the Law Review. She is admitted to practice in Colorado; Connecticut; New York; Tennessee; and US District Court. Ms. Hogan is a frequent writer and lecturer, both nationally and locally, on issues relating to family law. Among other publications she is the author of the two-volume set Colorado Family Law and Practice, published by West Publishing, as well as the three-volume set Connecticut Family Law and Practice. She has also written for the AAML Journal, the Family Advocate, and other publications. Most recently she has lectured about trial preparation tactics and complex interstate jurisdictional issues. Ms. Hogan has been involved in the American Bar Association Section of Family Law for most of her professional career, has served as chair or co-chair of a number of committees, and is currently co-chair of the Member Benefit Development Committee. She is also a member of the Colorado Bar Association Section of Family Law, a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is listed in Best Lawyers in America for Family Law, and designated as a Colorado Super Lawyer. Contact Information | |
Linda D. Elrod
Editor, Family Law Quarterly
| Linda D. Elrod is the Richard S. Righter Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Washburn University Law School Children and Family Law Center. |  |
| She has been certified as a mediator for domestic relations cases since 1999. She is past chair of the American Bar Association Family Law Section; has been co-chair of the ABA Child Custody Pro Bono Advisory Board since 2001; has been Editor of the Family Law Quarterly since 1992; was the Reporter for the Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act (UCAPA) which was adopted in 2006 and has now been enacted in six states, and a member of the Joint Editorial Board on Family Law for the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. She served on the ABA Steering Committee on the Unmet Legal Needs of Children from 2002-2005. She is author of Child Custody Practice and Procedure and coauthor of a law school textbook, Family Law, with Harry Krause, Tom Oldham and Marsha Garrison. In 2000 she coordinated an international, interdisciplinary think tank on "High Conflict Custody Cases—Reforming the System for Children." Linda has served on the Kansas Advisory Committee on Child Support since 1984, was founder and first chair of the Family Law Section of the Kansas Bar Association, was the first woman president of the Topeka Bar Association; and is author of Kansas Family Law. She has written dozens of law review articles and is a frequent CLE speaker. Contact Information | |
Gail D. Baker Gail D. Baker received her BA degree from the University of Minnesota in June 1978 and graduated from Suffolk University Law School in Boston in May 1981. After a short time practicing family law in Minneapolis, Gail became the Executive Director and staff attorney for Legal Assistance of Olmsted County (LAOC) in May 1982. After 3 ½ years, Gail went into private practice eventually opening Baker Law Offices on September 18, 1989. Her focus has always been family law. Gail has been active in local, state and the American Bar Associations including the ABA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) & Family Law Section (FLS) on their publications boards (including chairing both), developing Standards for Representation of Children in Child Abuse and Protection(1996) and Custody cases (2003), Steering Committee on Unmet Legal Needs of Children (1998 –2002), and Standing Committee of Publishing Oversight (SCOPO) from 2008-2011). Gail has also been active in the Minnesota and Olmsted County Bar Associations, including as president of the OCBA in 1997-98. Gail was an assistant public defender handling child protection and juvenile delinquency cases from 1992 to 2000 and has been on several MN Supreme Court taskforces and Rules committees including the Taskforce on Foster Care and Adoption 1996-97, co-chair of the Child Protection (CHIPS) Rules Committee 1998-2000, CHIPS curriculum committee 2000 and Delinquency Rules Committee 2000-2002. Gail is actively involved in the community on and chairing Boards of various groups and organizations including the Rochester Rotary Risers, Family Services Rochester, The Reading Center/Dyslexia Institute of Minnesota and the Rochester Area Family Y. Gail also is a trained Rule 114 qualified family law neutral, Guardian ad Litem, represents guardian ad litems, and has been a high school mock trial coach, and mentor/big sister. |
Melissa Avery
Co-Chair, CLE Committee
| Melissa Avery is a founding partner of the law firm Avery and Cheerva LLP in Indianapolis, Indiana, a practice limited to Family Law. |  |
She is a certified family law specialist, a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Ms. Avery has been listed as an Indiana Super Lawyer since 2005 and as one of Indiana’s Top 25 Female Lawyers since 2007 by Law and Politics Magazine. Ms. Avery has served as the American Bar Association Family Law Section CLE Co-Chair since 2001 and on the Section Council since 2005 and chaired the marital property committee from 2007 to 2010. Ms. Avery also currently serves as the Indiana State Bar Association Family Law Section Chair and was a member of the Board of Governors from 2009 to 2011. She is also currently a member of the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Ms. Avery is a graduate of Ohio University (B.S.) and Capital University Law and Graduate School (JD). Contact Information | |
| Peter Walzer Co-Chair, CLE Committee See bio and photo above. |
Brian Karpf
Young Lawyers Division Liaison
| Brian M. Karpf is a Florida native. He graduated cum laude from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2004 where he was president of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity. Mr. Karpf received his Juris Doctor from Florida International University in 2007. |  |
| He was also distinguished by the CALI Excellence for Future Award in Intellectual Property law, a recognition given to the student with the top grade in the course. Mr. Karpf was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2007 and joined Young, Berman, Karpf & Gonzalez, P.A. in the same year. He focuses his practice in the areas of Family Law, Commercial Litigation, Internet and E-Commerce Law, and is also the Founder of www.lawyerlunch.com and www.caretotrade.com. He is admitted to practice in Florida, the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. He is also active in the American Bar Association, Family Law Section, where he serves as the Liaison to the American Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, as Chairman of the Young Lawyers Committee, Co-Chairman of the Welcome Committee, and as an executive member of the Sponsorship, Law Practice Management and Technology, and Member Benefit Development Committees. He is also active in the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, serving as Vice-Chairman of the Family Law Committee and was a delegate for the State of Florida at the 2010 Annual Assembly. Mr. Karpf is further a member of the Dade County Bar Association, Broward County Bar Association, and the First Family Law American Inns of Court. Contact Information | |
Zedrick Barber II
Law Student Division Liaison
| Zedrick Barber II is a native of West Palm Beach, Florida and a 3rd year law student attending Florida A&M University College of Law. |  |
| He earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Political Science with a Concentration in Law from Florida A&M University (FAMU) where he graduated Cum Laude. While attending FAMU as an undergraduate, Zedrick joined and served on the executive board of the Upsilon Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Before becoming a law student, he served as an officer for the Department of Homeland Security. He is an Orlando University Club Law School Scholarship recipient & currently serves as president of the Jesse J. McCrary Jr. Chapter of the Black Law Students Association; one of the largest chapters in the nation. As liaison, his goal is to galvanize the student division into actively participating in the Family Law Section's programs, ultimately increasing membership within the section. Contact Information | |
| Edith G. Osman Board of Governors Liaison Bio coming soon |
| Livia Barndollar Parliamentarian Bio and photo coming soon. Contact Information |
