My Credentials Born in San Jose, California in 1949, I attended Santa Clara University, receiving my undergraduate degree summa cum laude in 1971. I attended graduate school in American History at Stanford University and obtained my Master’s degree in 1974 before switching to law school. I attended Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, California, graduating and passing the Bar in 1977. From there, I joined a large firm (at least, large for the rather bucolic suburban area Danville was in those days), and immediately specialized in family law. I became a Certified Specialist in Family law in 1985 and have maintained my certification since. In 1988, I left the firm to form my own firm in Danville devoted exclusively to family law. I have always concentrated on complex family law litigation, with a special love for custody work. In 1998, I decided that I had spent enough of my time going to war every day, and got out of litigation altogether. I thought I would be devoting my time to reform and writing, but colleagues started calling and asking if I would be willing to serve as their private judge, since I had more experience in complex family law litigation than most of the judges at the public courthouse. I was intrigued, and the practice grew. In 2004, I opened the first private family law courtroom in Northern California with my life and business partner. While I love helping people resolve their differences creatively outside the public arena, I make sure to leave plenty of time for my teaching, traveling, and writing, since those are the things that feed my soul. If you want to know more about my writing, teaching, and advocacy, here’s my curriculum vitae. |