Curriculum Vitae: M. Sue Talia Experience While maintaining a practice specializing in complex family law litigation, she published two books. Second editions of both were published in 2006 and two additional ones are currently in production. Since 1997, she has limited her practice to private judging in complex family law matters. She has a private courtroom conveniently located in Walnut Creek, California She frequently teaches workshops on a variety of subjects, including Marital Standard of Living, How to be an Effective Family Law Forensic CPA, How to Have a Law Practice AND a Life, and other subjects of interest to her. She has also taught workshops on family law topics through the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Contra Costa Family Law Section. She is a nationally recognized expert and frequent speaker on limited scope representation (sometimes called “unbundling”), a member of the Limited Representation Committee of the California Commission on Access to Justice. She is a founding director of the Family Law Section of Contra Costa County, and remains active in that organization, frequently writing on subjects of interest to family lawyers. She is an avid advocate of reform of the family law system in this country, and has written a Model Family Law Plan for a completely restructured family court, which was published as part of the Summit on Self Represented Litigants in March 2005. ill soon be published. She is frequently asked to speak to groups on legal reform issues, and will participate in the American Bar Association’s “Visionaries’ Forum on Access to Justice” in San Francisco in May, 2005. Professional Background Private Family Law Judge, 1997 to date Law Offices of M. Sue Talia, 1988-1997 Thiessen, Gagen & McCoy 1983-1988 Merrill, Thiessen & Gagen 1978-1983 Education Hastings College of the Law Stanford University Santa Clara University Legal Organizations and Awards State Bar of California, Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services, member 2006 - American Bar Association, Louis M. Brown Award for innovation in Access to Justice, February 2004 American Bar Association, Cindy Raisch Award for innovation in Lawyer Referral Service Access October 2004 California Commission on Access to Justice Special Service Award January 2004 Limited Representation Committee of the California Commission on Access to Justice, 2001 to present Founding Director, Contra Costa County Family Law Section, 1986-1995, President 1990 Editor, In Chancery, monthly newsletter of the Family Law Section, 1995-1997 Numerous bar association and Family Law Section committees Family Law Section, American Bar Association, 1980 to present Teaching and Publications How to Avoid the Divorce from Hell (and dance together at your daughter’’’'s wedding), (second edition 2006)), Nexus Publishing Company Unbundling Your Divorce: How to Find a Lawyer to Help You Help Yourself (2006), Nexus Publishing Company Everything I Needed to Know I Learned After Law School (e-book 2007), Nexus Publishing Company Divorce Chronicles: Life Affirming Divorce Poetry (due out soon), Nexus Publishing Company A Client’s Guide to Limited Legal Services 1997, Nexus Publishing Company Reducing the Need for Pro Se Assistance by Re-engaging the Private Bar (2006) Model Family Law Plan (2006) Numerous articles in legal publications on family law issues, law practice management and limited legal services, including ACFLS, the Family Advocate, Divorce Magazine, including: Zen and the Art of Family Lawyering, Contra Costa Lawyer 2000 Divorcing the Dursleys, Contra Costa Lawyer 2001 Frequent workshops and courses for attorneys, accountants and individuals on topics including Successful Divorce, Family Law Evidence for Attorneys, Marital Standard of Living, How to Try a High Income Support Case, and her personal favorite, How to Have a Law Practice AND a Life. Radio Host, How to Avoid the Divorce from Hell, a weekly radio talk show at station WALE, Providence, RI Numerous appearances as talk show guest, including Ronn Owens Show, KGO, San Francisco A Woman’s Idea, Snow Anderson, Host KVFF, Santa Fe, NM News Talk 790, Craig Robbins, Host, WNC, Memphis, TN Community Organizations Danville Area Chamber of Commerce Discovery Center Soroptimist International of the San Ramon Valley Numerous other committees and community organizations |