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Ms. Anderson earned her BBA degree from the University of Iowa, her MBA degree from Drake University and her J.D. degree from Drake University Law School.

Michael Gau earned his J.D. degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Ms. Hess’s practice areas include Litigation, Family and Divorce Law, Personal Injury and Corporate Defense. She earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Loras and her J.D. degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Ms. Wordehoff is an Adjunct faculty with Des Moines Area Community College teaching paralegals students Introduction to Technology and eDiscovery and Legal Research and Writing I. She is also a freelance independent legal consultant in which she consults and performs litigation support on legal writing and research, deposition preparation, document review, e-discovery, drafting of discovery requests, drafting complaints//petitions, answering complaints/petitions, motions for summary judgment and client relations. Ms. Wordehoff earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa, her Master’s degree from Syracuse University-Maxwell School, and her J.D. degree from Syracuse University School of Law.

Mr. Adamson has been providing full-service plaintiff’s counsel to clients who have suffered personal injuries since 2001. His consistent focus on high-quality service and top-notch representation has brought about significant results for their clients. In 2015, a jury returned a $72 million verdict for a client who was injured in a dog attack, and in 2018, he achieved a $30 million judgment in a case involving a tractor-trailer explosion. In addition, Mr. Adamson’s cases have resulted in numerous six-figure and seven-figure verdicts and settlements.” He is also a registered arbitrator and mediator with extensive experience handling contract negotiations for a variety of professional services, including athletic contracts. Mr. Adamson earned his undergraduate degree from LaGrange College, his MBA from Lynchburg College, and his J.D. degree from Samford University Cumberland School of Law.

Ms. Monsewicz is proud to be a trial lawyer and has dedicated her career to representing her clients with passion and determination. Like the rest of the Tobin Injury Law team, She sees clients as people; not a case number. Armed with knowledge of the industry, she analyzes cases with the goal to get clients the best possible result. If a case should settle, Ms. Monsewicz will work to resolve the case as quickly as possible. Before joining Tobin Injury Law, she practiced with a well-respected insurance defense firm in Atlanta, where she defended various personal injury cases, including automobile crashes, truck crashes, and high-exposure insurance coverage disputes. She uses her insider’s knowledge of the insurance law industry to now advocate for deserving families. Ms. Monsewicz earned her B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from Marshall University and her J.D. degree from Emory University School of Law.

Mr. Newcomb is a seasoned litigator specializing in professional liability. For the majority of his career, he has handled complex matters arising from allegations of negligent and intentional misconduct by attorneys, accountants, trustees, dentists, real estate agents, insurance agents, and other professionals. He has successfully tried cases involving claims for legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, defamation, and fraud. Mr. Newcomb has regularly represented attorneys, accountants, and real estate agents in connection with investigations by professional review boards and agencies. He is often retained before litigation to assess and control his clients’ exposure to potential legal risks and assist with the development of internal risk management policies and procedures. Mr. Newcomb also has significant experience drafting and negotiating commercial leases, asset purchase agreements, nondisclosure agreements, restrictive covenants, employment agreements, buy- and sell-side access letters, and other transactional documents. He is a rare native of Metro Atlanta. Before returning to Georgia, he worked for several prominent and well-respected defense firms in Florida and New York. Mr. Newcomb has been recognized as a SuperLawyer® and Best Lawyer in America® numerous times by his peers. He frequently lectures on litigation techniques at Georgia State University School of Law. In 2014, Mr. Newcomb was one of 25 attorneys in the United States selected to the American Bar Association’s TIPS Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy’s stated mission is to serve the public by providing participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead the legal profession as well as the general community. He served on various ABA/TIPS task forces and committees over the years. Mr. Newcomb is a member of the Georgia and Florida Bars and is admitted to practice in state and federal trial and appellate courts.

Upon graduation, Mr. Thomas was inducted into the Order of the Barristers, which is a national honorary organization recognizing those who have excelled in advocacy and service. Mr. Thomas returned to his hometown of Savannah where he was practiced law since 2004. Over his 18 years of experience, he has worked at two well respected plaintiff’s law firms in Savannah and most recently launched his own firm representing plaintiffs throughout Georgia. He has received numerous recognitions during his professional career including an AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer rating given to attorneys for their professional excellence, legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards by their peers. Additionally, Mr. Thomas has been recognized as a Super Lawyer by Georgia Super Lawyers, a Rising Star by Georgia Super Lawyers and named as a Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers.

Mr. Tobin in 2019 after having won headline verdicts and settlements that for years–including a $150 million dollar jury verdict–he formed Tobin Injury Law dedicated exclusively to pursuing justice for injured victims. Some of His more notable wins include winning in 2022 a hard-fought two-week jury trial in federal court that resulted in a $100 million dollar jury verdict. That landmark verdict is one of the, if not the, largest verdicts ever recorded in United States history for a civil rights violation. Also in 2022, he set a record for securing the highest settlement amount ever reached in a rural Georgia county. In 2023 after three years of legal battle, he settled just before trial a disputed liability wrongful death trucking case for $22.7 million dollars. Finally, in 2024 he won a $1.6 million jury trial verdict which set the record for the largest jury verdict in Georgia history for a bicycle-on-bicycle accident. Mr. Tobin is regularly honored as one of the top lawyers in the country and named a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers Magazine and Atlanta Magazine. He has also been recognized as one of the State’s “Legal Elite” by Georgia Trend Magazine, and Georgia Trend Magazine previously named me Georgia’s most popular personal injury attorney. At 35, Mr. Tobin was selected by the Daily Report as one of Georgia’s “On the Rise”, one of only 20 lawyers in Georgia to receive the honor. He holds an AV Preeminent Peer Rating as well as an AV Preeminent Judicial Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and U.S. News & World Report lists him in the “Best Lawyers” category. Mr. Tobin earned his B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia and his J.D. degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.

Ms. Conley’s  areas of expertise include civil litigation, comparative law, international law, and human rights. She has a J.D. from the George Washington Law School, and an LL.M. and Doctor of Civil Laws (D.C.L.) from the McGill University Faculty of Law. Professor Conley has litigated many large-scale complex cases, participated in several rule of law initiatives, and published extensively in international and comparative law. She was an adjunct professor at the University of Montana Department of Political Science teaching Constitutional Law, International Law and Comparative Law from 2017 to 2021. She also was an adjunct professor at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law teaching Global Perspectives on Law and Public International Law from 2007 to 2016. Professor Conley has taught various classes at the Montana Osher Life Long Learning Institute (MOLLI), including International Law: Foundations and Current Challenges, Judicial Power: A Historical, Comparative and Functional Inquiry; Incarceration in Montana; International Law; and Legal Traditions of the World.

Ms. Fox is an experienced Montana family law attorney, and has pioneered the only flat fee model family law practice in the state, specializing in divorces, child custody disputes, and working with domestic violence shelters. She has been a member of the Montana State Bar since 2011. Ms. Fox earned her Undergraduate degree from the University of Montana, Missoula, and her J.D. degree from the University of Montana School of Law.

Mr. Fredrickson’s legal experience spans over three decades and he has tried many cases, both jury and non-jury. He is also a pharmacist and practiced in that profession for a number of years before entering the practice of law. Mr. Fredrickson’s current practice focuses on all aspects of commercial, business, real estate and general civil litigation. He is also available for mediation and arbitration services. Mr. Fredrickson’s experience and knowledge base is very broad. In addition to complex commercial contract and tort litigation, He is also experienced in the areas of employment law, natural resources litigation, lender liability litigation, chemical and drug product liability litigation, pharmacy law issues and intellectual property litigation. Mr. Fredrickson has served as lead trial counsel in all of those practice areas. He has also served as lead counsel and has been admitted pro hac vice in cases in Wyoming, Colorado, Texas and California. Mr. Fredrickson is admitted to practice law before all courts in Montana and North Dakota; the United States District Courts for the Districts of Montana, North Dakota and Colorado; the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth and Ninth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

Ms. Lervick is a seasoned litigator who specializes in counseling and defense through every step of conflict prevention and resolution. She particularly focuses on supporting clients in the health care, employment, and local and state government sectors. Ms. Lervick has extensive experience in intellectual property, including both trademarks and patents, as well as the inner workings of local and state government, private businesses, school districts, a variety of health care providers. She litigated and prosecuted patents and trademarks for several years in Chicago, before returning home to Billings to raise her family. For the next decade, Ms. Lervick managed some of Montana’s largest work forces as Human Resources Executive Director and In-House counsel, as well as Chief of the Civil Department of Montana’s largest county. At Crowley Fleck, her extensive real-world experiences have served her in counseling and defending clients large and small. She handles all aspects of employment management and defense, including contract negotiation and drafting, as well as appearing regularly in administrative proceedings before the Human Rights Bureau. Ms. Lervick is licensed in Illinois and Montana and is registered before a wide array of appellate and administrative courts and bodies across the U.S. She obtained her Bachelor of Science from the Honors Program at Montana State University and her Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago.

Mr. Tappan represents numerous clients from individual landowners with single-issue property disputes to large businesses with complex permitting and land-use demands. He is admitted to practice before all Montana Courts, the United States District Court for the District of Montana, and the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Tappan practiced as an environmental consultant and Professional Geologist prior to practicing law. His main areas of practice include commercial litigation, property litigation, natural resource litigation, private and public lands issues and water law. Mr. Tappan graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law with honors and was a member of the Gonzaga Journal of International Law. He received his undergraduate degree in geology from Northern Arizona University and practiced environmental consulting as a Professional Geologist before attending Gonzaga.

Ms. Berfanger is an IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law adjunct professor. She teaches courses on the First Amendment and Legal Writing and Analysis for LLMs. She has also taught “Media Law and Ethics” and “News Editing” to journalism students at Ball State University for many years. Ms. Berfanger earned her MS degree from Northwestern University Medill School and her J.D. degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

Katherine E. (“Kate”) Flood is a distinguished G. Kent Frandsen scholar and a cum laude graduate of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. As a family law lawyer, Ms. Flood has concentrated her practice on dissolution, legal separation, relocation, child custody, paternity, parenting time/visitation, spousal maintenance/alimony, and guardianships. In dissolution actions, she concentrates on child-related matters, taking a very active and engaged role when it comes to her clients and their children. Ms. Flood also places great emphasis on the financial matters that accompany divorce: analyzing, valuing, dividing, restructuing and protecting marital assets. Her experience extends to the application and drafting of prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements, protective orders, restraining orders, post-secondary education issues, and all post-dissolution matters. She is certified in Collaborative Law. Ms. Flood has a breadth of litigation experience, including representing clients at evidentiary hearings and trials before paternity courts, IV-D Support Enforcement courts, and family law courts in counties throughout central Indiana. She also has experience with alternative dispute resolution both as counsel representing clients involved in the mediation process, and as a civil mediator. In addition, Ms. Flood has co-authored appellate legal briefs submitted before the Indiana Court of Appeals. As a student of the IU McKinney School of Law, she was active within the Dean’s Tutorial Society, being selected as the Director of the One-on-One Tutoring Program during her third year. Ms. Flood was also a faculty research assistant, and served as the Spanish language translator/interpreter for the law school’s Civil Practice and Health & Human Rights Clinics. Ms. Flood holds the distinction of being named a G. Kent Frandsen scholar, and was prominently featured in the premier issue of “The McKinney Lawyer,” the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney Alumni Magazine. During law school, Ms. Flood also worked as law clerk to the Honorable Judge William Hughes of the Hamilton Superior Court, performed transactional work for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and she participated in a medical-legal partnership initiative with Wishard Health Services, wherein healthcare providers and legal professionals worked together to provide comprehensive patient care to low-income individuals in Indianapolis. Ms. Flood is a Butler University alumna, earning a degree in English Literature cum laude as well as a degree in Spanish with high honors. While attending Butler, she earned the Elaine Blaine Rudolph Scholarship Award, was named to Butler University’s Top 100 Students in 2006, and was inducted into a number of academic honor societies. Ms. Flood is admitted to all Indiana Courts, as well as the Northern and Southern District Courts of Indiana.

Ms. Jacobucci has practiced family law since 2004. Since her admission to the bar, she has handled various types of family law matters, including but not limited to, divorces, paternity cases, third party custody cases, guardianships, adoptions, and prenuptial negotiations, and regularly addresses issues related to legal custody, physical custody, child support, parenting time, property valuation, division of the marital estate, spousal maintenance, and other issues that arise in the context of family law. In addition to her role as an attorney in various family law matters, she has routinely served as a guardian-ad-litem in complex custody and parenting time proceedings. Ms. Jacobucci is a certified family law specialist, certified by the Family Law Certification Board, and practices exclusively in the area of family law. She has served or is serving as a board member for various non-profit organizations that provide services for families and/or children in her area, including but not limited to Dunebrook, Inc., and Stepping Stone Shelter for Women, Inc.

Ms. Jarrett is a Martinsville High School graduate who has since spent her entire professional career practicing in Morgan County. She attended Indiana University-Bloomington and Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. During her law school career, she spent time as an intern for the federal and public defender’s agency; earned a certificate in criminal law; and spent time teaching law and public policy to students at Shortridge High School. In 2019, Ms. Jarrett was named Top 40 Under 40 Family Law Attorney by the American Institute of Trial Lawyer as well as Top 40 Young Lawyer by the National Alliance of Women in Law. In 2018, she was named Top 40 Under 40 by the Association of American Trial Lawyers. In 2017, She was named National Ranked Top 10 Under 40 by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys. Ms. Jarrett was selected as a Rising Stars Honoree from 2020-2023 by Super Lawyers. She focuses her work primarily in family law, guardianships, protective orders, criminal defense, and has been known for her compassion for victims of domestic violence. As one of the attorneys for Morgan County, she spends a lot of her time advocating for juvenile rights, CHINS cases, and handles numerous adoptions, both private and through the Department of Child Services. Ms. Jarrett finds her most rewarding work with adoptions and represents foster parents all over the state of Indiana. In addition to practicing law, she is a certified family law mediator and has been trained to work as a Guardian at Litem.

Ms. Lacy has more than 20 years of experience in family and probate law. As a trained guardian ad litem, domestic relations mediator, family law arbitrator, and parenting coordinator, she has helped many families resolve their legal problems. In 1997, Ms. Lacy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hanover College, double majoring in English and Secondary Education, and her Juris Doctor from the South Carolina School of Law in 2000.

Ms. Schaefer practices exclusively in the area of family law. She received her Juris Doctorate from the IU McKinney School of Law. Ms. Schaefer also has a bachelor of science degree from Ball State University in Legal Administration and an Associate Degree from Vincennes University in Paralegal Studies.She is a Certified Family Law Specialist as certified by the Family Law Certification Board. Ms. Schaefer is a member of the AFCC as well as the Indianapolis and Indiana Bar Associations and their family law sections. She currently serves on the Pro Bono Standing Committee for the IBA and was formerly chair of this Committee. Ms. Schaefer has been named as a Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters since 2007 has been named in the top 25 Women for the past 7 years. She is also actively involved at her church and currently serves on the pastoral council.

Mr. Anderson is WILMIC’s Director of Claims and works with lawyers in resolving malpractice claims made against policyholders. He enjoys the challenge of helping place policyholders at ease during a time of stress, when they are facing a legal malpractice claim or grievance. Before joining Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual in 2003, Mr. Anderson practiced personal injury law in Madison and served as legal counsel for an insurance company. He began his career in general practice and is a 1992 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. Mr. Anderson serves on the content planning committee for the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Solo/Small Firm Conference.

Mr. Beier prior to joining WILMIC in November 2016, he was a civil litigation attorney in Madison with experience before state and federal courts as well as Wisconsin administrative agencies. He has broad experience in diverse areas of the law, including personal injury, employment law, contract law, business law, commercial law, and debtor/creditor law. Mr. Beier is a 1996 graduate of South Dakota State University, with a degree in Political Science, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2000. He is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Defense Counsel, Milwaukee County Bar Association and the Dane County Bar Association. Mr. Beier also serves as a board member on the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Solo/Small Firm and General Practice Section.

Ms. Bosworth has been with the firm since 2014, and has been a partner since 2020. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2012. She specializes in plaintiff’s personal injury work, and has litigation experience in complex medical malpractice and products liability cases, as well as premises liability and motor vehicle accidents. She’s been recognized as a Top Trial Lawyer under 40, an Up and Coming Lawyer by the Wisconsin Law Journal, and a Super Lawyer Rising star since 2019. She was also honored with the prestigious designation of Wisconsin Law Foundation Fellow in 2023. She helped co-found Women Lawyers of the North (a local bar associated dedicated to supporting and uplifting women lawyers), where she currently serves on the board. She also serves on the board of the Wisconsin Association for Justice (a group of plaintiffs lawyers dedicated to securing justice and fair trials for the injured.)

Ms. Campbell is recognized as a top-rated personal injury and civil litigation attorney. She prides herself on delivering exceptional results for her clients. She is hired by other law firms to assist with complex cases. She has a deep understanding of the law, is able to navigate complex claims, and works with her clients within all points of the legal system; from pre-suit to verdict, and if necessary, up through the Supreme Court. Ms. Campbell has been listed as a Wisconsin Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2019-2024.

Ms. Healy focuses her practice on a wide variety of personal injury cases. Prior to joining Habush, she worked as an attorney at a civil litigation firm in Madison, Wisconsin, where she dedicated her career to helping those who need it most. She has vast experience representing individuals in both state and federal courts, as well as with transnational litigation. In recognition of her civil litigation work, Ms. Healy was designated a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Currently, she sits on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Association for Justice (WAJ) and is the immediate past chair of the Women’s Caucus. Additionally, she was  nominated to serve as a Regional Officer for WAJ. She is also a member of the James E. Doyle Inn of Court and is an active member of the Legal Association for Women in Dane County, serving on the board of directors from 2019-2021. Healy received her undergraduate degree from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and graduated cum laude, with honors, from Valparaiso Law School. While in law school, she served as editor of the Law Review.

Ms. Scheuerman joined Weiss Law Office, S.C., in October 2022 after spending more than a decade at a large Fox Valley law firm, where she practiced as a Shareholder. Her practice has always been focused on personal injury and civil litigation, and before joining Weiss Law Office, she also served as a municipal prosecutor. Ms. Scheuerman practice has also included appellate work in a variety of practice areas. She was involved in a case that was argued before the Wisconsin Supreme Court to determine the rights of injured parties to access UIM and UM insurance coverages during the “Truth in Auto” era. The outcome of Belding and its companion-cases remains to this day one of her proudest achievements because of the impact that decision had on Wisconsin law and injured parties throughout the State. One of Ms. Scheuerman’s greatest passions is legal education, both for attorneys and for the public. For this reason, a 2019 invitation to be a regular feature on WHBY’s radio segment, The Lawyers, with Mr. Dukelow was especially meaningful. Given their shared passion for education and civil public discourse, Ms. Scheuerman and  Mr. Dukelow then collaborated to put a fresh spin on his podcast Civic Revival. For almost two years, they recorded weekly discussions about the Rule of Law and the need for a return to civil discourse in American life. Before wrapping up the podcast, Ms. Scheuerman and  Mr. Dukelow  returned to their alma mater, Lawrence University, as visiting scholars to record their last episode live in front of a student audience.

Mr. DeAngelis (ppdlaw.com) runs his own law firm in San Francisco and concentrates on real estate. His practice includes tenant rights, neighbor disputes, and civil rights. In 1996, he graduated with honors from Boston University School of Law. Since 1998, Mr. DeAngelis practiced at litigation firms in San Francisco and started his firm in 2015. Since 2018, he has taught five different courses at SFSU’s Paralegal Program, most often Investigation, Discovery & Trial Prep; Legal Ethics & Communication Skills; and Real Estate Law.

Mr. Kornblum specializes in all types of civil litigation and representation of clients in trials, arbitrations, mediations and appeals, particularly all forms of insurance matters, personal and commercial (property and casualty, employment coverage, director’s and officer’s coverage, professional liability coverage, general commercial coverage as well as life, health and disability insurance; insurance “bad faith”; serious personal injury, professional liability, real estate, employment matters, and fraud claims involving employee welfare benefit plans, wrongful death and actions claiming punitive damages. He is Certified in Civil Trial Law and Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Mr. Kornblum earned his J.D. Degree from Hastings College of the Law University of California.

Mr. Suits is the Chief Executive Officer of Suits Litigation, Inc., a plaintiff personal injury firm based in San Jose, California, which he founded in 2012. With 22 years of legal experience, he focuses his practice on advocating for individuals who have sustained serious injuries in motor vehicle accidents, including those involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Mr. Suits earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1997 before obtaining his law degree from the University of Southern California Law School in 2003. Prior to establishing his own practice, he worked as a litigation attorney for the firms of Tharpe & Howell, LLP and Robinson & Wood, Inc.

Dr. Winter earned his B.A. degree from the University of Southern California, and his J.D. degree from Southwestern University School of Law.

Wolfe Legal Solutions, PC helps lawyers help their clients and provides legal ethics advice to lawyers and law firms to allow them to practice ethically, avoiding legal malpractice claims and possible State Bar actions. Ms. Wolfe has practiced as a plaintiffs’ legal malpractice attorney for the majority of her 41-year career. She is uniquely able to provide assistance and advice to attorneys who wish to avoid malpractice claims as well as actions against their licenses for violating the Rules of Professional Conduct. Ms. Wolfe has qualified and testified in numerous depositions and trials as an expert witness on the subjects of ethics and civil trial practice. Ms. Wolfe is a Certified Legal Specialist in Legal Malpractice Law (State Bar of California) and Civil Trial Law (National Board of Trial Advocates).

Ms. Barr is a DFW native that has been practicing Family Law for over 12 years. She pursued law school with the intention of practicing Family Law to have a positive impact on children and families. Ms. Barr began her career working for the Office of the Attorney General in Texarkana, Texas. Working there gave her invaluable experience in child support matters as well as the policies, procedures, and inner workings of working with government agencies. Working in a city bordering two states provided Ms. Barr with knowledge of and practical experience handling multistate litigation. Since transitioning to private practice she has successfully completed cases ranging from adoptions, divorce, post-decree proceedings and numerous other family law matters. Her goal is to guide a client through their case and provide them with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about how they would like their case to proceed and what options are most likely to lead them toward their desired outcome.

Ms. Wise completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin with honors, majoring in Psychology, and she earned her J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston. She was admitted to practice in Texas on February 8, 2001, and has been Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2011. Ms. Wise is a member of the State Bar of Texas, its Family Law Section, its Texas Technology Section, and then the College of the State Bar of Texas, the Houston Bar Association and its Family Law Section, the Fort Bend County Bar Association, and Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists.

Ms. Graziani holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Salve Regina University. She attended Brandeis University as a Gordon Fellow, earning a Master’s degree in American Politics. Ms. Graziani earned her Juris Doctorate at Villanova University School of Law. She is a co-chair of the Paralegals Section of the Connecticut Bar Association and a past member of its House of Delegates. Ms. Graziani is the chair of the Paralegals Committee of the Hartford County Bar Association. She is admitted to practice before the courts of the State of Connecticut, the United States District Court, and the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Graziani has been a member of the Greater Hartford legal community for over 20 years, beginning her career as a litigation paralegal in a major New England law firm, specializing in large case management. As an attorney, her practice has focused on the representation of regulated industrial, financial, and commercial establishments, and select citizen plaintiffs in state and federal court, focusing on environmental law. Ms. Graziani has taught and advised paralegals and paralegal students for over two decades. She presents nationally and regionally on topics relevant to paralegals, lawyers, and the education of paralegals. Ms. Graziani’s teaching background includes undergraduate courses in law, politics, and a doctoral course in higher education law.

Mr. Tomasiewicz is a criminal defense, personal injury, and medical malpractice trial attorney who is board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in the field of civil trial work. A limited number of attorneys have this distinction. He has been named both a Connecticut Super Lawyer and New England Super Lawyer) since 2010. In 2023, Mr. Tomasiewicz was designated as a Top 50 Super Lawyer in the state of Connecticut. He has also received distinctions as a National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys Top Ten Attorneys for 2016, 2017 and 2023 Top 100 High Stakes Litigators for 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Mr. Tomasiewicz has the highest possible AV rating for legal ability and ethical standards from Martindale Hubbell peer review rating service, a national organization.

Ms. Palmer earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama then attended law school at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida. She previously worked as in-house counsel for a real estate investment company and was the managing attorney of a law firm in Midtown Atlanta. Ms. Palmer is a partner at Oxendine Law, LLC, practicing in all areas of domestic litigation, divorce, child custody, paternity and legitimation, and modification actions. She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia Family Law Section and the Gwinnett County Bar Association Family Law Section.

Mr. Shemkus exclusively practices family law. As a Florida Supreme Court Board Certified Specialist in Marital & Family Law, he is committed to helping clients navigate family law proceedings with confidence and dignity, applying his knowledge in this field to seek the best possible result based on each client’s individual goals, needs, and concerns. Mr. Shemkus received his B.A. degree from Lewis & Clark College and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. He joined Long, Murphy & Shemkus, P.A. in 2016 after working as an associate at a firm in Illinois. Mr. Shemkus’s practice includes all areas of family law and divorce, such as custody, support, domestic violence, and complex property allocation.

 Ms. Averill’s  practice is focused on the areas of family law, education law, and wills and trusts. She’s a certified guardian ad litem and a certified family court mediator. Ms. Averill received her law degree from the Charleston School of Law, where she attended on a partial academic scholarship. During her time there she was honored with the CALI Award of Excellence in the areas of Family Law and Legal Research and Writing and received the Pro Bono Award at graduation for providing more than 100 hours of pro bono legal work. Ms. Averill pro bono work included serving as an adult guardianship volunteer in the probate court and volunteering at the domestic violence clinic at the Charleston County Courthouse. She also served as the Student Chair of the Academic Committee for the law school. Prior to becoming an attorney, she was a practicing Board Certified Behavior Analyst in the Lowcountry. Ms. Averill founded a local company that provides therapy, testing, and psychiatric services for children with behavioral and psychological disorders. Her Bachelor’s degree is in psychology from Chapman University in Orange, California and her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Marriage & Family Therapy, from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. Ms. Averill went on to complete post-graduate coursework through the University of Texas at Denton in Applied Behavior Analysis, receiving her Board Certification in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2008. She also taught for the graduate program at the University of West Florida for 2 years as an adjunct professor in the Department of Behavior Analysis and served as a clinical supervisor for individuals pursuing their certification. Current memberships include the South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ), the American Bar Association (ABA), the Charleston County Bar Association (CBA), Dorchester County Bar Association, Berkeley County Bar Association, South Carolina Bar, the Children’s Law Committee of the South Carolina Bar, the Education Law Committee of the South Carolina Bar, the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association, and the Mediation and Meeting Center of Charleston.

The firm provides legal advice and advocacy for all aspects of family law. Ms. Means extensive courtroom experience provides her clients with the advocacy necessary to navigate through the difficulties of a separation, divorce, child custody and/or support issues. She represented lay Guardians ad Litem in Charleston and Dorchester County Family Courts handling abuse and neglect cases from 2013 to 2018. With the years of experience in handling difficult issues children were subject to in abuse and neglect cases, it provided Ms. Means the foundation to continue being an advocate for children. Her practice solely focuses on family law and much of her time is serving as a Private Guardian ad Litem in custody disputes. Ms. Means is a member in good standing with the South Carolina Bar and the United States District Court, District of South Carolina. She is also a member of the Charleston County Bar and South Carolina Women Lawyers Association. Ms. Means received the President’s Award from the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division in 2016 for her service and leadership as a Co-Chair for the Families Forever Committee, which promotes adoption and foster care in South Carolina. In 2021, she was selected to the South Carolina Super Lawyers List as a Rising Star. She earned her B.A. degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston and her J.D. degree from Charleston School of Law.

Ms. Rummell main areas of practice are family law, probate, and estate planning. She takes a highly client-centered approach which enables her to fully understand what is best and needed for each family in more than one aspect. Ms. Rummell is a member of the South Carolina Bar, the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division and the Charleston County Bar. She earned her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. degree from Charleston School of Law.

Mr. Schreiber likes to focus on achieving predictability and stability for clients while guiding them through an often unpredictable Family Court system and process. In 2014, He was named to the Top 10 Family Law Attorneys Under 40 in South Carolina by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys. That year, he was also elected Treasurer of the Dorchester County Bar Association, and he has been re-elected twice since then. Mr. Schreiber also sits in his third year on the Bar Association’s Family Court Liaison Committee. He served as Treasurer for the Dorchester County Bar Association from 2014 through 2017, and is now serving as the Vice President of the DCBA. He earned his B.A. degree from Auburn University and his J.D. degree from Rutgers Law School.

Ms. Mayer is an Advanced Certified Paralegal in Trial Practice and Criminal Litigation with over 30 years’ experience in the legal field. She works for the Yavapai County Public Defender’s Office in Arizona. Ms. Mayer is a member of NALA and serves on NALA’s Professional Development Committee. She enjoys writing articles that relate to the paralegal field and help paralegals obtain information to enrich their professional and personal wellbeing. In her free time, Ms. Mayer enjoys spending time with her husband and son, cooking, volunteering, and watching sports.

Mr. McWhirter has successfully tried over 100 criminal trials in Federal, state, and city courts. He is a nationally and internationally known speaker and author on trial advocacy, immigration law, and the history of the bill of rights. Mr. McWhirter is a frequent guest on Arizona Horizon and KJZZ as a Constitutional expert and historian. He is a Certified Specialist in Criminal Law, and for over six years, his peers have elected him to serve on the Arizona State Bar Board of Governors. Mr. McWhirter has published extensively the following:

• Fixing the Framers’ Failure: The 13th, 14th, And 15th Amendments and America’s New Birth Of Freedom (2022)
• Bills, Quills, and Stills: The History of the Bill Of Rights (2015)
• The Criminal Lawyer’s Guide To Immigration Law: Questions and Answers, 2nd Ed. (2006) and The Citizenship Flowchart (2007)

He has served on the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section and on the Standard Committee writing the CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDARDS and has published over 40 other articles in both English and Spanish on the history of the Bill of Rights, immigration law, and criminal practice. Since 2009, Mr. McWhirter has been named a Southwest Super Lawyer and is a 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient from Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. He is a 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient from the Barrett Honors College. Mr. McWhirter received the Frank X. Gordon Award for Excellence in the Practice of Law, Mohave County Bar Association in 2013 and the Saint Thomas More Award, Saint Thomas More Society in 2010. He has been a president of Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice. From March 2014 until July 2016, Mr. McWhirter was the supervising criminal attorney at the ASU Alumni Law Group, a teaching law firm serving underserved clients. He continues his private practice in criminal defense, civil rights, and testifies and provides expert advice on Immigration Consequences of Criminal Conviction and citizenship issues.

Ms. Moss earned her B.A. in Communication Studies from the James Madison University Honors College in 2018. In 2021, she graduated from the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law with a Juris Doctorate. Ms. Moss joined Attorneys for Freedom in 2020 as a law clerk, where she assisted the firm’s attorneys with criminal cases and postconviction relief matters. In January 2022, she was licensed as an attorney in the State of Arizona and rejoined the firm as a criminal defense attorney. Ms. Moss is proud to have defended clients in state misdemeanor and felony cases, as well as helped clients regain their civil rights in court.

Nesci & St. Louis, a DUI and Criminal Defense Law Firm. Mr. St. Louis is a Regent of the National College for DUI Defense. He is certified as a specialist in both criminal law (by the Arizona State Bar) and in DUI defense (by the National College for DUI Defense). Mr. St. Louis is a litigator, with a heavy pretrial motion and jury trial practice, defending people on charges involving everything but Rock n’ Roll – crimes involving alcohol, drugs, sex and violence. He likes to hear himself talk, and his vanity is easily appealed to, so he regularly speaks to State defense and State Bar groups, on a variety of topics. Mr. St. Louis has given presentations to groups in 19 states and has been voted a top 10 national speaker for his presentations for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, twice. His accomplishments include convincing judges to dismiss first degree murder charges in two separate cases and being one of four lawyers to convince a superior court judge to suppress the blood evidence in 11 consolidated felony cases. Recently, he was the primary writer on scientific issues in NCDD’s Amicus Brief filed in the United States Supreme Court case of Smith v. Arizona, No. 22-899, addressing surrogate analyst testimony. Mr. St. Louis greatest accomplishments, however, are convincing his wife Tania to stay with him for 27 years, his children Renee and Jack, and restraining himself from physically attacking a prosecutor or judge in 36 years of practice.

Ms. Dineen has been a paralegal for 34 years, first starting out in California and then in Spokane since 2000. For the past 23 years that she has been at EMLVO where she has assisted her attorneys with cases in criminal law, personal injury and business litigation. Her “super powers” are managing large volumes of discovery, preparing for trial and attending trial as a “Jodi of All Trades”.

Mr. Gonzales’s practice focuses on policyholder insurance coverage litigation and general commercial disputes. Prior to joining Corr Cronin, He practiced at law firms in both California and Washington, where he specialized in defending financial and insurance institutions in matters involving insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, and regulatory compliance. While pursuing his law degree at University of California, Davis School of Law, Mr. Gonzales served as a member of the UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic, representing immigrant families in asylum proceedings and affirmative change-of-status applications. He also completed a legal fellowship with the UC Davis Office of the Campus Counsel, where he advised University departments on issues ranging from medical privacy law to freedom of speech on campus.

Mr. Suits is the Chief Executive Officer of Suits Litigation, Inc., a plaintiff personal injury firm based in San Jose, California, which he founded in 2012. With 22 years of legal experience, he focuses his practice on advocating for individuals who have sustained serious injuries in motor vehicle accidents, including those involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Mr. Suits earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1997 before obtaining his law degree from the University of Southern California Law School in 2003. Prior to establishing his own practice, he worked as a litigation attorney for the firms of Tharpe & Howell, LLP and Robinson & Wood, Inc.

Judge Tollefson has served as a judge for Pierce County Superior Court for more than 27 years. During his time on Superior Court, he was on the Executive Committee, served as presiding judge, and participated on a number of local Superior Court committees. He served on several committees in the Washington State Superior Court Judges Association and as a trustee on the Association’s board of trustees for five years. Judge Tollefson uses ADR methods such as mediation and arbitration for resolving disputes. With his nearly 50 years of legal and judicial experience, he is committed to resolving disputes to reach a just and proper resolution.

Ms. Anders is an  practicing exclusively in family law. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and is currently serving as the Treasurer of the Virginia chapter of the AAML. Ms. Anders is also a member of the Virginia Beach Bar Association (VBBA), Virginia State Bar (VSB), Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (VTLA), and Virginia Bar Association (VBA). She has been very active with the VBBA, serving on various committees since 2003 and is currently the president. She has also been a member of the VBA Family Law Coalition since November 2015. Ms. Anders received her Juris Doctor in 2001 from Loyola University School of Law at New Orleans. After law school, Allison returned to Virginia and clerked for an Administrative Law Judge with the Department of Labor in Washington, DC for one year.

Ms. Dougherty focuses on family law, divorce, custody and visitation, support, equitable distribution, adoption, and estate law. She has continued to focus her practice on complex litigation involving families, to include same-sex divorces, contested adoptions, high asset divorces, and international custody cases involving the Hague Convention. Ms. Dougherty has served on the Young Lawyers Board with the Fairfax Bar Association and the Judicial Liaison Committee with the Prince William County Bar Association. She also served as Co-Chair of the Family Law Section of the Prince William County Bar Association wherein she was pivotal in coordinating and authoring engaging and interactive family law CLEs and mentorship opportunities for family law practitioners. Currently, Ms. Dougherty is President of the Prince William County Bar Association. She is an active member of the Prince William Virginia Women’s Attorney’s Association, serving as both President-Elect and President. Ms. Dougherty attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, followed by Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in Cleveland Ohio.

Ms. Ehlenberger’s practice is focused exclusively on all areas of family law. She is listed in “The Best Lawyers in America”, Washingtonian magazine’s Top Divorce Lawyers and Northern Virginia magazine’s Top Lawyer Listing. Ms. Ehlenberger is a member of the Family Law section of the Fairfax Bar Association and is on the Fairfax Bar Association’s Circuit Court Committee and Domestic Relations Subcommittee. She is also an associate member of the Loudoun Bar Association and member of the Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar. Ms. Ehlenberger is also a Neutral Case Evaluator for Fairfax County Circuit Court. She received her B.A. degree from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and her J.D. degree American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, District of Columbia.

As a bilingual certified paralegal from Puerto Rico, Mr. Figueroa helps both English and Spanish speaking clients. He manages the office as well as provides assistance in discovery, scheduling, case filings, and research. Mr. Figueroa also helps coordinate Hague family matters. He cares deeply about working in an efficient manner and making sure that legal services and accessibility are available at reasonable costs. Many clients have noted his patience, easy manner, and pleasant demeanor.

Mr, Taylor has focused his practice on family law matters over the past ten years, specifically with issues relating to divorce, equitable distribution, custody, visitation and support. He has been a member of the Chesterfield County Bar Association’s Executive Board for the last five years and is currently the President of the Chesterfield Bar Association. Mr, Taylor is also a member of the Metro Richmond Family Law Bar and was a representative for Chesterfield County on the Bench Bar Conference Committee in 2018. He earned his J.D. from the University of Richmond in 2009 and was a member of the inaugural class to receive the Family Law Certificate.

Ms. Echikson has been a paralegal working almost exclusively in family law for over 20 years and has been with Materese Family Law in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, since its inception. Prior to her time at MFL, she worked in the family law departments at the Greater Philadelphia area law firms of Dischell Bartle Dooley, Weber Gallagher, and Wolf Block. Ms. Echikson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Paralegal Studies from Peirce College and holds a Pennsylvania paralegal certification from the Keystone Alliance of Paralegal Associations. She currently serves as President of the Montgomery County Paralegal Association. Along with Ms. Sheriff and other paralegals across the Commonwealth, Ms. Echikson is a founding Board member of the Family Law Paralegals of Pennsylvania (FLPP), a paralegal association dedicated to providing resources and support to paralegals practicing family law in Pennsylvania. She also currently serves as FLPP’s Vice-President and membership chair. In addition, Ms. Echikson is FLPP’s primary delegate to the Keystone Alliance of Paralegal Associations, where she also holds the position of Secretary. She is also a member of various community organizations, including serving as an Area Leader for Free Mom Hugs of Pennsylvania, a Board member for the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County, and Secretary of Soroptimist International of Phoenixville.

Ms. Sheriff  has over three decades of experience as a family law litigation paralegal. She assists attorneys and clients in a variety of family law matters with an emphasis on complex property distributions and difficult custody cases. She is a PACE Registered Paralegal and a Pennsylvania Certified Paralegal. Ms. Sheriff received her paralegal degree in 1988 from Central Penn College (formerly Central Penn Business School) and subsequently returned and completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in legal studies. She is a past President of the Keystone Alliance of Paralegal Associations and still serves on several of its committees. Ms. Sheriff is also a past president of the Central Pennsylvania Paralegal Association and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2017. In 2019, she, along with six paralegals from across Pennsylvania, founded Family Law Paralegals of Pennsylvania (FLPP). FLPP is a practice specific paralegal association. Its goal is to provide family law paralegals throughout the state with better access to information and resources relating to family law matters. Through the collective skills of its members, FLPP provides a reliable resource for paralegals practicing family law. Ms. Sheriff is proud to serve on FLPP’s Board of Directors where she has held the position of President for the past year.

Mr. McLain is a retired Marine Corps military judge, and has been in the practice of criminal and military law since 1990. His first jury trials were tried in the deserts of Saudi Arabia during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Mr. McLain ended his Government service as a federal prosecutor in Dallas, serving in the child exploitation crimes, computer crimes, and general federal crimes sections. The Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC is headquartered in Dallas, Texas where he represents clients in state criminal cases in Texas and federal crime cases in courts throughout the United States. He has handled thousands of cases and provides aggressive and tenacious representation. Mr. McLain also has a separate military law practice with offices across the country. He earned his J.D. degree from the University if Texas School of Law.

Mr. Rosenthal is board-certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Criminal Law. He was a Collin County Prosecutor prior to founding Rosenthal Kalabus & Therrian. Mr. Rosenthal has tried over 200 jury cases – virtually all criminal. He has received Not Guilty verdicts at every level of State Court from first-degree felonies to serious misdemeanors. Mr. Rosenthal served on the Board of Directors for Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association (“TCDLA”), was two-time president of McKinney Bar Association, and is the current chairman of Collin County Bar Association’s Criminal Law Section. He is also a member of the Texas State Bar College. Mr. Rosenthal is currently the assistant editor for the Voice for the Defense publication. He frequently lectures on criminal defense topics including handling criminal emergencies and trial advocacy. He earned his J.D. degree from SMU Law School.

Mr. Westfall’s practice focuses on white-collar criminal defense and civil litigation. He has practiced criminal defense in Texas and nationally for 30 years, specializing in complex criminal litigation in State and Federal courts. Mr. Westfall has tried more than 100 criminal cases, many of them “high profile,” and handled more than 50 criminal appeals at all levels. In 2010, He added commercial litigation case work and has several civil trials and appeals among his experiences. Mr. Westfall has represented many individuals through federal investigations into, among others, alleged violations of EPA regulations, hiring undocumented aliens, health care fraud, antikickback and import/export violations, and government contractor fraud. He earned his J.D. degree, summa cum laude, from Texas Tech University.

Mr. Willett is one of only two double board-certified attorneys in criminal and juvenile law in Tarrant County, and one of only 12 double board-certified attorneys in criminal and juvenile law in the State of Texas. He has the unique perspective of successfully defending cases in the Texas state criminal courts, federal immigration courts and Texas civil juvenile courts. Mr. Willett is the author of three editions of his criminal law book. Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse and is currently working on the Silver Edition of this book. He earned his B.S. Degree from the University of Iowa and his J.D. degree from Memphis State University School of Law.

Dr. Berry, J.D., is Department Chair and instructor for the Paralegal Studies Program Department within the Business, Social Science, and Public Services Division at McHenry County College (MCC). She is also the advisor of the Paralegal Students Association. Robin was born in Dallas, Texas. She attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas and received a BA in Criminal Justice and Political Science in 1987. Dr. Berry received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1991. She is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas (1991) and the State of Illinois (2011). Robin practiced in many areas of law, but mainly focused on criminal prosecution and defense, juvenile delinquency, and abuse and neglect. She was a special public defender for McHenry County Juvenile Courts from April 2011 to August 2021. Robin moved to McHenry in 2008 and began teaching as an adjunct instructor at MCC. Robin teaches the following courses: Business Law, Business Ethics, Introduction to Paralegal Studies, Legal Research and Writing, Civil Litigation and Discovery, Contracts, Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts, Torts, and the Paralegal Internship Program. She is also an active member of the McHenry County Bar Association, serving on the Law Day Committee. As such, Robin is involved with educating elementary school, middle school, and high school students about Law Day and the legal system. She has participated in the high school mock trials for the Law Day events. Robin is a regular guest speaker in various high school classes and events across the McHenry County.

Professor Cieslik joined the Illinois State faculty as an assistant professor of Legal Studies in the Department of Politics and Government in August of 2020. Cieslik earned his Juris Doctorate (2004) from Western Michigan University, Thomas M. Cooley Law School and his B.S. in Criminal Justice (2001) from Washburn University. From 2012 – 2020, Cieslik was the Program Coordinator and Professor of Paralegal and Criminal Justice Studies at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois. From 2007 – 2012, Cieslik was a partner at Barmann, Bohlen, Jacobi & Cieslik, P.C. in Kankakee, Illinois with an emphasis on insurance defense and criminal defense. He also served as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Kankakee County from 2004 – 2007. Cieslik’s research interests focus on criminal law and procedure.

Ms. Zia is an Associate Professor and Program of Paralegal Studies with Lewis University. a Licensed Attorney in the State of Illinois and served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office in the Criminal Appeals Division. During her time there, she argued cases before the federal district courts, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and filed motions in the U.S. Supreme Court. She also argued cases in all the state district appellate courts and frequently argued cases in the Illinois Supreme Court. In addition to bringing her law experience and expertise to students at Lewis, Ms. Zia obtained approval of the Undergraduate Paralegal Program by the American Bar Association for the university. She currently serves as a Sole Practitioner in Elmhurst and concentrates on Pro-Bono Cases.

Mr. Arnott is originally from Australia but has lived in St. Paul, MN since 1991. He has taught in the Legal Studies department at Hamline University since 2008, having previously taught family law and legal writing at William Mitchell College of Law and served as the legal instructor at the Minneapolis Business College. Professor Arnott is a past chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association Family Law Section and of the Ramsey County Bar Association Youth & the Law Committee. Before entering legal practice, He was a diplomat in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, serving in Canberra and Nairobi. In his spare time, Professor Arnott umpires Australian Rules football and referees soccer.

Mr. Case focuses on civil litigation and municipal prosecution. Before joining our firm, Andrew clerked for several judges in Minnesota District Court and the Minnesota Court of Appeals. He is experienced in litigating a variety of complex civil matters involving appellate litigation, corporate liability and business disputes, medical malpractice and professional liability, real estate disputes, as well as employment litigation. Mr. Case is likewise experienced in prosecuting and defending criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. He takes pride in serving his clients as a trusted confidant and devoted advocate. Mr. Case earned his J.D. from Mitchell Hamline School of Law and holds a business degree from the University of St. Thomas.

Ms. Edwards focuses on the firm’s family law practice. She brings years of legal experience from her previous positions with the Boulder County Court Clerk’s Office and the Boulder County Family Court Facilitator’s Office, as well as her previous work as a family law paralegal in Colorado. Ms. Edwards primary duties include calendaring, document drafting, financial documentation management and client file management. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and received her Post-Baccalaureate Paralegal Certificate from Arapahoe Community College.

Leondra Hanson joined the Hamline faculty in 2008 after several years teaching, training, and practicing law in the Twin Cities. She earned her BA from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and her JD from the University of Minnesota. Professor Hanson’s scholarly and professional work focuses on women and law, sexual assault and harassment, and legal education. Professor Hanson chairs the Legal Studies Department and directs the paralegal and graduate legal programs at Hamline. From 2010-2012, she served as the Hamline University Director of Learning Outcomes Assessment, overseeing the curriculum assessment strategies across all disciplines and helping educators improve their teaching by focusing on their goals. She also is the former Director of Hamline University’s Center for Justice and Law. In her law practice, Professor Hanson has tried jury trials and represented clients in civil litigation in a wide range of legal matters including sexual assault and harassment, real estate, and employment discrimination. She has provided counsel, risk prevention, and training to professionals in human resources, legal, advocacy, and real estate fields. Professor Hanson is a former board member of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault and served on the Minnesota State Bar Association Alternative Legal Models Task Force. She has been an active member of the American Association for Paralegal Education. At home, she is the mother of three busy teenagers, a hockey fan, and the treasurer of the Wayzata Theatre Boosters. In the classroom, Professor Hanson believes in the importance of embedding professional skills in the context of the liberal arts. She focuses on teaching students to understand and interpret the complicated texts that make up the law and on giving them the tools to continue learning- as professionals or in other academic settings. She teaches a number of courses including Real Property, Law in the Lives of Women, Legal Research and Writing, and the department’s introductory course: Legal Systems. She has also taught First Year Seminars and Senior Seminars on topics related to juries, controversial judicial outcomes, and access to justice.

Mark J. Karon is an attorney and director of the University of Minnesota Student Legal Service. Prior to the University, he was an associate attorney with Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi, practicing in personal injury and mass tort litigation. He has experience in trial and legal counseling in consumer affairs, domestic relations, criminal defense, civil litigation and administrative law. He is also responsible for co-curricular and law-related educational programs at the University of Minnesota. Mr. Karon is also an adjunct professor of litigation practice and private practice practicum at Hamline University School of Law. In addition, he has been an instructor in torts, personal injury and product liability law, legal research and writing, case investigation and trial preparation at Hamline University in the legal studies program. Mr. Karon has also served as a professor at Inver Hills College and the Minnesota Paralegal Institute. He currently serves as international president of the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association Student Legal Services. He received his B.S. degree with high distinction from the University of Minnesota and his J.D. degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego. Mr. Karon is a member of the Hennepin and Ramsey County Bar Associations, the Minnesota State Bar Association, the State Bar of California, the American Bar Association (member, Litigation and Family Law Section), the Minnesota Association of Justice, the American Association of Justice, Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice and the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association. Mr. Karon is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs across the country.

Ms. O’Keefe has been named a Minnesota Rising Star by Super Lawyers for several years. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where she teaches Advanced Family Law. Ms. O’Keefe has been invited to speak on a number of topics, including International Service of Process, Interstate and International Child Custody, and Establishing Child Support, among others. She also serves as co-editor of Minnesota CLE’s Divorce Practice Deskbook, a resource for family law practitioners across the state. In addition, Ms. O’Keefe serves as a board member for the Family Law League, a local non-profit organization focused on professional development and promoting collegiality among family law professionals. Her interest in and passion for helping families developed during law school when she began volunteering for Tubman, a family violence prevention organization. Ms. O’Keefe has continued her involvement with Tubman and regularly volunteers her time to Tubman’s legal clinics for self-represented litigants.

Mr. Willems is a litigator primarily practicing in business and tort litigation. His business litigation practice mainly focuses on the real estate and construction sectors, where he guides clients through construction defect, mechanic’s lien, contract and quasi-contract, commercial, and general liability disputes. As a tort litigator, Mr. Willems concentrates on complex cases that involve wrongful death, serious bodily injury, and substantial property damage.Mr. Willems has significant experience representing both individuals and companies during the course of litigation, and at mediation, arbitration, trial, and on appeal. He recently obtained a substantial jury verdict in favor of his client in an insurance subrogation action. He also successfully got a discrimination lawsuit dismissed against his client on summary judgment in federal court. Mr. Willems is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Construction Law Section Council and the Association of General Contractors Contracts Committee, He recently served on the executive board of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Mr. Willems is recognized as a Minnesota Rising Star by Super Lawyers in construction and personal injury, and has been selected as an Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer. He was also recently named a Top Lawyer by Minnesota Monthly in construction law. Mr. Willems serves as co-chair of Bassford Remele’s Construction Practice Group and is a member of its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Team and Pro Bono Committee.

Mr. Banks is the principal attorney at Banks & Associates, PLLC, a Houston-based law firm focused on meeting the needs of government and construction contractors throughout Texas. He is a trusted advisor for licensed professionals, CEOs and managers in construction firms, and government contractors. Mr. Banks was licensed as a CPA in 2003 and has more than 20 years of experience as a lead accountant and CFO for successful government contractors. He earned his B.B.A. degree with a double major in Accounting and Finance from the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston and secured his J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law. Mr. Banks is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Association of Corporate Counsel and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is a member of the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Ms. Grove is an experienced and Board Certified Paralegal with a demonstrated history of working in the legal and medical industries. She is skilled in medical record summarization, drafting pleadings and discovery, e-filing, demand preparation, negotiation, subrogation and reductions.

Mr. Mazzola graduated from the University of Houston in 2006 with a B.S. in Kinesiology with a focus in Sport Administration. While at the University of Houston, He was accepted into the Sales Excellence Institute at the Bauer College of Business and obtained an advanced certificate in Professional Selling. After graduation, he went to work for a major insurance carrier for three years before embarking on law school. In 2012, he obtained a law degree from St. Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. During law school, Mr. Mazzola served as a senator for the Student Bar Association, chair of the Young Alumni-Law Student Chapter, participated in numerous mock trial competitions, and was a member of the External Advocacy Program’s Competition Negotiations team. In addition, Mr. Mazzola was a staff writer on The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Race on Social Justice where his article on how the law often criminalized victims of human trafficking received Credit with Honors. Because of his experience as a staff writer, he worked as a TA in the Legal Research and Writing program.

Mr. Ragsdale’s law practice provides legal representation for individuals and families in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases. In law school, he studied to become the kind of lawyer who made an important difference in the lives of clients. He aspired to stand up to large corporate interests and others that were unwilling to take responsibility for injuries and damages they caused. Mr. Ragsdale now has more than 28 years of experience fighting for individuals and families in state and federal courts in Texas. He has handled thousands of cases and obtained millions of dollars in damages for injured clients. He was recently recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in North Texas. Mr. Ragsdale completed mediator’s training at the SMU Center for dispute resolution and conflict management, and he has have served as a mediator and successfully mediated the settlement of over 50 lawsuits.

Ms. Sadeghi has more than 17 years of experience providing legal services and representation to individuals and families, developing strategies and advocating for legal rights. Her experience includes litigating and advocating on behalf of a large, active client base focusing on complex civil litigation, family and probate law and elder law. Ms. Sadeghi formerly taught at the paralegal program for Suffolk University Law School and is currently a guest lecturer at Northeastern University Law School. In 2023, she received the Massachusetts Lawyers’ Weekly “Making a Difference” honor, part of the Top Women of the Law 2023. She serves as a Board of Bar Overseers lawyer licensing board discipline hearing officer as well as a certified Guardian Ad Litem by the Massachusetts Trial Court.