Professional Background
I have been an attorney-mediator for thirty years, mediating all types of disputes, but mostly family law cases dealing with divorce and custody issues. I am a licensed attorney, but limit my practice to mediation. I believe the parties to a dispute are the most able to develop a workable solution to their conflict, since they are the most knowledgeable about the situation and the feasibility of various options. I am a graduate of Rice University (BA), the University of North Texas (M.Ed), and Baylor University School of Law (JD). I have taught in elementary, middle, and high school and was a guidance counselor in both middle and high school. From these non-legal experiences I have gained insight into people’s motivations and conflict and have also learned a lot about really listening to people and helping them find their own best answers to their disputes. After graduating from law school I was the Pro Bono Coordinator for Legal Aid in Belton, TX and started the pro bono program for indigent citizens in Bell County. I have been extremely active in the Texas Association of Mediators (TAM) for 28 years, serving as President in 2004. I was honored to receive the Susanne C. Adams Award “for exceptional and outstanding efforts in promoting and furthering the use of mediation” from TAM in 2015. I currently serve as the TAM Historian .