News
Collaborative Lawyer and Mediator Rachel Goldman Joins BLC
On July 1, 2010 attorney Rachel Goldman joined the BLC team as a Member of the firm. Rachel brings to BLC her extensive family law experience and is a leader in the collaborative law community. She has served on the Board of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council since 2005 and is a member of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. She contributed to the designing and is on the faculty of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council’s Three-Day Interdisciplinary Training and is also part of the faculty of the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Divorce Mediation Training. Rachel is an honors graduate of Macalester College and Suffolk University Law School, where she was editor-in-chief of the Law Review.
BLC Member Named in "Best Lawyers in America"
BLC Member David Hoffman was selected for the seventh consecutive year for the book The Best Lawyers in America – he is listed in three categories: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Collaborative Family Law, and Family Mediation. David’s name will be included among Boston’s Best Lawyers in a special magazine distributed with the June 20, 2010 Boston Globe.
BLC to Offer Second Annual ABA Section of Family Law’s Family Mediation Training November 8-12, 2010
Following the success of last year’s training, BLC will again present a 40-hour training in Family Mediation at its offices in Boston. The training will include the following trainers: David Hoffman, Esq. (lead trainer), Israela Brill-Cass, Esq., Nicole DiPentima, Susan Miller, CPA, CFP, CDFA, Rita Pollak, Esq., Vicki Shemin, Esq., LICSW, Dr. Richard Wolman and Don Greenstein. If you are interested, or know someone who might be; info is available here. To register on line visit www.abanet.org/family .
BLC Wins Law Firm ADR Award
On January 13, 2010, the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (“CPR”) presented its Law Firm Award for Excellence in ADR at the organization’s annual meeting in New York. CPR is one of the leading organizations in the world promoting the use of alternative dispute resolution. For more information about this award, click here.
Spirituality and the Meaning of Work
On April 29, 2010, BLC Affiliate Dr. Richard Wolman led a workshop at BLC on “Spirituality and the Meaning of Work,” exploring our relationship to work and its meaning. Richard is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and the author of the book Thinking With Your Soul: Spiritual Intelligence and Why It Matters(2001).
Organizational Ombuds 101
On April 20, 2010, BLC hosted a Brown Bag Lunch on “Organizational Ombuds 101: How the Use of an Ombudsperson Enhances the Culture of an Organization.” Several experienced ombudspeople – Melissa Brodrick (Harvard Medical School), Lydia Cummings (Harvard University), and Mary Rowe (MIT) – joined us for this informal discussion. BLC Affiliate Don Greenstein facilitated the discussion.
Boston Marathon
On April 19, 2010, BLC member David Hoffman ran in the Boston Marathon to support one of BLC’s favorite charities, Greater Boston Food Bank.
Use of a Vocational Expert Witness
On April 13, 2010, BLC attorney Mary LaCivita gave a talk on attribution of income in divorce cases and, in particular, the use of vocational expert witnesses where attribution is an issue. The program, “The Unemployed/Underemployed Spouse in a Divorce Case,” was sponsored by the Boston Bar Association Family Law Section.
Workshop on Mediation Caucusing
On April 8, 2010, BLC Paralegal and ADR Case Manager Nicole DiPentima and BLC Member David Hoffman co-presented a workshop on mediation caucusing at the annual Conference of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, held this year in San Francisco.
The Negotiation Within
On February 26, 2010, The Harvard Negotiation Law Review held a symposium entitled “The Negotiation Within,” and BLC Member David Hoffman was one of the speakers. Click here for more information.
Bargaining with the Devil
On February 4, 2010, David Hoffman was one of the speakers at a Reception at Harvard Law School – along with Dean Martha Minow, Prof. Robert Mnookin, Prof. Gabriella Blum, and Margot Strom -- honoring Prof. Mnookin on the publication of his new book, “Bargaining with the Devil.” For a link to the video of this event, click here.
To Caucus or Not to Caucus: It’s Complicated
On February 3, 2010, BLC lawyers Vicki Shemin and David Hoffman presented a workshop on mediation caucusing for the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation, entitled “To Caucus or Not to Caucus: It’s Complicated.”
Exploring the Crossroads of Diversity and Spirituality
On January 22, 2010, BLC’s David Hoffman presented a workshop in San Francisco on “Exploring the Crossroads of Diversity and Spirituality.” Daniel Bowling, Homer LaRue, and Marvin Johnson presented with David. Click here for information about this event.
BLC Receives ABA “Lawyer as Problem Solver” Award
On April 16, 2009, BLC received the American Bar Association’s “Lawyer as Problem Solver” Award. The award was presented to BLC founding member, David Hoffman, at the annual meeting of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution in New York. For more information about the award, click here.
BLC picked by ABA Section of Family Law to offer the Section's first Family Mediation Training November 9-13, 2009
BLC will present a 40-hour training in Family Meditation at its offices in Boston. The training will include the following trainers: David Hoffman, Esq. (lead trainer), Israela Brill-Cass, Esq., Nicole DiPentima, Susan Miller, CPA, CFP, CDFA, Rita Pollak, Esq., Vicki Shemin, Esq., LICSW, and Dr. Richard Wolman. If you are interested, or know someone who might be; information is available here. To register online, please click here.
BLC Executive Director Co-Chairs MCLE's First Annual ADR and the Law Conference
BLC’s Executive Director Israela Brill-Cass was asked to co-chair with Attorney John Wofford, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE)’s First Annual ADR and the Law Conference. The full-day conference took place on October 26, 2009 at MCLE and included workshops with attorneys and conflict resolution professionals as well as a Judge’s Panel.
BLC Attorney Becomes Superior Court Judge
On April 15, 2009, the appointment of BLC attorney Janet Kenton-Walker to become an Associate Justice of the Superior Court was unanimously approved by the Governor’s Council. Janet was nominated by Governor Deval Patrick, who praised Janet for her “top-notch legal skills, even temperament, high integrity and long-standing commitment to justice.” Her official duties as a judge will begin after she is sworn in on May 7, 2009. A reception in Janet’s honor will be held at BLC on May 21, 2009, at 5 – 7:30 p.m.
Uniform Collaborative Law Act
On November 20, 2009, Hofstra Law School hosted a symposium on the Uniform Collaborative Law Act, and BLC member David Hoffman will be one of the speakers. David is co-chair of the Collaborative Law Committee of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution.
Training Down Under
On November 24, 2009, BLC's David Hoffman presented a one-day workshop on "Bringing Peace into the Room" in Sydney, Australia, sponsored by Interrelate Family Centres.
Collaborative Law Workshop
On October 25, 2009, at the 10th annual Forum of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, BLC member David Hoffman presented a workshop on “Building Bridges: The Art (and Science) of Collaborative Relationships.”
Mediation Pedagogy Conference
From May 15-16, 2009, The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School held its first-ever "Mediation Pedagogy Conference." BLC’s David Hoffman (who teaches Mediation at Harvard Law School) was one of the panelists and spoke on the subject “How Can We Get Our Students in a Mediating Frame of Mind.”
Building Relationships: The Mortar that Holds Mediations Together
On June 19, 2009 BLC’s David Hoffman presented a workshop on “Building Relationships: The Mortar that Holds Mediations Together” at The Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution’s Annual Conference in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Silverman Article on Parenting Options
BLC attorney Craig Silverman published an article on April 9, 2009, on parenting options – mediation, collaborative law, parenting coordinators, and litigation – that was picked up and published in several newspapers in Massachusetts and five other states. For a copy of the article, click here.
Employment ADR Panel
In February 2009, BLC launched its Workplace and Employment ADR Panel, providing mediation, arbitration, fact-finding, and other dispute resolution services, plus training on sexual harassment and other workplace issues. The Panel is a highly diverse group of experienced workplace mediators and arbitrators from across the United States, including Loretta Attardo, Melissa Brodrick, Dana Curtis, Joan Dolan, Sarah Kerr Garraty, James Grumbach, David Hoffman, Paul Holtzman, Vivian Hsu, Marvin Johnson, Homer La Rue, Steve Linsky, Melinda Milberg, Linda Toyo Obayashi, Marsha Saylor, Jay Siegel, Lamont Stallworth, and John Wofford. BLC’s Nicole DiPentima is the Panel Administrator.
Inauguration Day
BLC's David Hoffman, Marc Marrero, and Mandy Swamy attended the Presidential Inauguration in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2009. They found a spot near the Smithsonian at about 7:30 a.m., and although the temperature was 16 degrees, the enthusiasm of the crowd and the significance of the moment overcame their fear of frostbite.
Article Award
On January 15, 2009, the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (www.cpradr.org) gave one of its two annual article awards to BLC’s David Hoffman. The article – contending that Microsoft and Yahoo should have used mediation to close their failed merger deal – was published in the Christian Science Monitor and is available at the BLC web site: http://tinyurl.com/6qx7cl.
Teaching Mediation
BLC’s David Hoffman was recently named John H. Watson, Jr. Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, where he teaches the Mediation course. David has also been selected for a sixth consecutive year for the book The Best Lawyers in America – he is listed in three categories: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Collaborative Family Law, and Family Mediation.
New Lawyer
On January 5, 2009, attorney Janet Kenton-Walker joined the BLC team – she is Of Counsel to the firm. Janet has had a distinguished career, and was appointed by Chief Justice Margaret Marshall to serve on the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation Board and the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers. She has also served as a trustee of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation, vice-president of the Massachusetts Bar Association, and as a board member of the Committee for Public Counsel Services. At BLC, Janet will continue her practice of business and other civil litigation, family law, bankruptcy litigation, and criminal defense. Janet is an honors graduate of Mt. Holyoke College and Suffolk University Law School.
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