2009-10 Family Law Leadership: Biographies
Meet the leaders of the ABA Section of Family Law!
Clicking on the contact link will take you to the leader's entry in
the ABA Member Directory. (Please note that only ABA members will be allowed to access that information. Please
view the Directory Usage Agreement here.)
We will continue to update this page. If you are a Family Law Officer or Council member, just send your photo and short bio (no more
than 300 words) to glazerh@staff.abanet.org. (Return to Leadership page.)
Officers
| Mitchell K. Karpf Chair Mitchell K. Karpf is a partner with the firm of Young, Berman, Karpf & Gonzalez, P.A.
He has an AV Rating in Martindale-Hubbell and is certified by the Florida Bar Board of
Legal Specialization and Education in Marital and Family Law. He was named as a
Top Lawyer according to the South Florida Legal Guide and is listed in
The Best Lawyers in America. He is admitted to the State Bar of Florida,
U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida and U.S. District Court of Appeals.
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| Debra H. Lehrmann Chair-Elect Hon. Debra H. Lehrmann has been a judge in Tarrant County for the past
twenty years, and is currently serving her 8th year as the District Judge of the
360th Judicial District of Texas. She previously served as the Associate Judge of the
360th District Court and as the Title IV-D Associate Judge for all Tarrant County Family Courts.
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| Randall M. Kessler Vice Chair Born in Gainesville, Florida, raised in New Orleans and having
attended college at Brandeis University near Boston, MA, Randall M. Kessler came to
Georgia in 1985 to attend Emory Law School. He has over 20 years of experience in
Domestic Relations and Family Law matters including divorce, custody, paternity,
prenuptial agreements and child support. Mr. Kessler is known for representing and
often opposing Celebrities and Athletes in
Divorce, Custody and Support matters as well as for preparing their Prenuptial Agreements.
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| Maryann E. Foley Secretary In 1978, this born-and-bred New Yorker accepted a VISTA-volunteer assignment in Anchorage,
Alaska. After three winters attending law school at the State University of New York at
Buffalo, this was not a difficult transition. Upon completing two years with VISTA,
she opened her own solo practice in 1985.
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| Scott N. Friedman Financial Officer Scott N. Friedman exclusively practices Family Relations Law with Friedman & Mirman
Co., L.P.A. in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Friedman is also licensed to practice
in the state of Florida. Mr. Friedman is an Ohio State Bar Association
Family Relations Law Specialist.
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| Anita M. Ventrelli Immediate Past Chair Anita M. Ventrelli is a partner of Schiller DuCanto and Fleck LLP. She has a
strong background in trial and settlement of complex matters, employing
her extensive experience in computer analysis and litigation support techniques.
A graduate of DePaul University School of Law, Ms. Ventrelli was named one of the
"40 Under 40 Illinois Attorneys to Watch" in 2003 by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.
She was named Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year by the Illinois State Bar Association in 2001,
where she served on the Family Law Section Council, chaired the Minority and
Women Participation Committee, was a member of the Special Committee on Women and the
Law, and currently serves on the Judicial Evaluation Committee.
She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
She is on the faculty of the American Bar Association's Family Law Trial Advocacy
Institute and serves on the governing council, the Publications Board, the
Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Long-Term Planning Committee, and
formerly chaired the Domestic Violence/Family Abuse Committee and Ethics Committee.
Ms. Ventrelli lectures frequently on family law topics for the American Bar Association,
Illinois State Bar Association and community groups. She has published articles for the
American Bar Association Family Advocate magazine and other periodicals.
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| Marshall J. Wolf Section Delegate Marshall J. Wolf of Cleveland, Ohio is a partner in the Family Law firm of Wolf and Akers.
Mr. Wolf is a founding member of the Trial Advocacy Institute faculty and was involved in the creation of the
Institute by the Family Law Section. He is a Past Chair of the Family Law Section and
currently represents the Section as a Section Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates.
Mr. Wolf was the founding President of the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of
Matrimonial Lawyers and has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and Ohio Superlawyers.
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| Timothy Walker Section Delegate Born Utica, New York, May 21, 1940; admitted to bar, 1968, Colorado;
1969, California; 1971, Indiana. Education: Princeton University
(A.B., magna cum laude, 1962); University of Denver (M.A., 1969; J.D. magna cum laude, 1967).
Phi Alpha Delta. Member, Order of St. Ives. Listed Best Lawyers in America, 1987-.
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Council Members
| Melissa J. Avery At-Large Melissa Avery is a partner with the law firm Avery & Cheerva LLP, a
Certified Family Law Specialist, and a Fellow of the American Academy
of Matrimonial Lawyers. Melissa was chosen as one of Indiana's Top 25
Female Lawyers in 2007 by Law and Politics Magazine.
Melissa is currently the Secretary of the Indiana State Bar Association
Family Law Section, a council member and Committee Chair to the
American Bar Association Family Law Section, and a
member of the Indianapolis Bar Association Family Law Section Executive Committee.
Melissa is a frequent presenter of Continuing Legal Education for
both local and national organizations and also participates in pro
bono activities by providing family law services to low income clients.
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| Roberta (Bobbie) Batley At-Large Bobbie Batley is a New Mexico Board Recognized Specialist in Divorce and Family Law.
She is a partner in the Albuquerque firm of Little, Gilman-Tepper & Batley, P.A.
The firm practice is devoted to litigation, collaboration and negotiation
in all areas of complex divorce and family law.
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| Greg J. Ortiz At-Large Greg Ortiz practices family law exclusively and is a partner in the
law firm Ham and Ortiz, LLC. Mr. Ortiz obtained his bachelor of arts in economics from
University of Colorado and his juris doctorate degree from University of Denver.
Over the last seven years he has worked in various capacities in the
areas of juvenile and family law. He has published and spoken on many
topics in the area of family law. Mr. Ortiz has been a member and leader on
numerous committees with the American Bar Association Family Law Section including the
CLE Planning Committee, Long Range Planning, Diversity Committee,
Marital Property Committee, Nomination Committee, and has been a
producer of numerous programs during the American Bar Associations
Family Law Section's Spring and Fall CLE Conferences.
Mr. Ortiz is a member of the Family Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association;
Colorado Indian Bar Association; Colorado Hispanic Bar Association; and Metropolitan Denver Interdisciplinary Committee. In addition, Mr. Ortiz has volunteered his services to numerous legal aid and pro bono legal services in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area.
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| Jean Crowe At-Large Jean Crowe, lead attorney, Family Law Section,
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands,
is a 1981 graduate of the University of Wisconsin
Law School and has a diploma from the Institute on
International and Comparative Law, Paris. She joined the
Legal Aid Society in 1985, after private practice in Madison,
Wisconsin. She is a frequent presenter at local, state, and
national events on the issue of domestic violence. Currently
she serves on the ABA Commission on Domestic Violence, as a member and as
liaison from the Section of Family Law. She is also section liaison to the
ABA Commission on the Renaissance of Idealism in the Profession and to the
ABA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services. She is a council
member for the ABA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division. She
serves on the Family Law Quarterly Board of Editors. In Tennessee,
she has served as the state chair of the Domestic Relations Section
for the Tennessee Bar Association and is a member of the Domestic
Relations Code Commission. She served on the original Tennessee
Child Support Commission, the Child Support Advisory Task Force,
and on the DHS Enhanced Child Support Enforcement Committee.
She helped found the Nashville Coalition of Domestic Violence
and is chair of its board of directors. She was instrumental
in establishing the Davidson County Domestic Violence Death
Review Team and is its current chair. She is a member of the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court.
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| Karl Topor At-Large Karl W. Topor's practice is primarily focused on family law issues including divorce,
litigation, mediation, and collaborative law. He is licensed throughout Massachusetts,
in the United States District Court, and the United States Supreme Court, and has
received advanced certification as a mediator and collaborative law attorney.
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| Barton R. Resnicoff At-Large Barton R. Resnicoff's practice has been primarily limited to matrimonial and family
law for almost 30 years. In 1996, he was designated a Family Law Trial
Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and has been since
recertified. He was also designated a "Superlawyer" in Family Law for the
NY metro area in 2007. He was elected to the Council of the Section of
Family of the American Bar Association in 2006 and is
currently chair of the SCOPE and Correlations Committee and is a
past co-chair and vice chair of the Child Support Committee and
past-chair of the Marital Property Committee, and an executive member of
its Alimony and Custody Committees.
He is a member of the Family Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and
its Substantive Law Relating to the Family Committee; and is a
member of the Queens, Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations
and their matrimonial and family law Committees.
He is a past chair and vice chair of the committee in Queens,
and past co-chair of the Custody Sub-Committee in Nassau.
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| Lisae C. Jordan At-Large Lisae C. Jordan is the founder and director of the Sexual Assault Legal
Institute (SALI) and serves as Legislative Counsel for the Maryland
Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Maryland Children's Alliance.
SALI provides legal services to survivors of sexual assault, and legal
training and technical assistance for professionals working with survivors.
It is one of the only legal services programs in the country
working exclusively with survivors of sexual assault and abuse.
Ms. Jordan has represented hundreds of battered women and survivors of sexual
assault in divorce, custody, and protective order proceedings.
In her legislative work, Ms. Jordan has helped create and
pass many statutes to help prevent violence against women and children
and bring abusers to justice. These include legislation expanding Maryland's
rape shield statute, eliminating the martial rape exemption, and
making child abuse and domestic violence grounds for an absolute divorce.
She has trained attorneys across the country, with particular expertise in
trial advocacy and evidence law.
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| Jonathan R. Levine At Large Jonathan R. Levine is a member of the law firm of Levine & Smith, LLC,
where he practices in the areas of domestic relations and family law
in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Levine received his B.B.A. decree from the University of
Texas, his J.D. degree from the University of Georgia and his LL.M.
degree in litigation from Emory University. Mr. Levine is a frequent
lecturer on family law issues. He was a contributing author
for 101 Practical Solutions for the Family Lawyer, published in 2003.
He is a former Chair of the Atlanta Bar Association, Family Law Section.
Mr. Levine is a Council Member of the American Bar Association, Family Law Section.
He is a barrister of The Georgia Family Law American Inn of Court and a
fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
In May 2006, he was named to Ten Leaders of Matrimonial & Divorce Law of Greater
Atlanta. Mr. Levine was also selected as one of Georgia's Legal Elite for
2006 and a Georgia Super Lawyer in 2007.
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| Edward Newman At Large Edward H. Newman was appointed a Magistrate of the Rhode Island Family Court on December 17, 2002.
He received his BA from Providence College in 1969 and his JD from Suffolk University Law School in 1972.
He was admitted to practice before the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 1972,
the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island in 1972,
United States Tax Court in 1974 and the United States Supreme Court in 1978.
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| Linda Ravdin Region II Linda J. Ravdin practices family law exclusively with the Bethesda, Maryland,
law firm, Pasternak & Fidis, P.C. She is admitted to practice in Virginia
(1974), Maryland (1984), and the District of Columbia (1974).
From 2003 to 2008 she was chair of the ABA Section of Family Law
Publications Development Board; she continues on the board as a member.
Linda has written for the Family Law Quarterly as well as the Advocate.
She has participated in numerous section CLE programs at ABA Annual
Meetings and at the section Fall and Spring CLE conferences. Linda
is the author of three treatises, TM849 Marital Agreements (Tax Management Inc., 2003),
Domestic Relations Manual for the District of Columbia (LexisNexis, 2002)
(with coauthor, Hon. Diane Brenneman), and with Pasternak & Fidis partner
Marcia Fidis, Premarital and Domestic Partnership Agreements in Maryland,
Virginia and the District of Columbia (Maryland Institute for Continuing
Professional Education of Lawyers, expected publication, April 2009).
Washingtonian magazine named her one of the metro area's best divorce lawyers
in 1995, 2000, 2004, and 2009.
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| Deborah Akers-Parry Region III
Deborah Akers-Parry has served as ABA Family Law Section financial officer
from 2004 to 2008, as a member of the Publications Board, since 2000;
Trial Advocacy Institute faculty 1992-1994, 1997; and is a member
of the Litigation Section. She is a fellow, American Academy of
Matrimonial Lawyers, and member of American Bar Foundation.
Ms. Akers-Parry is active in the Ohio Bar as a delegate to
Council of Delegates since 1990; Family Law Committee since 1984
(chair 1994-96); Family Law Certification Board 1999-2000;
Specialization Committee (chair, 2001-03).
Cuyahoga County Bar Association: Family Law Section since 1985
(chair 1992-93); Trial Advocacy Institute chair 1990-91, 1993;
Certified Grievance Committee 1986-96.
Cleveland Bar Association: Family Law Section 1987 to present
(chair 1989-90); Professional Ethics Committee 1987-93.
Life Member, Eighth Ohio Appellate District Judicial Conference.
Frequent Lecturer and Author on Family Law. Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 1987-present;
Martindale Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers since 1993;
Ohio Super Lawyers, 2004-08, Top 100 Lawyers in Ohio (2006) and Top 50 Women
Lawyers in Ohio (2004-07), Law and Politics/Cincinnati Magazine.
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| Noel Tucker Region IV Noel K. Tucker is a member of The Tucker Law Firm with her husband Phillip J. Tucker, in Edmond, Oklahoma.
She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and J.D. from Oklahoma City
University School of Law in 1996.
She is a past chair of the Family Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association and
continues to serve as its legislative chair. She is a member of the
Oklahoma County Bar Association, Phi Alpha Delta, and OTLA/ATLA.
She has been published and regularly presents in the areas of
adoption, paternity and guardian ad litem representation,
as well as a contributing editor for the OBA/Family Law
Section Practice Manual. She currently sits on the OBA
Guardian Ad Litem Project and Adoption Statutory Review Committee.
Noel has been an active member of the ABA Section of Family Law since 1995.
She currently serves on the Adoption, Law Office Management & Technology and
Reproductive Genetic Technologies committees. She is also a member of the
National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association and served as
president of the Oklahoma CASA Executive Board. Noel and her husband
Phil have the distinguished honor of having an annual award for
outstanding guardian ad litem representation named after them.
The Tucker Award was established in 2004.
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| Lori Nelson Region V Lori W. Nelson focuses her practice primarily in the area of domestic
and family law. Lori's case load consists of family law cases
representing individuals of all sexes, ages and economic backgrounds, in
trials, evidentiary hearings, mediation, and every other phase of
domestic practice. Her cases have covered every aspect of family,
including, but not limited to: divorce; modifications; adoptions; child
support; and, complicated custody cases involving mental health issues.
They have also involved, among other things: contract interpretation;
probate law; intellectual property; real property law; water law; and,
criminal activities intersecting in a family case. Lori has also
conducted extensive legal research and writing including writing
appellate briefs and trial memoranda.
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| Dianna Gould-Saltman Region VI Ms. Gould-Saltman's practice emphasizes traditional client representation and litigation.
She practices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Ventura County in California.
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| Linda D. Elrod Editor, Family Law Quarterly Linda D. Elrod is the Richard S. Righter Distinguished Professor of
Law and Director of the Washburn University Law School Children and
Family Law Center. She has been certified as a mediator for domestic relations
cases since 1999. She is past chair of the American Bar Association Family Law
Section; has been co-chair of the ABA Child Custody Pro Bono Advisory Board since 2001;
has been Editor of the Family Law Quarterly since 1992;
was the Reporter for the Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act (UCAPA)
which was adopted in 2006 and has now been enacted in six states,
and a member of the Joint Editorial Board on Family Law for the
National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.
She served on the ABA Steering Committee on the Unmet Legal Needs of Children
from 2002-2005. She is author of Child Custody Practice and Procedure and
coauthor of a law school textbook, Family Law, with Harry Krause,
Tom Oldham and Marsha Garrison.
In 2000 she coordinated an international, interdisciplinary think tank on
"High Conflict Custody Cases—Reforming the System for Children."
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| Henry M. DeWoskin Young Lawyers Division Liaison Henry M. DeWoskin is a partner at the law firm of Alan E. DeWoskin, P.C. in
St. Louis, Missouri. His practice consists of family law, military law, wills,
estate planning, probate, social security and general civil litigation.
Henry is admitted to practice law in Missouri, Illinois,
the U.S. Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
Further, he is a Major in the Judge Advocate General's Corps in the United States Army Reserve.
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| Douglas Curella Law Student Division Liaison
Douglas Curella is a third-year law student at Hamline University School of Law in Saint Paul, Minnesota,
and a 2002 Graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo State with a major in Broadcast
Journalism and a double Minor in Health and Wellness and Sports Administration.
Prior to Hamline Law, he worked for the New York State Attorney Generals Office
under Attorney General Elliot Spitzer and Andrew Cuomo in the Consumer Fraud Division.
Curella also worked for WB 49 News at 10 and BSC-TV as a news reporter and was an
NCAA-Division III Assistant Men's Soccer Coach for Hilbert College located in Hamburg, NY.
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| Howard Lipsey Parliamentarian Howard I. Lipsey is an Associate Justice for the Rhode Island Family Court.
He received his JD from Georgetown University Law Center and is admitted to
practice before the Rhode Island Supreme Court, the United States
District Court of Rhode Island, and the United States Supreme Court.
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