Background

Sue has been handling family law matters since graduating cum laude in 1984 from Indiana University School of Law. Her practice focuses on Collaborative practice, mediation and domestic relations litigation. Having served as chair of the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Michigan and as her career developed, Sue was struck by her clients’ frustration over the inability of the traditional litigation approach to address the human aspect of divorce and issues her clients deemed most important. She became enlightened by her first mediation training and deepened her knowledge with Collaborative Divorce Training. Sue has found that these processes and skills help her to integrate her own values and life perspectives with her work as a lawyer and trainer. Sue is President-elect of the Grand Rapids Bar Association and chair of its ADR section. She has 3 children, an active yoga practice and spiritual commitment to help others look for the highest and best in themselves and others. Sue can be reached at 616.726.5900.

Training received

January 2002	40 hour SCAO sponsored domestic mediation training with Zena Zumeta
May 2006	2-day training in Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice for Attorneys, Child Specialists, Divorce Coaches, Financial Consultants and Mediators by the Collaborative Law of Institute Michigan
May 2007	Basic Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice Training by the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan
October 2007	17.5 hour training at 8th Annual Networking & Educational Forum: “The Collaborative Mosaic” by the International of Academy Collaborative Professionals
January 2008	Transforming your Collaborative Divorce Practice, A seminar by Pauline Tesler by the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan
October 2008	12 hour training at 9th Annual Networking & Educational Forum: “The Collaborative Community: Stepping Up and Reaching Out” by the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
January 2009	Advanced Collaborative Practice Training by Catherine Conner sponsored by the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan

Teaching, Training and presenting experience

Winter 1994	Adjunct Professor at Grand Valley State University for course on “Women and the Law”
Various	Multiple presentations to the local bar on various family law, domestic mediation and other ADR topics over the course of the last 10 years
May 2008	Coach for multiple days of the 40 hour Mediation training program with Zena Zumeta and sponsored by the Family Law and ADR Sections of the Grand Rapids Bar Association
July 2008	Coach for Gerald R. Williams 6 hour training entitled “The Complete Legal Negotiator”, sponsored by ICLE and the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Michigan
November 2008	Presenter at ICLE’s Family Law Institute with Justice Corrigan and Judge Patrick Hillary (Chief Judge of the Kent County Family Court) on the Kent County Cooperative Parenting Pilot Program
January 2009	Faculty Member for the Hillman Advocacy Program a 2 ½ day intensive trial skills workshop patterned after the NITA program and conducted in the federal court of the Western District of Michigan

Total number of Collaborative cases handled: 18

Number of Collaborative cases handled using interdisciplinary model: 3