Biography
Mary is an attorney and mediator experienced in mediating and litigating Massachusetts divorce and post-divorce issues. She is a former Probate and Family Law Clerk serves as a Guardian Ad Litem and has been appointed as a Parenting Coordinator in the Probate and Family Courts. Her practice also includes working closely with families of special needs students to help parents get the appropriate educational services for their children through the public schools.
Mary is active in numerous professional and community groups. She is a former Board Member for the Special Needs Advocacy Network (SPAN) and is also a member of the Council of Parent Attorneys & Advocates, the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation, and the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council.
Mary is a special education attorney and family mediator with a strong background in criminal defense and appeals. She has a proven ability to provide effective representation to families of children with special needs, mediate divorce and post-divorce family issues including child custody and financial issues, and research and draft pleadings and briefs involving complex evidentiary and procedural issues for submission to both state and federal courts. Licensed to practice in Massachusetts since 1999.
Education
- DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
- J.D. - 1998
- Honors: Moot Court Trial Team
- Honors: Judicial Extern in the Cook County Circuit Court, Domestic Relations Court, Domestic Relations Division
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts
- B.A. - 1993
- Honors: Dean's List
- Honors: Theater and Art History Concentrations
- Honors: Performed in theater productions including Julius Caesar, Noises Off, and Twelfth Night
- Major: English
Classes & Seminars
- When Parents Disagree: Practical Strategies for Advocates, Special Needs Advocacy Network, 04/01/2013
- Parents and Teachers : How to Bridge the Communication Gap, Healthy Living Magazine South Shore Special Needs Learning Conference, 04/01/2013
Pro-Bono Activities
- Federation for Children with Special Needs Parent Consultant, 2009 to 2010
- Reading Fluency and Classroom Volunteer, Franklin Public Schools, 2006 to Present
- CCD Teacher, St. Thomas Parish, Millis, Massachusetts, 2009 to 2011
Published Works
- Focusing on Student Abilities, Local Town Pages Millis Medway News, September 1, 2012
Professional Associations
- Special Needs Advocacy Network Board, Member, 2010 to Present
- Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), Member
- MCFM , Member
- MA Council of Family Mediators
- MA Collaborative Law Council, Collaborative Divorce Attorney, 2012 to Present
Current Employment Position
- Solo Practitioner
Practice Areas
- Divorce Mediation/Collaborative Divorce
- Family Law
- Education
- Limited Assistance Representation
- Parent Coordination
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts, 1999