Upcoming Programs

Michigan Law School 1961

Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts in NYC 1961-1964

Choate, Hall and Stewart in Boston 1964-1968

First Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston and Legal Advisor to the Boston Police Department, 1968-1974

Executive Secretary to the Mass. Supreme Judicial Court, 1974-1978

June 1978 - June 1979. For a year I travelled with my wife and 3 children, ages 12, 15 and 17 when we started. We bicycled through Europe and backpacked in Asia, living for months in a four person tent and learning family mediation skills.

Partner in Healy, Lund and Fiske, now Healy, Fiske & Richmond, since September 1, 1979. From being lawyer and mediator about half and half in the beginning, I am now about 99% mediator and 1% lawyer.

I decided to become a divorce mediator during our trip. Back home I started  talking to judges, lawyers, therapists, ministers, teachers and anyone who would listen. People thought I was a meditator because no one knew what mediation was, back then. When I said, "I help couples sit and talk and listen to each other and get divorced peacefully," the almost universal response was "That makes so much sense."  Harvard Law School Professor Frank Sander said, "You are riding the crest of a wave, but don't give up your day job."

A Massachusetts probate judge, the late Sheila McGovern, recommended I join the law firm of Healy and Lund. Regina Healy and Diane Lund did what she said, and they changed the name of the firm to Healy, Lund and Fiske. They taught me family law and I taught them mediation. Probate Judge Edward M. Ginsburg believed in the process and sent cases to me. My first mediation began with the wife addressing her husband, their two lawyers and me: "We understand we are some sort of experiment!"

After two years of mediating divorces I had my first mediation training when John Haynes and Steve Erickson came to Worcester. Then Margaret Shaw joined with the Mass. Bar Association in 1985 to provide more divorce mediation training, and Chris Moore did the same in 1987. Diane Neumann, Phil Woodbury and I founded Divorce Mediation Training Associates in 1988 and we have been training people in divorce mediation for 17 years. 

See the website www.dmtatraining.com.

I have probably mediated about 2,000 divorces, separations and contracts to stay married since 1979. In response to requests from families I have expanded my mediation practice to include a broad range of disputes, from siblings trying to decide questions of care of a relative to a father and son reaching a financial agreement. I have volunteered my services as a mediator to my town government: in one case I helped to resolve a dispute between citizens and a town official. The point: mediation is a creative, efficient process for addressing  human conflict. You get a placed to talk. You stay in charge of your life.

Frank R. Williams is presently the Social Services Director at Casa de la Luz Hospice.  He came to this position in 2006 after nine years at Family Counseling Agency/Our Family Services where he served in several positions, including its Executive Director. While at the Agency, he developed and coordinated the Parent Education program for divorcing parents mandated by the state.  Previous to his tenure at Family Counseling Agency, Dr. Williams was for 20 years on the Family Studies faculty at the University of Arizona. He is presently an Adjunct faculty member of the University and is often a guest lecturer in classes and recently taught the Psychology of Divorce class. Previous to that was a United Methodist minister serving churches in California and Arizona.  A native Arizonan, he graduated from the University of Arizona. His Masters of Sacred Theology and his Doctorate were received from Boston University.  He is the author of many articles and is a sought after speaker and workshop leader on issues of life transitions, including divorce, death and dying, and grief and loss. He is the founder of the Divorce Recovery program of Tucson and has served as the President of its Board, leader of groups, trainer of leaders. He is a Parent Coordinator for the Pima County Superior Court. Active on many community Boards, he is presently a member of the Casa de la Luz Foundation, President of the Tacheria Interfaith Spirituality Center Board and is a co-Director with his wife Linda of the Tacheria Interfaith School of Spiritual Direction.

Divorce Recovery is a volunteer program, developed by volunteers, organized by volunteers, led by volunteers. The mission of Divorce Recovery is to provide education and support for persons ending relationships. Divorce Recovery was formed in 1978. From 1984 through 2006 it was a program of the Family Counseling Agency/Our Family Services. It separated from that organization and became a 501c3 non profit corporation in 2006.  It provides free support groups for adults beginning every three weeks in different sites in the community.  It holds free Children of Divorce groups for children ages 3 – 18 and a parent three times each year. It provides education support groups for stepfamilies. Open drop-in groups are held on Monday noon and Monday evening every week. Additional for fee groups are held several times each year continuing the Divorce Recovery process. It provides training for leaders of Divorce Recovery groups twice each year in Fall and Spring.  It trains and utilizes University of Arizona and Pima College students as interns who provide leadership for it programs.  Divorce Recovery provides information and education on divorce and related issues to the community through forums, educational presentations and its website. Celebrates its 30^th Anniversary in 2008, having been formed in 1978. Frank Williams was its founder.

January 2009 - Family Law with guest Professor Barbara Atwood

See more about her at her webpage at the University of Arizona School of Law http://www.law.arizona.edu/Faculty/getprofile.cfm?facultyid=11

Ms. Pennington has obtained substantial training and experience as a mediator.  In May 2005 she completed additional 40 hours of training as a mediator. She acts as a mediator for parties in many areas, but primary experience is in family law matters and guardianship/conservatorship and other contested elder law matters.

She has also completed training in 2005 to act as a Collaborative Divorce attorney.  She is a member of the Collaborative Law Group of Southern Arizona and is available for Collaborative Divorce cases. For more information about this process, see the website at www.Divorcewisely.com. Collaborative practice is an approach to divorce based on mutual respect, an honest exchange of information, a solution that focuses on the priorities of both spouses and their children, and a pledge by all participants not to litigate the matter. 

Ms. Pennington has significant experience in settlement and contested trials in the Family Law and Probate areas. She has represented litigants in Guardianship/Conservatorship and estate litigation. She also serves frequently as court appointed attorney for children or incapacitated parties and as a parenting coordinator/special master in family law cases. She is active as a volunteer in the community.
See more at http://www.deconcinimcdonald.com/attorneys/pennington.html
apennington@dmyl.com
520-322-5000

April 2009 Conciliation Court with guest Grace Hawkins, LCSW, Director of Pima County Conciliation Court.  Services of the Conciliation Court include the following:

Conciliation Mediation

Our staff provides conciliation mediation to those couples who are considering reconciliation. This service is available for couples who have a divorce pending but would like to explore the option of reconciliation; as well as for those couples who may be considering filing for a divorce, but who would like to first explore options which might save their marriage. Couples are seen together. Options and steps to assist the couple in considering or trying reconciliation are negotiated with the assistance of a neutral third person. The Mediation Center does not provide marriage therapy, but may assist couples in identifying whether they want to seek such services and in negotiating details regarding such services. Conciliation mediation sessions are confidential. There is no fee for the service.

Divorce Mediation

Divorce Mediation is a process whereby parents, with the assistance of a neutral mediator, attempt to reach an agreement regarding living arrangements for their children. If the parties are going through a divorce, been divorced, or are a parent who has never been married, mediation services are available to attempt to resolve a child custody/parenting time dispute. Both parents will meet with a professional mediator. In the session, each parent will be allowed time to express themselves and their needs. Mediation may require several sessions in order to reach an agreement on the issues. The mediator does not make decisions or give legal advice. The parties themselves are responsible for coming to an agreement. Mediation sessions are confidential and there is no fee for the service.

See more at http://www.sc.pima.gov/?tabid=61

With an extremely busy schedule full of pulpit and pastoral concerns, Rabbi Eisen is also very active in the community and the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. An enthusiastic participant in all synagogue programs, he is especially gifted at interacting with children.

A scholar able to teach ages 2 to 102, Rabbi is involved in the learning process of our children in preschool, kindergarten, B'nai Mitzvah, religious school, Hebrew high school and confirmation. He is also an avid contributor to the synagogue's adult education programs.

Rabbi devotes much time and energy to his congregation in addition to the Rabbinic Kallah, Habitat for Humanity, Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, Pulpit Exchange and more...

A wonderful communicator and excellent administrator, Rabbi Eisen welcomes your visit, call, or e-mail.

Website is www.caiaz.org.  His email is rabbi@caiaz.org

Education
University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1976)
University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law (J.D., 1996)
Managing Editor of the Arizona Law Review (1995-96)

Public Service
Ms. Green’s impressive record of service to the community and the profession includes participation in the following professional and community organizations and activities: American Bar Association Operation Standby, Family Law Division; Pima County Superior Court, GAL/Attorney for Children, Family Law Division; Pima County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyer Program, Volunteer Attorney (Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney of the Month, June 2004), Considering Divorce Program (Conciliation Court), Lawyer Referral Service; Tucson Southern Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce; Governor’s African-American Advisory Council; Blanche Johnson Homes (board member), and the Sunsations Bowling Club of Tucson (treasurer).

Ms. Green has received several awards for her service, including her recent selection to be included at the University of Arizona Women’s Plaza of Honor.

You can email Ms. Green at her email address at pagreen@wechv.com or telephone her at direct: 520.745.7831. Her website is http://www.wechv.com.