EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

B.S.  Wayne State University 1971
J.D.   Detroit College of Law 1975

TEACHING/LECTURE POSITIONS:

Faculty Member 1975 through 1992 Oakland University, Rochester, MI, Author and Instructor in Family Law;

Guest Lecturer on Child Custody at the Detroit College of Law, Wayne State University Law School, and University of Detroit Law School

Guest Lecturer for Institute for Continuing Legal Education; Family Law Section State Bar of Michigan; American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; and American Bar Association.

Keynote speaker for State Bar Convention-Family Law Section for the Arizona Bar Association-1994; Delaware Bar Association-Family Law Section-2002

AAML News In Brief (notification of Champion of Justice Award)

Alumnus Richard Victor Receives MSU-DCL Distinguished Alumni Award

Lawyer of the Year

State Bar Honors 2004 Award Recipient

State Bar Honors 2004 Award Recipient (in PDF format, Adobe Reader required)

NATIONAL

• Named to "The Best Lawyers in America"

• Named a Michigan Super Lawyer by "Super Lawyers Magazine"

• Founder/Executive Director National Non-Profit Grandparents Rights Organization - (Nation's largest grandparent support group per Newsweek Magazine 12/2/91);

• Elected to the National Board of Governors, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers;

• National Chairperson for Continuing Legal Education, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2004-2007;

• Recipient "Meritorious Service to the Children of America Award" - National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, 1993;

• Presenter at Second World Congress for the Rights of Children, Co-Sponsored by the United Nations, American Bar Association, and International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, June, 1997, San Francisco, California;

• Guest Presenter American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers National Convention, Chicago, IL, 1993;

• National Board Member Stepfamily Association of America (1979-90);

• National Founder of "Stepparents Day";

• Testified before the United States House of Representatives Select Committee on Aging (12/16/82) and the United States Senate Subcommittee on Separation of Powers (11/15/83) regarding Uniform and Reciprocal Grandparents Rights legislation;

• Speaker/Panel participant to the American Bar Association Annual Meeting on "Third Party Rights in America" (1988 and 1991);

• Technical Adviser for Aaron Spelling Productions/ABC movies:  "Whose Mother Am I?";

• Chairperson of National Legal Panel for 4th Annual Conference of Stepfamily Association of America, Inc. - Washington, D.C.;

• Featured Speaker/Presenter Association of Family and Conciliatory Courts, Tucson, Arizona, 1994

• Member of National Advisory Council of Hear My Voice Children's Rights Group.

STATE/COUNTY

• Certified Fellow American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - Elected to State Chapter Board of Managers and Board of Examiners; Secretary, 1999-2000; Treasurer,2000-2001; Vice-President,2001- 2002; President-Elect, 2002-2003; President, 2003-2004; CLE Co-Chair, Michigan Chapter, 1995- present;

• Sustaining member of the Oakland County Bar Association; Chair of Lawyers Admission Committee (1981); Chair of Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee (1982); Chair of Old-timer Night Holiday Dinner (1984 and 1985); Chair Speakers Bureau (1985).  Participant in OCBA Bench/Bar Conference, 2001-2005.

• Member of Oakland County “COPE” (Co-Parenting Effectively), Coordinating Committee, Trainer/COPE Educator;

• CoFounder/Chairperson and Panel Participant in the State and Oakland County "SMILE" (Start Making It Liveable For Everyone) Parent Education Program;

• Recipient "Distinguished Service Award" Oakland County Bar Association, 1994;

• Recipient "Child Advocate Award" and Award of Appreciation from Child Abuse and Neglect Council of Oakland County (1994 and 1995);

• Recipient of special honor by Joint Legislative Resolution #454 - Michigan Legislature, 9/93;

• Recipient of  24 "Awards of Appreciation" from the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan from 1986 through 2000;

• Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan:  Chairperson (1990-1991); Chairperson Elect (1989-1990); Corresponding Secretary (1988-1989); Treasurer (1987-1988); Chair of Continuing Legal Education (1986 through 1990);

• Lifetime Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation;

• Recipient of 1984 and 1989 Honor Roll - Oakland Livingston Legal Aid Society;

• Member of the Case Review Committee for the DeBoer Committee for Children's Rights - The University of Michigan Law School/Child Advocacy Clinic 1994 through present;

• Recipient of "Award of Appreciation" Oakland County Circuit Court (1990,1991 and 1999);

• Chairperson Community Advisory Board Triad Mental Health Clinics (1990 through 1995);

COMMUNITY

• Member Board of Directors Agency for Jewish Education (1990-1992);

• President Bloomfield Square Home Owners Association (1987-1990);

• Former Board Member and Chairperson, Legislation Committee, Birmingham, Michigan School PTA;

• Coach BBSC Soccer, Boys Teams and Girl's Teams (1986-91);

• Manager Franklin Junior and Senior Girl's Softball Teams (1993-1998).

AUTHOR/PUBLICATIONS:

Author and General Editor, 3 volume“Michigan Practitioners Series: Family Law andPractice”,

West Group Publications, 1997

• Editor Grandparents Rights Organization (GRO) Newsletter 1989 through present;

• "Legally Speaking", a national legal column for the "Stepfamily Bulletin" (1984 through 1989);

• "The Extended and Psychological Family of Children in the 1980's and Beyond" (1985 Michigan Family Law Journal);

• "The Right to Visit" (1986 Michigan State Bar Journal);

• "Rights of Third Parties in Child Custody Disputes" (1988 Michigan Bar Journal);

• "Grandparent and Stepparent Rights" (1989 Trial Magazine);

• "The Changing American Family - Grandparent/Stepparent Rights" (1989 Michigan Family Law Journal);

• "Grandparents Law" (Legal Secretaries Association Magazine);

• "Common Sense Doctrine for the Changing American Family" (1989 Oakland County Bar Association Magazine - Laches);

• "Family Law Needs Considerate Language, Divorce Training" (1989 Michigan Lawyers Weekly newspaper);

• "When Third Parties Come First" (1989 American Bar Association Magazine Family Advocate);

• "Some Common Sense Custody and Visitation Doctrines" (Fairshare Magazine 1989);

• "Third Party Custody - A Conflict in Laws" (Michigan Family Law Journal 1990);

• "Divorce in Michigan" (1990);

• "Psychological Evaluations - Waiver of Confidentiality" (Michigan Family Law Journal 1991);

• "Statutory Review of Third-Party Rights Regarding Custody, Visitation and Support" - American Bar Association Family Law Quarterly, Volume XXV, No. 1, Spring 1991;

• "History of Grandparent Visitation in Michigan" (Michigan Bar Journal, Vol. 71, No. 3, 1992);

• "The Rights of Children in Child Custody Disputes" (Michigan Family Law Journal, 1993);

• "Update on History of Grandparent Visitation in Michigan" (Michigan Family Law Journal 1993);

• "Grandparents Rights to Visitation" - American Bar Association Family Advocate Magazine, Volume 16, No. 1 (1993);

• Guest Columnist Detroit Free Press Advisory Board relating to family law issues (1990 through 1995);

• "Biology, Destiny and Children's Rights" - The Nation Law Journal, Volume 16, No. 30, (March 28, 1994);

• "Did the Candidates Really Understand Family Values?"  Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 4, No. 1 (1992);

• "Grandparents and Other Third Party Rights to Visitation" Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 5, No. 1 (1992);

• "What Happens if You Find Yourself in a Dispute Requiring an Evidentiary Hearing or Trial?" Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 6, No 1 (1993);

• "Protecting the Rights of Children in Child Custody Disputes" Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 7, No. 1 (1993);

• "Fighting Over Jessica" The Brandeis Brief Vol. 2, No. 1 Winter (1994-95);

• "What is a Family?" Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 8, No. 1 (1994);

• "Georgia Takes a Giant Step Backward" Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 9, No. 1 (1995);

• "Examining the Proposed Divorce Bill" Eccentric/Observer Newspapers (June 15, 1995);

• "Making Divorce Harder" Oakland County Bar Association #360 (January 1996);

• “Are Grandparents Rights Laws Unconstitutional?” GRO Newsletter, Vol. 12, No. 1, January , 1998;

• “Good News/Bad News For Grandparents and Grandchildren”, GRO Newsletter, Vol. 13, No. 1, April, 1999;

• “Protecting the Children of Divorce Via Parent Education”, 13 Michigan Lawyers Weekly 1352, July 19, 1999.

• “Grandparent Visitation Laws Are Constitutional According to Justices”, Oakland County Legal News, June 30, 2000.

• “Grandparent Visitation Rights in the Twenty-First Century”, 2000 Law Review M.S.U.- D.C.L. 793

• “Grandparents Have Rights!”, Michigan Bar Journal, February, 2001

• “How to Find an Attorney”, GRO Newsletter, Vol.14, No.1, March,2001

• “Third Party Custody Rights Examined By Appellate Court” Detroit Legal News and Oakland   County Legal News, November 9, 2001

• “Third Party Custody Rights Examined By Michigan Court Of Appeals”, Michigan Family Law Journal, Vol.30, No. 9, December, 2001

• “Alternative Dispute Resolution in Child Custody Cases”, Michigan Family Law Journal               Special Edition, February, 2002

• “Recent Court Rule Changes That Impact Family Law Practice”, Michigan Bar Journal, June, 2002

• “Court Examines Grandparent Visitation Law’s Validity”, Oakland County Legal News, Volume 75, Number 42, October 18, 2002.

• “MSC To Consider Whether Grandparent Visitation Law Is Unconstitutional”, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Vol.16, No.51, October 28, 2002

• “Visitation Should Be Allowed If It’s In The Child’s Best Interest”, Oakland County Legal News, Vol. 75, No.52, December 27, 2002

• “Parents Working Together Serve Children’s Best Interests”, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Vol 17, No. 10, January 13, 2003

• “DeRose v DeRose-What The Supreme Court Did Regarding Grandparent Visitation”, Michigan Family Law Journal, Vol. 33, No.8, October, 2003

• “DeRose v DeRose. What the Supreme Court Did Regarding Grandparent Visitation and Why They Did It, Michigan Bar Journal, January, 2004

• “How to Resolve Third Party Disputes Before They Get Out of Control”, Michigan Family Law Journal-A Guide Book for the Newly Divorced Person, 2004 Special Edition

• "Neither Harm Nor Clear And Convincing Evidence Are Required To Meet Constitutional Requirements, Says U.S. Supreme Court Regarding Grandparent Visitation", Michigan Family Law Journal, Volume 36, Number 6, June/July 2006

MEDIA APPEARANCES:

"Oprah Winfrey Show"; NBC "Today Show"; ABC “Good Morning America”; CBS ”The Early Show”; PBS "Late Night America"; NBC "Trial Watch"; CBS "Night Watch"; ABC "Special Reports with Joan London"; CBS "Nightly News with Dan Rather"; CNN "Crossfire";CNN Burden Of Proof”; Fox “Dayside with Linda Vester”; CNN  News Programs; "Jerry Springer Show"; "Larry King Radio Program"; Legal Advisor  for "Good Afternoon Detroit"; Several guest appearances "Kelly & Company" - "Company"; On Air  Family Law Advisor/Consultant Network and Local News Programs including ABC, CBS, NBC, WKBD; WKBD "Straight Talk"; CNN "Impact"; Family Law Advisor/Consultant and Guest Host "Ask the Lawyer" WXYT Radio 1985 through 1993; On-air Legal Analyst/Consultant/Advisor,“Good Afternoon Detroit”, WXYT-TV (ABC Affiliate) 1982-85;  Several MSNBC, CNN and FOX news show appearances.

RESOURCE FOR:

New York Times; Washington Post; Better Homes and Gardens; McCall's Magazine, Changing Times Magazine; Daily Tribune; Observer and Eccentric Newspapers; Parent Magazine; USA Today; Detroit Free Press; Detroit News; American Bar Association Journal; Family Circle Magazine; Oakland County Legal News; The Wall Street Journal; Michigan Lawyers Weekly; AARP Newsletter.

CASES OF NATIONAL INTEREST:

• Co-Counsel for James Atkinson, Atkinson v Atkinson, Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court (1986) Author and Creator of the "Equitable Parent Doctrine";

• Counsel for Jessica DeBoer in the interstate and nationally known custody case regarding "Baby Jessica", (In re Clausen 442 Mich 648; 502 NW2d 649 (1993);

• Amicus Curiae counsel for State Bar of Michigan Family Law Section, Tallman v Milton, 192 Mich App 606; 482 NW2d 187 (1992), which dealt with rights of foster parents to secure custody of children left in their care for extended periods of time.

• Co-Counsel for the Grandparents in DeRose v DeRose, Michigan Supreme Court, April, 2002, regarding the issue of whether Michigan’s Grandparent Visitation Statute is Constitutional.

Member of the Bare Assets Jazz Quartet

• The Bare Assets Jazz Quartet, "Live at Latreille's," CD recording, June, 2000.

• The Bare Assets Jazz Quartet, "Lawyers Play Jazz Live," CD recording, December, 2000.