LACBA VSO Mediation Referral Form
Family Law Section
A Message From Immediate Past Chair Paula Kane:
Dear All:
As my term as Chair of the Family Law Section for the fiscal year 2020/2021 ends, I want to thank everyone for making this past year so successful despite the extraordinary circumstances of never seeing anyone in person. Thank you to:
- Our members who supported the Family Law section by attending our programs and by participating in and sharing their knowledge on the List Serve;
- The officer members, liaisons members and past chairs of the Family Law Executive Committee who worked so hard in planning and presenting topical programs, preparing educational materials, reaching out to sponsors, providing input on legislation relevant to family law, publishing the Family Law E-News , managing the VSO program, and interfacing with the court and other Bar sections;
- Supervising Judge Lawrence Riff and Assistant Supervising Judge Shelley Kaufman for all their work in transitioning the court to remote hearings and keeping us up to date on changes in Court room policy and procedures. And of course, to all our family law judges who have worked so hard to keep our matters moving through the court system in this unprecedented time;
- And a special thank you to Araceli Murillo of the LACBA, whose hands on work made our programs and services possible.
Please welcome the incoming 2021/2022 Board – Chair Steven Mindel, Chair Elect Abbas Hadjian, Vice Chair Stephen Cawelti, Secretary Dena Kleeman, and Treasurer Sonia Dujan - the Family Law Section is in very good hands with these experienced lawyers.
The one thing the pandemic did prove is that the Family Law Section is a great resource and benefit to its members. I am particularly proud of how well our section pivoted to presenting CLE programs virtually this past year, and for how informative those programs were. The attendance was up for every program - Minor’s Counsel, Child Custody Colloquium, the Trope Trial Institute, and the Symposium. The virtual format turned out to be an excellent platform for demonstrating trial advocacy skills and for hearing from our judges. Our noon time CLE programs were also outstanding -- they kept us connected and they were instructive - how to conduct hearings and present evidence remotely, take depositions by Zoom, and, most recently, how to use Microsoft Teams.
Thank you again for a great year and stay involved! We have a great section and we appreciate your on-going participation.
Sincerely,
Paula Kane
Immediate Past Chair - Family Law Section, LACBA
From November 3, 2021:
Mandatory e-Filing Made Easy & Introduction to the
FAMILY LAW ADVOCACY TRAINING (FLAT) Program
LACBA Family Law VSO is open for business!
Three hours of mediation with LA’s finest team of mediation professionals. Offering assignments to attorneys and private judges with the support of a forensic accountant or mental health professional as needed.
The only criteria for assignment is that all sides agree to participate in virtual mediation.
LACBA VSO Mediation Referral Form

NEW! Virtual Networking Meetings!
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to provide these
new virtual networking meetings!

LACBA Members can attend as many of the LACBA Networking meetings as they want and are encouraged to attend as many meetings as they can to build an effective referral network.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER
New: Videos of our Free Webinars!
Managing Your Firm and Your Sanity During the Crisis, April 9, 2020
Effectively Managing Your Family Law Practice in a WFH (Work-from-Home) Environment, April 20, 2020


The Family Law Section is committed to:
- Educating section members.
- Drafting amicus briefs and proposing legislation.
- Encouraging ethical conduct.
- Developing and improving standards of practice.
- Encouraging and promoting pro bono opportunities.
- Providing a forum through which family law practitioners may cooperate with, encourage and assist each other in the resolution of problems and practice issues.
- Fostering communication between Los Angeles County Bar Association members and other groups.
What We Do
- Educate attorneys and the public
- Comment on proposed legislation and promulgate new legislation
- Work with judicial officers and court staff to improve the administration of justice
- Support organizations that provide free and low cost legal services
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2019 Family Law Installation Dinner