My path is a circuitous path, because I graduated from undergrad and first became a licensed realtor, and then I went into public relations. Then I went to law school, and, after law school, I worked for four years with Nancy – who I’m currently working with now, still. And after three years, I had a baby. So, we did a job-share situation for one year, which did not work, because, at the time, there really were no computers for the attorneys. There were no cell phones. There was no remote access.

And, so, Nancy and I decided I would just take a leave of absence – which I took for 19 years. And during those 19 years, I was able to raise my kids – I have 3 children – and I did a lot of volunteer work, both in the school systems and out in the community. I chaired some big events and campaigns for school referendums. That kind of thing. And then, when I came back to work, I felt that I brought with me, more knowledge about what it was like to be a stay-at-home parent, what it was like to be a working parent – because I did have that experience, too.

When I decided to go back to work, I talked to various people about getting back into the law practice – or I got my mediation certification. And I was really running into a lot of roadblocks, because of my age and because I had been out of practice for 19 years. And it was my old firm, and Nancy, that took me back. But I feel that, now, what I’m dealing with – Either the husband or wife who’s been a stay-at-home parent, and now has to find a job in their forties or fifties, I really understand what the issues are. And I think that that makes me a better lawyer, in terms of helping them move forward.

I’ve done a lot of volunteering. And, within the legal community, I’m on the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Board. I’m on the membership committee. That’s an organization that I really feel passionate about, because it’s lawyers, judges, and therapists who will go get together to learn about issues related to families and children going through dissolution. So, we’ve done a lot of work with trauma and what’s really in the best interest of young children, in terms of parenting times and overnights. I’m active in that and I’m involved in the Bar Memorial, which is also another committee that commemorates deceased members of the Bar. And I like being involved and getting to know the fellow Bar members.

In the great community, everything I’ve done since the time I graduated from high school, has been related to children. Because that’s my number one passion. And, so, I’ve been on community boards, I’ve been presidents of organizations that have been advocative for children – either in healthcare, education, fighting abuse. I was with the Minneapolis Children’s Crisis Nursery for a number of years. And, so, I continue to expand my area. I just got on the – I did volunteer work for Harriet Tubman and Children’s Law Center as well.

My stress relief from my day job is my night job, which is directing high school theater at Jefferson High School. And I have been doing that since 2006. I will do two shows a year. This year, I’m doing A Little Princess, and Hello Dolly, in the spring. So, I do both musicals and plays, as well as competitive one-acts. And it’s a great opportunity to kind of get down and dirty with the kids, see what’s happening in their lives. And I feel like that, too, even gives me some more information that I can bring to my clients as to how teenagers are. I know them. I work with them all the time.