began her legal career as an advocate for abused women and children in 1989. For five years, she served as a Staff Attorney then Senior Staff Attorney at Family Violence Law Center, a local non-profit where she litigated restraining order and custody/visitation/support cases for battered women and their children.
After the birth of her second child, Ariel moved beyond domestic violence cases to traditional family law. No longer working in the field of non-profits, Ariel became disillusioned with the excessive cost, competitiveness and antagonism that permeated most family law cases. Discovering Collaborative Practice and Mediation as a viable alternative to litigation, Ariel opened her practice in 2007 with the desire to help couples, especially those with children, divorce and separate in a holistic, respectful, and cost-effective manner.
- International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), Member
- Collaborative Practice East Bay (CPEB), Modest Means Committee Member, Public Education Committee Member
- State Bar of California, Family Law Section Member
- Alameda County Bar Association, Family Law Section Member
- New College of California School of Law, JD
- Mills College, BA in Psychology with Honors
- Extensive and ongoing training in Collaborative Law, Mediation and Family Law
- Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro-bono Legal Services- Recipient
- Extensive diversity training and experience serving low-income, LGBT and communities of color since 1989
- Ongoing education and training in psychology, counseling, and interpersonal relationships (Certified Domestic Violence Victim Advocate, Certified Sexual Assault Victim Counselor)
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