Attorney Profiles

My practice includes civil litigation in contracts, landlord-tenant actions, collections, probate, and domestic relations and traffic.  In addition I have practiced before the state appeals court as well as the federal bankruptcy appeals panel.  I also routinely practice in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court as well as in municipal courts and as a mediator in St. Louis County Family Court.

In 1996 I was appointed by the Governor to serve as a Commissioner on the Missouri Ethics Commission.  From 1999-2000 I served as Vice-Chair of the Commission.  As a Commissioner I received, reviewed, made recommendations and issued findings on complaints alleging violations of the statutes pertaining to campaign finance, lobbyists, candidate conduct and official conduct.  Advisory opinions were rendered and recommendations were made to the Governor and General Assembly on the need for legislation with respect to the ethical conduct of public officials.  Duties also included acting as presiding officer at hearings regarding the enforcement of the ethics laws.

Areas of Practice

• Bankruptcy
• Collections
• Contracts
• Domestic Relations
• Landlord-Tenant Actions
• Probate
• Traffic

Litigation Percentage

• 50% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

• Missouri, 1979
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri, 1979

Education

• Saint Louis University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri, 1979
  J.D.
  Honors: Member, Winning Team Regional Moot Court Competition,
  Honors: Chair, Moot Court Board
  
  
• St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA
  B.A.
  Honors: Magna Cum Laude
  Major: Political Science
  
  

Published Works

• Citizenship Through Sports and Law (Contributing Editor), West Publishing, 1995
• Residential and Commercial Evictions in Missouri, National Business Institute, 1995
• Residential and Commercial Evictions in Missouri, National Business Institute, 2000
• Evictions and Landlord/Tenant Law in Missouri, 1999

Honors and Awards

• St. Louis Bar Foundation Award for Dedicated Service to the Bar and Community Through Outstanding Commitment to Law--Related Education, 1991
• Women Lawyers' Association President's Award, 1996
• Women Lawyers' Association Service Award, 1989
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis President's Award For Outstanding Contributions to Law-Related Education for the Benefit of our Community and to the Pride of our Organization, 1992
• Young Lawyers Section Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis Award of Merit, 1991
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis President's Outstanding Service Award, 1999
• National High School Mock Trial Championship Leadership Award, 2001
• St. Joseph Academy's Alumnae of the Year Award, 1989
• Bayless "Bar Association" Award, 2001

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, 1979 - Present
  Member
  
  
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, 1990 - Present
  Chair, Law Related Education
  
  
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
  Chair, Mock Trial Subcommittee
  
  
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
  Lawyers in the Classroom Subcommittee
  
  
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
  Teen Court Program
  
  
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
  LRE for the Special Learner Subcommittee
  
  
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
  Peer Mediation and Conflict Resolution Training Project
  
  
• Three Year Education Initiative, 2001 - Present
  Chair
  
  
• Three Year Education Initiative
  JD's for ABC's Project
  
  
• Three Year Education Initiative
  Kids in Court Project
  
  
• Three Year Education Initiative
  Fairy Tales on Trial Project
  
  
• Three Year Education Initiative
  Peoples' Law Center Project
  
  
• Three Year Education Initiative
  Tomorrows Lawyers
  
  
• Legal Internship Project
  Committee Member
  
  
• Legal Internship Project, 1990 - 2000
  UMSL Summer Mock Trial Project
  
  
• Project Angel Tree
  Committee Member
  
  
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
  President's Advisory Committee on Facilities
  
  
• KMOX Radio, 1995 - Present
  Trivia Show Panelist
  
  
• Ste. Genevieve du Bois, 1965 - Present
  Parishioner
  
  
• Ste. Genevieve du Bois, 2000 - 2002
  Chair, Parish Council
  
  
• Ste. Genevieve du Bois, 1999 - Present
  Member, Backstoppers
  
  
• Habitat for Humanity, 1999 - Present
  Volunteer
  
  
• Wilkinson School, 2001 - Present
  Volunteer Reader, Kindergarten Early Reading Project
  
  
• National High School Mock Trial Competition, 1995 - 2001
  Member and Officer Board of Directors
  
  
• National High School Mock Trial Competition, 2000
  Chair, National Board of Directors
  
  
• National High School Mock Trial Competition, 1999
  Host Chair National Competition
  
  
• National High School Mock Trial Competition, 1995 - 2001
  Rules and By-Laws Committee
  
  
• National High School Mock Trial Competition, 1991 - Present
  Presiding Judge National Competition
  
  
• Women Lawyers Association, 1984
  President
  
  
• Women Lawyers Association, 1979 - Present
  Member
  
  
• St. Louis County Lawyers Association, 1990 - Present
  Member
  
  
• Lawyers Association, 1990 - Present
  Member
  
  
• American Bar Association, Criminal Law Section, 1979 - Present
  Member
  
  
• American Bar Association, 1976 - 1979
  Law Student Member
  
  
• American Bar Association, 1979 - Present
  Full Member
  
  
• St. Louis County Family Court, 1995 - Present
  Mediator
  
  
• St. Louis County Family Court, 2001 - Present
  Truancy Court Volunteer
  
  
• Missouri Bar, 1979 - Present
  Member
  
  
• Missouri Bar
  Operation Standby
  
  
• Missouri Bar
  Civil Committee
  
  
• Washington University Law School, 1990 - Present
  Judge, Wiley Rutledge Moot Court Competition
  
  
• Washington University Law School, 1998 - Present
  Judge, Environmental Moot Court Competition
  
  

Past Employment Positions

• Missouri Court of Appeals, Law Student Intern, 1978 - 1979
• Schiff and Van Dillen, Associate, 1979 - 1987
• Schiff, Van Dillen and Flood, P.C., Partner, 1987 - 1992
• Missouri Ethics Commission, Vice-Chair, 1996 - 2000