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JOHN M. COLVIN is a partner in the Seattle law firm of Chicoine & Hallett, P.S., where he practices in the areas of taxation, tax litigation and white collar criminal defense. He received his B.A. degree from Reed College and J.D. degree from the University of Washington. Mr. Colvin is a member of the Washington State Bar Association (member, Tax Section). RUTH LAURA EDLUND is a partner in the law firm of Wechsler Becker, LLP, where her practice areas include family and divorce law. Her practice emphasizes complex dissolutions and nonmarital breakups. Ms. Edlund clerked for the Honorable James M. Sprouse, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. She received her A.B. degree, magna cum laude, with honors, from Bryn Mawr College and her J.D. degree from Columbia University, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Ms. Edlund is a member of the King County Bar Association (past chairperson, Family Law Section) and Washington State Bar Association (incoming chairperson, Family Law Executive Committee). She is admitted to practice law in New York State as well as Washington State and a frequent speaker at CLEs. STACY D. HEARD is an attorney in Seattle, Washington, where she practices in the area of family law, including divorce, paternity, same-sex relationships, parenting plan cases, and post-dissolution matters. Ms. Heard has practiced law for more than 10 years. In addition, prior to and during law school, Ms. Heard worked as a family law and civil litigation paralegal for 7 years. She is admitted to practice in the states of Washington and Oregon. She is a member of the Washington State, Oregon, and King County bar associations. She is also member of QLaw and Washington Women's Lawyers. Additionally, Ms. Heard volunteers at the King County Family Law/Domestic Violence Legal Clinic and is a referral attorney for low fee and pro bono cases. She is also a referral attorney for Lawyers Fostering Independence, a program that provides pro bono civil legal services to youth aging out of the child welfare system. Ms. Heard is on the Board of Directors for Homeward Pet Adoption Center, a nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter serving the Seattle area, whose mission is to give homeless animals a second chance through rescue, shelter, and adoption programs. She was named a "Rising Star" by Washington Law & Politics magazine three years in a row. Ms. Heard earned her B.A. degree from the University of Oregon, with honors, and her J.D. degree from Seattle University School of Law. STEVEN A. HEMMAT is a sole practitioner in The Law Office of Steven A. Hemmat, P.S., where he has a general civil practice which includes family law, business litigation, mediation and personal injury. Mr. Hemmat lectures frequently to attorneys and paralegals on the topics of ethics and family law and adoption. He received his B.A. degree from Whitman College and his J.D. degree from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College, where he was a member of the Cornelius Honor Society and served as a staff member of the Environmental Law. Mr. Hemmat is a member of the Washington State Bar Association. SUSAN J. SHULENBERGER received her B.A. degree from the University of Washington and her J.D. degree from Seattle University. She has been admitted to the Washington State Bar Association since 1982. Ms. Shulenberger has focused her practice on complex domestic matters for the last 12 years. She previously practiced in the areas of commercial litigation and transactional law. Eight of her practice years were in large law firms. In November 2005, Ms. Shulenberger opened her own practice in the Pike Place Market. Recently she spoke on Conflicts of Interests at the September 22, 2009 Washington State Bar Association Family Law Ethics seminar in Seattle. She is currently revising the Washington State Bar Association Family Law Deskbook chapter entitled "Use of Professionals - Experts and Consultants." Ms. Shulenberger is currently the Vice-Chair for the Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection Board. She is the past chair of the Washington State Bar Association Character & Fitness Board. She has also served on the Washington State Bar Association Rules of Professional Conduct, Judicial Recommendation and the Professionalism Committees. More information about her practice can be found at www.mckinleyirvin.com. MARIE WHITE is the founder and CEO of Pro Se University PS and has been a solo-practicing lawyer for the past 18 years, focusing almost exclusively on family law. Throughout her career, she has seen an unmet need in her practice area for people who are not able to hire an attorney. While family law procedures are very simple for an experienced attorney, they are significant hurdles for others, and Ms. White has noticed that several hours of affordable attorney support prevents people from making painful errors that deeply affect the outcome of their legal proceeding and their lives. This is why she started Pro Se University. She first settled in Seattle because it was a happy medium between her hometown of Glennallen, Alaska, and the Los Angeles area, where she graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law. She loved the water and how friendly and non-judgmental she found the people of Seattle to be, and she quickly realized and appreciated how open King County's court system is to adapt to changing family patterns. Ms. White is proud that the court system is so focused on children and making sure that they are supported and stable. Her goal through Pro Se University is to provide pro se parties with the mind set, information, and understanding they need to get through their family law case. Family law issues can be intensely emotional and painful, and legal research is scary and overwhelming. By breaking family law issues into small steps and detailed instruction, Ms White hopes to make this process more successful and focused for individuals in King County.
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