Women Lawyers

Andrea L. Ciobanu

Ciobanu Law, PC

• Andrea L. Ciobanu is the managing attorney at Ciobanu Law, PC, in Indianapolis, Indiana. She represents clients throughout Indiana in a range of civil rights and litigation matters, including real estate, business, commercial and defamation issues, family law, domestic matters, protective orders, education law and ADA Compliance, as well as Appeals and Post Conviction Relief. She also is a trained registered civil, domestic, and elder mediator, trained Parenting Coordinator, trained family arbitrrator, as well as a trained Guardian Ad Litem. She is a Certified Family Law Specialist as recognized by the Family Law Certification Board. Ms. Ciobanu is committed to providing clients with the highest levels of service and communication in a cost-effective manner.Ms. Ciobanu earned her law degree from the Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis (now IU McKinney School of Law) in 2010. Prior to attending law school, she graduated from Indiana University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts with concentrations in sociology and history, followed by a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 2006.  Among other awards, Ms. Ciobanu was awarded the John Paul Berlon and Norman Leftstein Awards in 2010, the National Association of Professional Women "Woman of the Year" Award (2011), the Emerging Pearls Foundation Social Justice Award (2011), as well as the Early Career Achievement Award from her Alma Mater, IU McKinney School of Law (2013).  In 2012, Ms. Ciobanu was selected as only 1 of 25 lawyers across the state to attend the Indiana State Bar Leadership Academy, in which she was awarded a scholarship to attend. Andrea was accepted into the Trial Advocacy College in 2014 with a scholarship. Andrea was chosen as a national ABA Young Lawyer Scholar for 2013-14. Andrea was chosen as a 2016 ABA Law Practice Fellow and a 2017 ABA YLD Fellow.  Ms. Ciobanu was awarded with the IU McKinney 2018 Public Interest Award.Andrea is a 2016 SKL Lacy Leadership Graduate and a 2015 FBI Citizens Academy Graduate. Ms. Ciobanu is a 2017 graduate from the international Academy of Collaborative Professionals, whereby, she received her training in Honolulu, Hawaii. Ms. Ciobanu is a 2018 graduate of the Inangural Columbia Club Impact Program. Ms. Ciobanu has an AV Rating from Martindale Hubbell and a 10 Rating from AVVO.  Prior to creating Ciobanu Law, PC, Ms. Ciobanu worked for the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, as well as the Marion County Prosecutor's Office where she worked in the Domestic Battery Division, as well as the Post Conviction Relief Division.  Prior to attending law school, Ms. Ciobanu also worked in a private law firm, where she primarily worked in tort and personal injury litigation. During graduate school, Ms. Ciobanu worked on several Housing and Urban Development projects. During graduate school, Ms. Ciobanu also participated in international law projects dealing with international human rights, including programs to address child labor through a branch of the United Nations, whereby she spent a semester abroad working on this program.  Ms. Ciobanu continues to represent personal injury clients, cases involving civil and human rights, as well as battered women, children, and other individuals seeking protection through protective orders.Ms. Ciobanu also volunteers her time to work on pro bono appeals through the Indiana State bar Association's Pro Bono Appellate Program.  Ms. Ciobanu has argued before the Indiana Appellate and Supreme Courts. She is also a frequent speaker for bar associations and the National Business Institute on a wide array of legal topics.Ms. Ciobanu also served as an independent contract consultant to the Indiana Supreme Court Strategic Initiative Grant Project, whereby she coordinated the pilot project in three counties across the state, primarily in family and civil litigation (2012-2014).Outside the courtroom, Ms. Ciobanu enjoys giving back to her profession and her community through a number of organizations, including the American Bar Association as well as multiple local and state bar associations. She has served as the Chair of the Indiana State Bar Association's Alternative Dispute Resolution Section.  As part of her program initiatives, she has worked on a statewide E-Discovery Pilot Project, Statewide Mediation Day Pilot Project, as well as a Disaster Relief Mediation Pilot Project. She is also a member of the Indianapolis American Inn of Court and the Indiana Association of Mediators. She has served on several boards and committees, including, but not limited to, the Indianapolis Bar Family Law and Women & the Law Executive Boards, the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Paralegal Advisory Board, and the Indiana University Alumni Board, the ABA Disability Committee, as well as the Disability Legal Services of Indiana Board.Ms. Ciobanu is fluent in American Sign Language and uses this skill to extend her practice to hearing-impaired people throughout Indiana and in federal court to advocate for equal access to the court system, as well as ADA Compliance. She also volunteers her time to several area organizations that serve underprivileged members of the community.

Barbara Nilva Nevin

Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P.A.

• Barbara Nilva Nevin is a family law attorney with Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P.A., serving people throughout Minnesota, including Minneapolis and the Twin Cities area. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Minnesota, Ms. Nevin decided to pursue a career in law. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law and was admitted to practice in Minnesota in 1979.Ms. Nevin shares her experience of more than 35 years in family law and bankruptcy with other attorneys throughout the country as a lecturer for continuing legal education programs. She is the author of several legal publications, and she holds memberships in the American Association for Justice and the Hennepin County Bar Association, thhe Eighth District Bar association, as well as the Family Law and Bankruptcy sections of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Ms. Nevin currently serves as a Hennepin County Conciliation Court referee.In 2009, Ms. Nevin and her colleagues at Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P.A., successfully questioned the constitutionality of portions of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act as a plaintiff before the U.S. Supreme Court. She focuses her practice primarily on litigation and handles a wide range of legal matters, including the following: divorce, prenuptial agreements, custody and visitation, alimony and spousal support, child support, adoption, domestic violence, children's rights, ethics, sexual harassment, motor vehicle defects, legal malpractice, pharmaceutical products and foreclosures. Ms. Nevin has successfully won reversals of district court rulings in the Minnesota Court of Appeals.Ms. Nevin Spoke last year at the American Association for Justice Winter Conference on "Grandparent Custody in Wrongful Death Proceedings. For each class she authored an article. Community service is important to Ms. Nevin. She is the mother and the daughter of a veteran,and is extremely active in organizations that support veterans and military personnel, including Beyond the Yellow Ribbon where she serves as Vice Chair. She also worked to help establish the Veteran's Diversion Court in Carver County. Ms. Nevin is a member of the Chanhassen Rotary and is its  foundation for charitable  giving. Ms. Nevin also volunteers at SMRLS during the year. Ms. Nevin was given the Distinguished Service Award by the Chanhassen Rotary in 2017. She is also currently a mentor to a Chanhassen High School Student through STRIVE.Ms. Nevin is a proud grandmother to two grandchildren and enjoys traveling to spend time with them. * Ms. Nevin is a debt relief agent. She helps people file for bankruptcy relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Shelly D. McKeon

The McKeon Law Firm

• As the founding attorney of The McKeon Law Firm, Shelly D. McKeon serves clients in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Montgomery County and in neighboring Frederick County. She focuses her law practice in the area of family law, with a particular interest in cases involving divorce, including such issues as asset valuation, legal separation, child custody and child support. She also handles cases involving domestic violence and prenuptial agreements.Prior to founding The McKeon Law Firm, Ms. McKeon spent a number of years practicing law as an associate attorney with two other law firms, always maintaining a focus on family law matters. She is admitted to practice law in state courts in Maryland, Connecticut and New York. She practices in federal court in the District of Columbia, as well as the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.Ms. McKeon earned her law degree at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C., in 1994. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington, located in Seattle.In addition to her law practice, Ms. McKeon is also a member of a number of professional organizations. She has served on both the executive committee and the judicial selections committee for the Montgomery County Bar Association and as the chairperson for the family law section of the Women's Commission of Montgomery County. Ms. McKeon also maintains membership in the Frederick County Bar Association.In her more than two decades of practice, Ms. McKeon has received a number of honors and awards.

Rosemary E. Giuliano

Giuliano Richardson & Sfara LLC

• Rosemary Giuliano began practicing law in 1979. Rosemary Giuliano is an attorney at Giuliano Richardson & Sfara LLC, helping people with Family Law issues. Giuliano Richardson & Sfara LLC has an office in Woodbury, Connecticut, serving the local community. In addition to addressing Family Law legal needs, she also assists clients with personal injury matters.

Anna Ernest

Ernest Law Group, PLC

Samantha S. Smith

The Smith Law Offices PC

• Samantha S. Smith, the principal attorney of The Smith Law Offices, P.C., opened her Westland, Michigan, law office with the express aim of working more closely with her clients. She emphasizes face-to-face representation, personal service and amicable resolutions to her clients' disputes wherever possible. She is also a tough, aggressive litigator when necessary. She serves clients throughout Southeast Michigan in the areas of bankruptcy, family law, criminal defense and wills and estates.Ms. Smith's law practice focuses primarily on bankruptcy litigation. She has a thorough understanding of bankruptcy law and the toll that bankruptcy can take. She offers advice, representation and litigation services for clients undergoing Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings. Her services include debt relief, bankruptcy filings, foreclosure defense and stopping wage garnishments. Ms. Smith also practices criminal defense law, including traffic offenses, DUI, theft and misdemeanor drug charges. Her other practice areas include probate, wills and estates, and family law, including divorce, child support, child custody, spousal support and property division.Prior to opening her own practice in 2010, she spent three years with an esteemed Detroit attorney practicing plaintiffs' personal injury and construction accident litigation. She also spent one year with a Southfield, Michigan, firm gaining experience in no-fault litigation.Ms. Smith is admitted to practice in Michigan. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Michigan and the American Bankruptcy Institute. Ms. Smith is a graduate of Michigan State University and Wayne State University Law School, where she received her Juris Doctor degree in 2008.Ms. Smith's firm is a debt relief agency. It helps people file for bankruptcy relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Sara Swiren

Swiren & Witzleb, PLLC

• Sara Swiren is an owner of Swiren & Witzleb, PLLC, in Phoenix, Arizona. She represents clients throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area and devotes her practice exclusively to family law matters.After graduating summa cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science in marketing from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University in 2004, Mrs. Swiren earned her law degree from the Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law in 2007. While in law school, she was Vice President of the Sports & Entertainment Law Students Association and served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Steven D. Sheldon (ret.) of the Family Court Division of the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. She has been admitted to practice in Arizona since 2008.  Prior to forming Swiren & Witzleb, PLLC, Mrs. Swiren had her pwn practice and worked as an assoatiate with several Phoenix area family law firms. Mrs. Swiren is often asked to share her experiences in family law with other professionals. From 2010 to 2012, she served on the faculty of the Maricopa County Bar Association Family Law Section's Trial Advocacy Seminar, and in 2011, she co-presented an introductory seminar on family law to area legal assistants. To stay abreast of developments in her field, Ms. Swiren is active in several professional organizations. Since 2010, she has been a board member of the Maricopa County Bar Association, and she has held several leadership positions within the organization, including Chair. Mrs. Swiren also volunteered at the Maricopa County Volunteer Lawyers Program, the Family Lawyers Assistance Program, and Fresh Start.Mrs. Swiren is dedicated to her clients and has a genuine concern for their best interests.  When she is not busy representing her clients, she is spending time with her family and rescue dogs.

Megan Lopp Mathias

Lopp Mathias Law

• Megan Lopp Mathias is an attorney at Lopp Mathias Law and helps clients address Business / Corporate law legal issues. Megan Lopp Mathias graduated in 2003 from Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. Megan Lopp Mathias was admitted to practice law in 2003. She represents clients in the Chicago area.

Katherine A. Fitzgerald

Hinman, Howard & Kattell, LLP

• Katherine A. Fitzgerald studied at Cornell University Law School. She graduated in 1980. After passing the bar exam, she was admitted to legal practice in 1981.

Alisse C. Camazine

Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal, P.C.

• Alisse Camazine is a well-respected attorney with over three decades of experience. he has lectured on addiction and custody issues numerous times.Alisse is a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and has been Certified as an arbitrator by the organization. She later graduated cum laude from Saint Louis University School of Law with a Juris Doctor. Camazine has a number of published works, including the book she co-authored with her partner, Divorce in Missouri.Ms. Camazine is currently a member of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, The Missouri Bar and the American Bar Association. As a founding member of Caring for Kids, Alisse is passionate about providing essential needs to children in foster care and the court system. As a founding member of Earthwide Surgical Foundation, she travels to Nigeria to aid in surgical and medical care. She is involved with Gateway to Hope, an organization that provides financial support to low income women with breast cancer who could otherwise not afford treatment. She is admitted to practice in Missouri and California. *AV Preeminent and BV Distinguished certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc, used in accordance with the Martindale- Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale -Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer rating process.

Katherine Smith

Grenadier, Duffett, Levi, Winkler & Rubin, P.C.

Angela Medley

Polizzi & Medley Law

• Angela M. Medley is an experienced family law attorney. She attributes much of her success as a lawyer to her involvement in the WLAM and the mentoring she received as a benefit of her membership. In 2014, Angela graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. She graduated summa cum laude from Baker College of Clinton Township where she earned a bachelor degree in business administration. She considers her greatest legal attributes to be her business background and her practical life experience, both of which enable her to provide quality service to her clients in a manner that achieves practical results. She possesses a keen ability to anticipate the needs of her client, and she strives to obtain the best possible outcome for each client.

Deborah K. Field

Field & Custer PC

• Deborah K. Field is an attorney who represents clients in the Jamesville, New York area. Deborah Field chose to pursue a career in law after completing undergraduate studies. She attended Albany Law School and graduated in 1980. Deborah Field passed the bar exam and was admitted to legal practice in 1980.

Sharon A. Bryan

Moore, Bryan, Schroff & Inoue LLP

• Sharon is active in bar associations and in teaching and writing about family law. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a Board member of the Southern California Chapter, treasurer 2014, 2017, Vice President 2017 to date and nominated President-Elect. She is a Fellow, International Academy of Family Lawyer. She has been President of the statewide Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, Editor of their newsletter, and Chair and Co-Chair of their Annual Spring Seminar. She has been President of South Bay Women Lawyers, on the executive committee of the Family Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar, on the Board of Governors of Women Lawyers of Los Angeles and Chair and Co-Chair of their Family Law Section, and on the executive committee of the L.A. Delegation to the Council of Delegates. Sharon also served for three years on the State Bar of California Family Law Section Executive Committee ("FLEXCOM"). Sharon gives courses at the California State Bar and publishes scholarly lectures and writings in various educational publications. She has been Editor of the Association of Family Law Specialists Newsletter, and Editor of the State Bar of California Family Law News. Sharon is a skilled litigator and negotiator and has handled hundreds of complex financial and custody cases and does most of the custody work for MBS. She is also trained in collaborative law. She received her Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri, a Professional Designation in Financial Planning from the University of California at Los Angeles, and Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. Sharon serves as a temporary judge in different branches of the Los Angeles County Superior Court and as a mediator.

Gail Berkowitz

Berkowitz Cook Gondring Driskell & Drobeck

• She works at Berkowitz Cook Gondring Driskell & Drobeck, located in Kansas City, Missouri, and provides legal services for issues involving Family Law to the surrounding community. Gail Berkowitz completed legal studies at University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law and graduated with the class of 1985. Gail Berkowitz passed the bar in 1985.