Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 11:54AM The Uniform Collaborative Law Act has been enacted into law by Utah and Nevada. Texas is set to pass it on the Consent Docket this week. It is being debated by the Council for the District of Columbia. Expect to see it introduced in Maryland in the next year.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 11:50AM The President of the Montgomery County Bar Association awarded Karen Robbins the annual President's Award for Service to the Bar for her role as Chairperson of the Fee Dispute Resolution Committee. The Fee Dispute Resolution Committee is a voluntary group of attorneys who help clients and their attorneys resolve conflicts relating to fees charged and paid. Karen has served as Chairperson for the last two years.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 05:11PM Howard County, Maryland, created a Collaborative Law Section of their Bar Association, making it the second county bar association in Maryland to do so. Congratulations, Howard County!
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 09:43PM The gay marriage bill in Maryland made it through the Senate at the speed of light. That frightened conservatives in the state, and caused the House of Delegates to table the bill for the remainder of the legislative session. Expect to see it again next year.
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 11:38AM This is a very exciting time for Collaborative Divorce and Collaborative Practice in the State of Maryland. On March 2-4, 2011, the Administrative Office of the Courts, Family Division, sponsored and heavily subsidized an Interdisciplinary Team Collaborative Law Training. This is the first time any state court has sponsored such a training. 120 lawyers were trained, and the training was introduced by Judge Robert Bell, who is the Chief Judge of Maryland's highest court. This training represents a judicial recognition of Collaborative Divorce as a mainstream method of alternative dispute resolution. Collaborative Practice Training Institute, of which Karen Robbins is a founding member, were the trainers at this event.
Also this month, the Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland became the first local bar association to create a Collaborative Law Section, as distinct from their Alternative Dispute Resolution Section. Again, this is a recognition by the largest local bar association in the state of Collaborative Law as a mainstream method of alternative dispute resolution.