Maximum Mom

This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joins her integrator Kathryn Silk.

Kathryn is an experienced family law attorney with a passion for the collaborative approach. After graduating from the University of Washington School of Law in 2010, she moved to Wenatchee where she practiced law, was on the board of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Center, served as the President of the local Young Lawyers Division, and volunteered for Attorney Services in family law.  She has a history working at Family Law CASA in King County and at the King County Bar Association Family Law Neighborhood Clinic. 

Most recently, she practiced family law at the Ivy Law Group before joining Elise Buie Family Law Group in October, 2016. Kathryn
Silk has extensive trial and courtroom experience, but understands that the best approach often requires taking the decision making power out of the hands of the bureaucracy and placing it back into the hands of her clients. She is trained in mediation and negotiation, and holds a  mediation skills certificate from the University of Washington School of Law. Kathryn strives for an outcome that will work best for all parties involved. She believes strongly in working with her clients to educate them about the legal process and empower them in making the best decisions for their future.

In her free time, Kathryn Silk chases after her two wild young daughters and rides horses. She enjoys travel: she has lived abroad in France and Argentina and traveled extensively in Europe and South America. She loves cooking, gardening, yoga, running half-marathons, hiking with her Britney Spaniel, drinking copious amounts of tea, and spending time at her parent's farmhouse on Vashon Island.

For more information about Kathryn Silk, you can visit her on Avvo or LinkedIn.

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joins Sophya Raza and Stephanie Jones.

Sophya Raza is a Founding Member of Raza and Jones in St. Louis. Sohpya had wanted to be a lawyer ever since she drafted a contract  at the age of 12 for her mom and sister to sign involving her sister’s desire for a perm. It was this  first instance of helping two individuals resolve their dispute in a fair manner that hooked her. She has focused her practice solely on family law since graduating law school in 2002.

Stephanie Jones of Raza and Jones, came to a career in law a little bit later than most. She didn’t grow up saying she wanted to  be an attorney like a lot of her colleagues. She wanted to be a psychologist and help people.  But looking  back now, a legal career was always there. She negotiated her first "contract" with her parents her senior year in high school when she presented them a detailed PowerPoint presentation as to why she should no longer be required to have a curfew. In fifth grade, she won an award for "most questions asked." Looking back now, it was clear that becoming an attorney was unavoidable. 

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joins Renée Bauer. 

Ms. Renée Bauer is an award-winning divorce attorney, published author, and founder of the family law firm, Bauer Law Group.

Renée’s insights are sought after by local, national and international media outlets, podcasts, and conferences where she speaks on co-parenting, blended family dynamics, relationships, and the art of reinvention. As an accomplished litigator, she boldly educates and inspires women to reclaim their right to happiness through her online course, the d∙course and podcast, Happy Even After.

Despite being a self-proclaimed introvert, Renée believes doing uncomfortable and hard things is something we all have the capacity to breathe though. Her need to share her message is greater than her fear of speaking in crowds. Stay tuned because being on stage as a Tedx speaker is on her short “to do” list even if she is going to have to take lots of deep breaths for that one.

Once private and reserved, Renée has stripped away the photo filters to talk candidly about the shame and guilt most women feel in their lives so they can find their own version of Happy Even After

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joins her associate Andrea Seymoure. 

Andrea's extensive family law practice focuses on all aspects of family law including dissolutions, legal separations, division of assets/liabilities, parentage, child support, post-decree enforcement and modifications, and domestic violence, primarily in King and Snohomish counties. 

Andrea grew up in the Pacific Northwest and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the University of Washington in 2008 and her Juris Doctorate from the Seattle University School of Law in 2012. During law school, she served as a law clerk for the Federal Trade Commission in Seattle and the United States Attorneys' Office in Boise, Idaho. Andrea regularly volunteers as a pro bono attorney for the Eastside Legal Assistance Program serving low-income clients in family law matters and has done so since 2013.

Outside of work, Andrea enjoys traveling, yoga, cooking, gardening, trying out the latest fad workout and spending time with her seven-year-old daughter.

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joins Brita Long.

For over 22 years Brita practiced law and saw how people’s lives, including other attorneys, were negatively affected by complexity, a lack of purpose and a miss match between what they said was important in their life vs what their behavior showed was important in their life.

Brita herself struggled for many years to create a life that fit her and that she loved. A life of being honest with herself (or at least giving it a good go), valuing herself and her work, and being true to herself.

She now teaches and coaches other attorneys on how they too can identify and then reduce or eliminate the thought patterns, and behavior that is getting in their way and preventing them from living the life they truly want to live.

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joins Claire Parsons, a Member at Adams Law, PLLC in the Cincinnati area. 

Claire is a skilled local government attorney and litigator, a best-selling author, a recognized advocate for lawyer-moms and women professionals, and the mom of two adorable but admittedly unruly girls. 

Claire relies on her mindfulness practice to balance these roles and her passion for the subject led her to write and speak on mindfulness extensively, obtain a meditation teacher certification, and found the Brilliant Legal Mind blog, which offers practical information about mindfulness meditation for lawyers and professionals. 

You can connect with Claire on LinkedIn or check out her blog. 

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joins Amy M. Gardner, a certified Career and Career Transitions Coach and Team Development and Leadership Consultant with Apochromatik. 

Amy coaches lawyers and other professionals one-on-one, in small group masterminds, and delivers workshops for employers. Her work draws on her unique experience as dean of students at the University of Chicago Law School and a successful career practicing law, first as a Skadden litigation associate and later as an associate and then partner at a mid-size Chicago firm. 

She received her B.A. from Luther College, her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, and her M.A. in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University. Her career and goal achievement advice has been featured in media including ABA publications, Bustle, Corporette, Glassdoor, Health, Monster, NBC, and Women's Running magazine. 

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joins Natalie Norfus! An attorney turned HR/DEI CEO - The Norfus Firm. 

Natalie is a creative and proven problem solver with over 15 years of experience counseling employers on diversity & HR strategies, compliance, and litigation. Natalie has worked with global employers in various industries including quick services restaurants, manufacturing, financial services, and healthcare.  Natalie firmly believes that there is no “one size fits all” approach to HR and diversity strategies. Having come from a diverse upbringing and worked with employers across the globe, Natalie draws on her varied experiences to customize strategies that are unique to an organization. 

Having earned her bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from American University and her law degree from The George Washington University Law School, Natalie understands the value of a well-rounded education.  As a result, Natalie is passionate about supporting mentoring and educational opportunities for underserved youth.  She currently serves on the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami, which is one of the first chapters in the United States to both own its own facility and provide direct services to underserved youth.  

On a personal note, Natalie lives in Miami, FL and is an avid landscape photographer who loves almost any outdoor activity along with creative writing. 

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joins Théda Page! In 2002 Théda opened The Page Law Firm, which focuses on bankruptcy and family law. 

Ms. Page began her career in 1986 representing debtors in consumer and business bankruptcies with a boutique law firm in Dallas and then with a sole member firm. 

In 1988 Ms. Page joined J. C. Penney Company, Inc. in the corporate legal department where she developed and implemented a consumer bankruptcy rights enforcement project for the company’s credit service centers and represented the company in bankruptcy courts across the country. She also worked in the area of trade regulation ensuring the company’s compliance with applicable state and federal laws, as well as in the area of securities regulation. 

In 1997 Ms. Page expanded her career in the corporate arena when she was named Manager of Public Relations for JCPenney where she was responsible for the development, implementation and coordination of strategies with respect to the company’s media communications programs, including executive speech writing and event marketing. Ms. Page was named Director of Corporate Media Relations for Sabre Holdings Corporation in Fort Worth in 1999 and subsequently named Director of Worldwide Media Relations for Sabre. 

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joins Angela Hansen and they discuss the Sandwich Generation!

Angela H. Hansen is the owner of Hansen Legal & Mediation Services, P.C. in Rockville, Maryland. Angela brings 30+ years of experience in advocacy and conflict resolution to her firm and unapologetically provides clients with clear direction throughout their entire time under her care and counsel. Her experience and clientele are intentional and expansive, servicing marginalized and disenfranchised groups such as those suffering from chronic mental illness, substance abuse, and victims of spousal abuse. She also has obtained final protective orders, thereby removing emotionally, verbally, and abusive partners from the family home and opening the door to resolution and healing. Angela’s sustained commitment extends beyond a verdict as she pursues innovative solutions toward post-divorce success in her varied cases. Her courage and tenacity have led to success against “Big Law” firms in hard to win cases such as child custody relocation cases and acquiring indefinite alimony for women and men who have been the economically disadvantaged spouses. 

Angela recently completed her one-year term on the Montgomery County Local Pro Bono Committee after she was nominated by the former head of the county Legal Aid and installed by the Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court. Above all, Angela values her faith and family, which motivates her to ensure that her clients, too, have healthy and secure family environments. Angela and her husband, Steven, understand the complexities of family diversity and are the proud parents of three adopted children, ages 29, 27 and 5 who inspire her advocacy for change.

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