AAML Monthly Newsletters

Featuring Julia Leveridge and Kristal Thomson

The AAML Communities of Practice — the Business & Practice Management Community and the Technology Solutions Community — are peer-driven groups that connect Fellows around shared professional interests to learn, exchange ideas and collaborate throughout the year. In this Q&A, Technology Solutions Community of Practice Chairs Julia Leveridge and Kristal Thomson give Fellows an inside look into what’s to come.

By Ronique Bastine Robinson, AAML Texas

In this AAML Mentorship Spotlight, meet Ronique Bastine Robinson of AAML Texas and learn about her journey to Fellowship.

By Julia Leveridge, AAML Ohio

Back-to-school season can be especially challenging for co-parents, but a little planning can help prevent misunderstandings and last-minute stress. This article offers a practical checklist to help co-parents coordinate schedules, expenses, school communications and expectations so the school year starts on the right foot.

By Rob McAngus, AAML

Among the strategic decisions that growing family law practices face, few are as consequential, or as routinely deferred, as whether to bring on a dedicated office manager. This article lays out the case for hiring an office manager as well as potential drawbacks and emphasizes the importance of viewing the move as an investment in firm growth rather than a mere hiring decision.

By Mark E. Sullivan and Kris Hilscher, AAML

So, your client wants to join the military, but they’re a single parent. Or maybe they’re already in and raising grandkids, nieces or a cousin’s child while asking, “Can I get Tricare for this child?” Before you respond with “Sure, let’s draft a power of attorney and call it a day,” take a breath — and read this. There’s a web of Department of Defense instructions, branch-specific rules and federal statutes that say what can and can’t be done. Here’s how to steer your military and military-adjacent clients through the maze — without getting court-martialed by logic.

By Juliana Yanez, AAML

In this AAML Mentorship Spotlight, meet Juliana Yanez of AAML Northern California and learn about her journey to Fellowship.

By Ronique Bastine Robinson, AAML

The AAML Scholars Program provides law students with access to experienced practitioners and Fellows they might not otherwise encounter while also giving seasoned lawyers the opportunity to mentor, teach and learn from the next generation of the profession. In this article, learn how one mentor builds relationships with AAML Scholars and helps them develop skills to pursue their own unique career paths.

By Lynne Marie Kohm

This series examines the deeply personal circumstances surrounding author C.S. Lewis’ unexpected role as stepfather to the Gresham boys and the emotional and practical challenges he faced after their mother’s death. Part 3 examines how Lewis’ actions, decisions and steady focus on the children’s well-being offer practical guidance for stepparents navigating similarly difficult circumstances.

By Julia L. Leveridge

If you’ve ever wished a court could hop in a DeLorean like Marty McFly in “Back to the Future” and retroactively declare a couple “married,” the Ohio Supreme Court just took the keys away. This article details a closely watched parentage dispute, In re L.E.S., E.S., and N.S., in which the Ohio Supreme Court reversed an appellate ruling that had ordered a trial court to ask whether two women “would have been married” when their children were conceived via artificial insemination — if only Ohio had permitted same sex marriage at the time.

By Lynne Marie Kohm

This series examines the deeply personal circumstances surrounding author C.S. Lewis’ unexpected role as stepfather to the Gresham boys and the emotional and practical challenges he faced after their mother’s death. Part 2 examines the governing legal principles that define parental rights, limit stepparent claims and shape the custody outcomes that follow the death of a custodial parent.