Susan E. McCabe Professional Profile I help people and families in transtion due to divorce, separation, or those experiencing family conflict, make their own decisions. The goal is for mutually beneficial solutions and the highest quality of life to be accomplished for everyone involved. I assist clients to identify how best to communicate with the other person to reach resolutions of their own making while keeping their financial resources and emotional self-respect intact. And I help parents focus on a method to communicate with the other parent about the children, to make parenting decisions and to create a co-parenting plan that addresses the needs of everyone involved and each person's and family's uniqueness.

I provide either Mediation services or Collaborative Family Law legal representation to private family law clients and I also serve as a court appointed family mediator for the 19th Judicial Circuit in Lake County and the 22nd Judicial Circuit in McHenry County. I volunteer as an attorney mediator for pro se small claims cases in McHenry County. I also instruct the Parents, Children, & Divorce course at McHenry County College and have coached and presented at DePaul University, Northwestern, and the College of DuPage’s mediators' training programs.

I am currently the President of the Mediation Council of Illinois, past Co-President of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, and in 2003, I initiated the revitalization of the McHenry County Family Mediation Advisory Council. I also sit on the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Dispute Resolution.

Prior to my legal career, I practiced as a Registered Nurse at a northwest suburban area hospital where I also initiated, developed, and instructed parent, sibling, and infant care classes. Additionally, I served for eight years as an elected village official, both as Mayor of the Village of Cary and a Village Trustee. I currently am legal council for the Village of Oakwood Hills, in McHenry County, Illinois.

LEGAL EDUCATION & TRAINING:

Juris Doctorate, Loyola University of Chicago School of Law

• Dean’s Honor List
• Certificate in Child & Family Law
• Award recipient in Mediation and Childlaw Legislation

OTHER EDUCATION:

Bachelor of Arts, Columbia College

• Dean’s Honor List

Associate of Applied Science - Nursing, College of Lake County

• Dean’s Honor List

TRAINING:

Mediation Training

• Basic Mediation Skills, Center for Conflict Resolution, Andy Miller, J.D.
• Family & Child Mediation, Loyola University, Kelly Browe Olson. J.D.
• Divorce & Family Mediation, DePaul University, Lynn Gaffigan, J.D. & Margaret Powers, M.S.W., M.A.
• Family Violence, Loyola University, Anita Weinberg, J.D. & Marta Lundy
• Divorce Mediation Internship, Margaret Powers, M.S.W., M.A.
• Mediation & Domestic Abuse - Ann Milne & Peter Salem
• Mediation Instructor's Course - Richard M. Calkins, J.D.
• Divorcing Clients- Mediation Council of Illinois, Barbara Grace, Ph.D., Nancy Heath, Ph.D., and Beth Wilner, Ph.D.
  

Collaborative Practice Training

• Collaborative Family Law, Chip Rose, J.D.
• Negotiation Techniques for Collaborative Law, Sherri Goren-Slovin, J.D.
• Collaborative Law - Intermediate Training, Pauline Tesler, J.D.
• Collaborative Law - Interdisciplinary Training, Nora Kalb Bushfield, J.D., Bob Bordett, J.D. & Eve Poling, J.D.
• Advanced Collaborative Law Training, Cathy Daigle, CFP, CDFA, Susan D. Flax, J.D., Anne L. Kutilek, LCSW, Michael J. Lowy, Ph.D., J.D., Alan Nobler, J.D., George Richardson, J.D., Ron Romines, J.D., Nancy Ross, LCSW, DCSW, Karen Drury Russell, J.D., David C. Weinberg, J.D.
• Collaborative Practice Marketing - Elizabeth Ferris
• IACP Core Collaborative Practice Skills Institute - Various IACP Presenters
• IACP Educational Forum - Various IACP Presenters
• Advanced Collaborative Practice, Cathy Daigle, CFP, CDFA, Anne L. Kutilek, LCSW, Ron Romines, J.D., David C. Weinberg, J.D.
• Appreciative Inquiry for Collaborative Practice- Peggy Thompson, Ph.D.
• Non-Defensive Communication- Sharon S. Ellison
• High Conflict Institute for Family Law Professionals- William Eddy, LCSW, J.D.

LICENSURE & REFERRAL CREDENTIALS:

• Admitted to the Bar of the State of Illinois - http://www.iardc.org
• 22nd Judicial Circuit - Court Appointed Mediator - McHenry County- http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/22Circuit/default.asp
• 19th Judicial Circuit - Court Appointed Mediator - Lake County - http://www.19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/...
• Mediation Council of Illinois - Referral Member - http://www.mediationcouncilofillinois.org/referral.html
• Association for Conflict Resolution - Referral Advanced Family Practitioner - https://bridge.acrnet.org
• Association for Conflict Resolution, Chicago Chapter - Member mediator - http://www.acrchicago.org/
• Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois - Fellows Practitioner - http://www.collablawil.org/find_attorney_mchenry.htm
• International Academy of Collaborative Professionals - Member mediator - http://www.collaborativepractice.com
• International Academy of Dispute Resolution - Director member -
  http://www.adrpeacemaking.org - director
• Registered Nurse - http://www.idfpr.com/

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS:

• Attorney Mediator for McHenry County Small Claims Pro se Pilot Program