Court Staff Awards by the Family Law Executive Committee of the California Lawyers Association

• Publication year: 2019
• Author: Robin Birnbaum, CFLS and Alexandra O'Neill

Court Staff Awards by the Family Law Executive Committee of the California Lawyers Association

Robin Birnbaum, CFLS and Alexandra O'Neill

Robin M. Birnbaum is a Certified Family Law Specialist, having been certified by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization in July 2016. Ms. Birnbaum currently serves as a Member of the Executive Committee ofthe California Lawyers Association, Family Law Section (FLEXCOM) and is the owner of Birnbaum Family Law, located in Benicia, California.

Alexandra O'Neill Mullerisa founding partner of Glover & O'Neill LLP in La Jolla, California. She practices exclusively in the area of family law, throughout San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties. She is currently a member of the California Lawyers Association's Family Law Executive Committee where she serves as Chair of Standing Committee Chairs, and is a past member of the State Bar of California's Family Law Executive Committee where she was Chair of Legislative Liaisons.

The California Lawyers Association (CLA) Court Staff Award is meant to honor and recognize sustained superior performance or extraordinary efforts in the recipient's performance of his or her work with the Family Law courts. In 2019, the CLA awarded two outstanding individuals: Nicholle Clark of the Contra Costa County Superior Court and Sara Armstead of the San Diego County Superior Court.

In September, CLA's Court Staff Award was given to Nicolle Clark of the Contra Costa County Superior Court.

Nicolle Clark began working for the Contra Costa County Superior Court in July 2001. She saw a job posting in her local newspaper for a clerk position and eagerly applied. At the time, Ms. Clark was a single mom "just trying to get somewhere solid." Ms. Clark had no prior legal experience other than her senior year of high school when she would ditch class and sit in the courtroom just for "fun."

When Ms. Clark commenced employment, she was originally assigned to the Probate Investigations Unit. Ms. Clark worked as the clerk for six separate probate investigators and her time was split between the Probate Investigation Unit and the Alternate Dispute Resolution department, where she had limited experience. On her second week of the job, Ms. Clark learned that she was now the only clerk working in this capacity and had yet to receive any formal training in ADR. This did not deter Ms. Clark and she immediately rose to the occasion, impressing her colleagues around her.

Ms. Clark's job duties generally...