On June 5th, 2009 the Task Force for Collaborative Law had their first meeting in Columbia. The chair-person of the Task Force is Cheryl Fletcher (Charleston). Also on the task force are Guy Vitetta (Charleston), Joanne Burkett (Spartanburg), Natalie Park Bluestien ( Charleston), Pamela Blackshire (Hilton Head), Robert Clark (Greenville), Sean Keefer (Charleston), and Jill Rothstien (Columbia, State Bar Liaison for Collaborative Law).
The goals of the Task Force are to determine how best to grow Collaborative Law in South Carolina. The Task Force worked with the State Bar CLE to organize CL training for Collaborative Law. The South Carolina State Bar CLE will sponsor a 2-day Collaborative Law training on Friday and Saturday, March 12th and 13th in Columbia at the law school. For those who have not taken the training, schedule it in your calendars now! Further training details will be posted in January. At the completion of the training we will have a networking reception so that every trainee will have an opportunity to meet other collaborative professionals from their area in the state to help them get their collaborative practices rolling.
The first Professional Development meeting for collaborative professionals in the Charleston area, and for those interested in becoming one, will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. at Red Triangle (more info to follow). Dr. Jennifer White-Baughan, a collaborative mental health professional whose office is in Mount Pleasant, will do a presentation. She attended the annual International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) seminar October 20th - 24th in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is IACP's 10th year anniversary and we know she will share great information and ideas regarding collaborative practice. We are looking for area professionals to take the helm for this group that will meet monthly for the express purpose of facilitating development of every one's practices. For those of you not in the Charleston area, we hope after the training to help you start your own groups in your areas!
