Marlene A. Pontrelli is a shareholder and her practice focuses on all aspects of family law including dissolution, post-dissolution, paternity, child custody and child support matters. She was admitted to practice in California in 1982 and admitted to the Arizona Bar in 1996.  She is a frequent lecturer in the area of family law and has conducted numerous seminars throughout the country.  She is a member of the State Bar’s Family Law Practice and Procedure Committee and is a judge pro tem for the Superior Court of Maricopa County in both family law and civil matters.  Ms. Pontrelli was trained as a nullity of marriage case minister through the Diocese of Phoenix in 2002, and obtained her life coaching certificate through the Professional Coaching Institute in 2005.  She has extensive trial and appellate experience including appearing before the Arizona Court of Appeals, Arizona Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  
 
Government representation includes representing governmental bodies and clients before public agencies at all levels.   She is the former Tempe City Attorney and has experience in all aspects of municipal law.  From 1997 to 2008 she was a community columnist for the Arizona Republic. Most recently, she has conducted workshops on time management and balancing work and personal life for the Leadership Training Institute in Reno, Nevada, Orlando, Florida, New Orleans, LA, and San Antonio, Texas.

Education

• University of Southern California, BA, Political Science and Speech Communication (1979)
• University of California at Davis, J.D., Law Review member, Senior Articles Editor (1982)

Publications

• Fundamentals of Litigation for Paralegals, Aspen Publishers, 6th Edition (New York 2008) (Co-author with Thomas A. Mauet, University of Arizona)
• Fundamentals of Litigation for California Paralegals, Aspen Publishers, 4th Edition (New York 2010) (Co-author with Thomas A. Mauet, University of Arizona)
• Model Letters to Doctors, Witnesses, Adjusters and Others, James Publishing Group, 1990
• Community Columnist for the Arizona Republic, (1997-2008)
• “Crime Solutions Through Planning and Zoning,” ABA State & Local News, Vol. 24, no. 2, Winter 2001
• “A Three-Step Approach to Effective Client/Witness Interviews,” Arizona Attorney, vol. 33, No. 8, April 1997

Professional Memberships

• Arizona Women Lawyers Association
• Arizona State Bar
• California State Bar
• International Municipal Lawyers Association, Vice-Chair Personnel Section (2006-2007); Chair Personnel Section (2007-present)
• Judge Pro Tempore, Maricopa County Superior Court, Civil division and Family Law division

Speaking Engagements – Partial List

• Family Law Update, State Bar of Arizona (Scottsdale, AZ, April 3, 2009)
• Family Law Litigation, National Business Institute (Phoenix, AZ, August, 2008)
• Time Management Skills for Effective Leadership, National League of Cities and Towns (New Orleans, LA., November 14, 2007; Orlando, FL, November 12, 2008)
• Developing Highly Effective Teams in the Workplace, International Municipal Lawyers Association (Washington, D.C., April 2007)
• Life Coaching Skills for Effective Leadership: Balancing Your Personal and Professional Life, National League of Cities & Towns (Reno, NV., December 5, 2006)
• E-Mails, Ethernet, and Privacy in the Workplace, International Municipal Lawyers Association (Portland, OR., September 2006)
• Real World Ethics, Arizona State Bar (Phoenix, August 10, 2006)
• Conducting Internal Investigations, Tempe Learning Center (2000-2005)