ariette opened her law and mediation practice in 1997. She is Founder and Founding President of the Ithaca Area Collaborative Law Professionals (IACP). She belongs to the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) and is a member of its Training Faculty. She is a member of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, the Tompkins County, New York State, National LGBT and Finger Lakes Women’s Bar Associations, the New York State Bar Association’s LGBTQ Section and the National Family Law Advisory Council of NCLR (the National Center for Lesbian Rights).

As Founder and Past President of the Ithaca Area Collaborative Law Professionals (IACLP), Mariette brought Collaborative Law to the Ithaca community in 2003 and has actively promoted its growth and expansion.

Mariette has many years’ experience as a Mediator and completed the intensive 40-hour mediation training at the Center for Understanding in Conflict in May 2011.

She has presented Collaborative Practice training (both basic and advanced training) since 2006 in New York, New York; Ithaca, New York; Oneonta, New York; Albany, New York; Anchorage, Alaska; Indianapolis, Indiana; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Johannesburg, South Africa, and online during the Covid-19 pandemic as Training Faculty for the IACP. She has been a workshop coordinator and presenter at the Annual Forum of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals Forum on numerous occasions from 2005 to the present. She was also a presenter at a symposium on “No Borders, No Barriers: Legal issues for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Clients and their families in the United States and Canada” in Niagara Falls, Canada, in June 2006 and gave a lecture about Collaborative Law at the Family Law Conference in Cape Town, South Africa in 2009.

Mariette has presented several guest lectures on Collaborative Law, Mediation, LGBTQ+ Legal Issues and other topics at Cornell University Law School and the School of Human Ecology at Cornell University, Syracuse University, the State University of New York at Cortland, and Elmira College. She has made numerous presentations on Collaborative Law and LGBTQ+ Legal Issues to professional and community groups.

Mariette has been actively involved in initiatives to make Collaborative Practice available to low income clients.

“Mariette brought Collaborative Law to the Ithaca community in 2003 and has actively promoted its growth and expansion.”

Community activities

Mariette has served on the Boards of Directors of Hospicare and Palliative Care Services, the Community Foundation of Tompkins County (past President), Community School of Music and Arts (past President), Ithaca City of Asylum, the Friends of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, and the Ballet Guild of Ithaca. She is an avid open-water swimmer and participates in Women Swimmin’ to benefit Hospicare every year. Mariette facilitates three meditation groups, including one for collaborative law and other professionals.

Languages

Mariette speaks English and Afrikaans fluently, has basic knowledge of German, Spanish and French, and a working knowledge of Dutch.

Affiliations