Barbara A. Burr

experience Ms. Burr has many years of experience representing men and women in all aspects of domestic relations law, from divorce and custody to property distribution and financial support. She has negotiated amicable resolutions, drafted marital settlement agreements, litigated on behalf of hundreds of people and supervised trial teams. A former Certified Public Accountant and mediator, she also brings exceptional financial expertise and resolution skills to family law matters.

commitment and professional distinction Ms. Burr lectures frequently on family law issues. She is a member of the Board of Directors and a former Treasurer of the District of Columbia Women’s Bar Association. She is a member of the family law sections of the District of Columbia Bar Association and the Bar Association of Montgomery County. She also serves as an instructor for the District of Columbia Bar Association’s Pro Se Divorce Clinic and as a family law expert at the Family Law Self-Help Center. A Senior Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice earlier in her career, she has an exceptional amount of trial experience. She has served as co-counsel in groundbreaking civil rights cases before the United States Supreme Court and as adjunct professor of law at American University. She is also a founding member and served as the first president of the DC Academy of Collaborative Professionals.

education and training Ms. Burr received her law degree with honors from Harvard Law School and a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Washington. She also received certification as a CPA. She clerked for the Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and is admitted to practice in D.C. and Maryland.

recent activities and accolades
Ms. Burr lectures frequently on Collaborative Practice and Mediation and is founding member of the Collaborative Practice Training Institute. She has been invited to lecture at the 2011 IACP Annual Forum.

Ms. Burr was named as a Super Lawyer in family law in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

She was also named as a Top Woman Lawyer in the Northeast in Arrive Magazine, June/July 2011.

Ms. Burr is a contributing author to the ABA Commission on Women’s Book, Road to Independence, 101 Women’s Journey’s to Starting Their Own Law Firm.

Ms. Burr was a guest on Women of Vision with Lori Brooks, on WASH-FM, on June 24, 2011, discussing Collaborative Divorce.

bburr@burrlawfirm.com

Erin E. Carter

experience Ms. Carter joins the Burr Law Firm as the 2011-12 Family Law Fellow. During law school, Ms. Carter served as a student attorney in the Civil and Family Litigation Clinic, where she represented clients in various domestic relations matters in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. As a student attorney, Ms. Carter counseled clients on available remedies, negotiated settlements, represented clients in court hearings, and prepared and filed court pleadings. Previously, Ms. Carter served as a Legal Intern at the IRS, the SEC, the US Small Business Administration and Section 27, incorporating the AIDS Law Project in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she researched and analyzed various tax, business and social action issues.

professional activities Ms. Carter volunteers at the Family Court Self-Help Center and participates in the Attorney Negotiator Project at D.C. Superior Court.

education and training Ms. Carter received her law degree from the George Washington University Law School, where she was recognized as a Thurgood Marshall Scholar and graduated cum laude, and her bachelor’s degree from Pomona College. Ms. Carter is awaiting bar results from the New York and Massachusetts State Bars.

ecarter@burrlawfirm.com

Shanel E. Lauchman

experience Mrs. Lauchman joined the Burr Law Firm in September 2008. She works as the Executive Assistant and as a paralegal. Mrs. Lauchman often serves as the face of the firm, answering phone calls, coordinating the firm’s scheduling and maintaining the office infrastructure. As a paralegal, she works closely with individual clients from the initial consultation through trial or settlement. Mrs. Lauchman’s experience includes drafting legal pleadings and correspondence, reviewing client documents, and assisting in settlement negotiations.

professional activities Mrs. Lauchman provides assistance to the DC Academy of Collaborative Professionals, including aiding Board Members and the DCACP website administrator. Additionally, she volunteers at the DC Superior Family Court Self-Help Center.

education and training Mrs. Lauchman received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland College of Behavioral and Social Science, where she double majored in Psychology and Criminology & Criminal Justice.

slauchman@burrlawfirm.com