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Presenters

Judge Arce

Judge Edward A. Arce was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as a circuit court judge in February 2008 and subsequently elected in November of the same year. Since April 2008, he has presided exclusively over family law cases as a trial judge, individual calendar judge and preliminary calendar judge. A graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago and Chicago Kent College of Law, Judge Arce began his career as an associate attorney at a small civil litigation firm. In 1986, he co-founded Whitcup & Arce, PC, where he practiced law for 22 years until his appointment to the bench. Judge Arce has also contributed as a faculty member, moderator and panelist at numerous legal education seminars, addressing key family law topics such as child witnesses, attorney fees, parenting plans, bias awareness, financial and tax issues in divorce, and common attorney mistakes in family law. 

Karen J. Bowes has been an associate judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, assigned to the Domestic Relations Division, since 2014.  Prior to getting on the bench, she practiced family law, including, serving as a child representative and guardian-ad-litem. 
Gammel
Mike Gammel is the owner and president of TrueTest Labs, a drug, alcohol and DNA testing service company established in 2010. TrueTest provides comprehensive testing services and consultation to the legal community, private individuals and corporate accounts nationwide. 
 
Nathan
Lindsay Nathan is the director of the Family Law Program at Ascend Justice, a legal organization that empowers individuals and families impacted by gender-based violence or the child welfare system to achieve safety and stability through holistic legal advocacy and systemic reform. 
 
Onorato
Nicole Onorato graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a dual degree in psychology and gender studies. Prior to attending law school, she worked in the nonprofit sector as the director of a group home for abused and neglected adolescents. After graduating from DePaul Law with a certificate in family law, Onorato has concentrated her practice exclusively on family law matters, including negotiating and litigating complex divorce and custody matters; drafting prenuptial and postnuptial agreements; and appellate work involving complicated child and spousal support issues, civil unions, child custody and removal (relocation) and distribution of marital assets. Onorato also received a Certificate in Divorce Mediation from Northwestern University, and she is a frequent author and lecturer on family law subjects. She is currently chair of DePaul’s Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center Advisory Board and volunteers with the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic (Ascend Justice).  
 
 
Pawelski
Wendy Pawelski has over 20 years of psychiatric hospital, emergency room and private practice experience, and she has worked with all ranges of cases, including chronic addiction, suicidal ideation, complex post-traumatic stress disorder and marital therapy. She is a certified divorce mediator and works as a reunification therapist through the court system. Pawelski also works with the Cook County Sheriff's Department and is an employee assistant program provider for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Pawelski founded Ivy Lane Counseling in Naperville, Illinois, in 2019 and is opening her second location in Plainfield, Illinois, later this year. She has a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Benedictine University, a certificate in school counseling from Northern Illinois University and an addictions certificate from the College of DuPage.  
 
Rosenberg
Hilary Rosenberg, a licensed clinical professional counselor at Millennium Counseling Center in Chicago, Illinois, specializes in working with adults, offering individual, couples and group therapy for a variety of issues, including addiction, attachment issues, divorce and trauma. Her educational journey includes an undergraduate degree in psychology from Pitzer College and a master’s degree in clinical mental health and counseling from National Louis University. Her approach is rooted in understanding each client’s unique attachment processing, guiding them towards alignment with their true self. 
 
Ruwe

Emily Ruwe is an associate attorney at The Law Office of Erin M. Wilson, LLC. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Miami University in Ohio and her Juris Doctor from DePaul Law with a certificate in family law. While attending DePaul Law, Ruwe was an active member of the Student Bar Association, serving on the executive board as the director of communications. Since receiving her Juris Doctor, she has become more involved in the Women's Bar Association and is a member of the Domestic Relations Committee and is a founding member of the Associate Lady Lawyers networking group. Ruwe is a member of DePaul Law’s Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center Advisory Board. 

 
Ryan

As the founder of Family Horizons, Virginia Torres Ryan brings a wealth of experience from the fields of both family law and mental health. She is deeply committed to providing accessible and equitable high-quality therapeutic services to individuals and families. Torres Ryan's approach is strengths-based and solution-focused, aiming to help clients of all ages identify, recognize and correct maladaptive behaviors and thought patterns. She is passionate about guiding individuals towards happiness and fulfillment for positive life outcomes. Trained as both an attorney and clinical social worker, Torres Ryan can adeptly navigate complex, high-conflict situations with compassion and understanding and serves as a strong advocate for equity in her work. 

 
Scott

Nicole M. Scott has dedicated her career to family law, focusing on providing her clients with results through zealous advocacy and passionate representation. She prides herself on offering her clients practical expectations, while understanding their needs and desired goals. As a child who was the center of a strenuous custody battle, she uses her personal experiences as the foundation on which she practices law. Scott understands the need for stability and security within the familial transition process, as well as the need to have a transparent listening ear and empathetic heart during difficult times, and as such, she is willing to be that person for her clients.  

 
Trachtenberg

Helena Trachtenberg represents clients in family law cases ranging from dissolution of marriage, property division, maintenance and alimony, child support, parenting time and visitation, allocation of parental responsibilities and child custody, mediation and collaborative law. Additionally, she handles orders of protection and administrative matters involving the Department of Children and Family Services and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services in Cook County and Lake County. Whether litigating in the courtroom or negotiating settlement, Trachtenberg enjoys working with clients to develop strategies tailored towards achieving their goals. She is able to serve as a child’s representative and guardian ad litem in Cook County and Lake County. Trachtenberg graduated with high honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, attended law school at the University of Miami School of Law, and is a member of DePaul’s Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center Advisory Board. 

 
Tristano

Marly Tristano earned her BA in Political Science from Northwestern University, her MBA from the College of Charleston, and her JD from the College of William and Mary. During her first year of law school, she externed with the Circuit Court of Cook County under the Honorable James Flannery, and in her third year, she interned with the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia.  While in Virginia, Tristano served on the executive board of the Family Readiness Group (FRG) for the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77), helping to manage and coordinate the FRG’s support efforts for the carrier's families. In addition, she volunteered her time assisting other military families. She also received the Certificate of Achievement from the Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar. Tristano is admitted to practice law in Illinois and before the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Additionally, she serves as a guardian ad litem and child representative on the Cook County Panel and has completed mediation training through Northwestern University’s mediation program. 

 
Weiss

Carol J. Weiss, MD, is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry and a clinical associate professor of psychiatry in medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York-Presbyterian Hospital. She is board-certified in general psychiatry, addiction psychiatry and addiction medicine, and she has served in a forensic capacity as an expert witness, substance use evaluator, or neutral monitor, primarily in matrimonial matters, for over 30 years. Weiss is the associate medical director of the Weill Cornell Center for Trauma and Addiction and has worked in private practice and with underserved populations such as people with HIV/AIDS, adolescents with addiction and veterans. She is the author of “Protocol Design and Implementation for Monitoring Parental Substance Use in Child Custody Litigation,” Family Court Review (July 2021), and “Representing People with Substance Use Disorders,” in Representing People with Mental Disabilities: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers  (Elizabeth Kelley, ed., 2nd ed., American Bar Association 2024).  

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