PRACTICE
AREAS
EMILY'S PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY
My practice is founded on respect for my clients and a desire to give them the information and tools they need to make good decisions for themselves. This is why I was originally drawn to mediation and collaborative practice, and why I attend carefully to what my clients say and ask. I have a deeper appreciation for human integrity, courage, and generosity as a result of my work with the hundreds of clients I have come to know in my practice.
Meet Emily DuBois
Emily DuBois
ATTORNEY AT LAW
My clients are like you: competent people with years of life and work experience, who have no training in family law. When you are facing the legal side of marriage you need an expert who can sit beside you with respect and compassion and help you navigate through the system as painlessly as possible.
I started law school at age 36 when I was married with two children and had a decade of experience in the information management industry. Walking in cold to a law school classroom showed me how much the law affects our daily lives, and how little we learn about it until we have to. If you are at that place in your life, the collaborative approach can help you. I love this work and have been honored to do it.
Practice History:
2024 to Present: Family Law Collaborative practice exclusively
2013 to 2023: Family Law, Collaborative and Mediation practice
2005 to 2013: Family Law and Employment Law
2000 to 2005: General Civil practice including Civil Litigation, Real Estate, Contracts, Estate Planning & Probate, and Business Entity Formation and Dissolution
Leadership Roles:
Santa Cruz County Bar Association Board, Treasurer/President Elect (2018), President (2019), Past President (2020 - 2021)
Santa Cruz County Bar Association, Member (Current)
Santa Cruz County Law Library Board (Current)
Santa Cruz Divorce Solutions, Member & Treasurer (Current)
Women Lawyers of Santa Cruz County, Member (Current)
Monterey County Family Law Section Executive Committee 2008 - 2011
Monterey County Bar Association Board, 2000 through 2014, Treasurer 2004 – 2007, President 2011; MCBA Member (Current)
Monterey County Bar Foundation Board, 2007 - 2018
Monterey College of Law Faculty, Legal Writing 2003 – 2009; Negotiation Skills Lab 2020 - Present
Monterey County Law Library Board 2006 - 2014
Education:
Graduate:
Monterey College of Law, J.D.
Undergraduate:
UC San Diego, BA in English &
American Literature, Cum Laude
Pro Bono and Legal Services:
Prior volunteer service with ACLU of the Central Coast, Legal Aide of Central Coast, and Small Claims Advisory Clinic,
County of Monterey
Member, Santa Cruz County Bar Association - Lawyer Referral Service 2017 to Present
Member, Monterey County Bar Association - Lawyer Referral Service 2007 - 2010, 2013 - 2014
Other Professional and Community Service Work:
Downtown Streets Team Santa Cruz, Community Advisory Council 2002 to Present
Literacy Program Tutor, Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County 2017 to Present
KUSP Pataphysical BroadcastingFoundation, Inc. Board 2014-2015
100 Women Who Care, Member 2015 to Present
Leadership Monterey Peninsula (community leader incubator program) Board 2007-2009
Pacific Grove Unified School District 1995-2000: School District Board Advisory Committee (Vice Chair),
CONTACT
Mediation & Law Office of Emily DuBois, Esq.
PO Box 94
Santa Cruz, CA 95063
