Having both lived and practiced law north of the Canadian border most of my working life, my experiences are unlike most West Coast conflict resolution professionals. Getting an infant into a one-piece snowsuit and off to daycare, in -30 degree weather and 3 feet of snow, to catch a train to the office at 7 a.m., and finding the car snowed in -  in 3 inch heels and without a shovel - takes some serious problem-solving skills. Understanding that all things in life can't be fixed with a cardboard box, some duct tape, and an old grocery bag (but secretly hoping they could), I set out to Southern California where I trained and worked with some of the country's top mediators, earning my Masters of Laws (LL.M.) in Dispute Resolution from the highly acclaimed Straus Institute at Pepperdine University's School of Law. This set the stage for Winestone Mediation, where I work to help families out of their own seemingly impossible snow banks, arising from their separation, divorce, and child custody conflicts.