Family Law Faculty Liasons

Barbara Atwood

Mary Anne Richey Professor of Law, James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona

After earning her law degree from the University of Arizona in 1976, Professor Atwood clerked for United States District Judge Mary Anne Richey and then worked as a trial attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. She taught for five years at the University of Houston Law Center before joining the Arizona law faculty in 1986. She became the Mary Anne Richey Professor of Law in 1998. She currently teaches Civil Procedure, Family Law, and related seminars. Professor Atwood’s scholarship explores topics at the intersection of civil procedure and family law, including several analyses of jurisdictional issues affecting American Indian children. Her writings emphasize the role of procedure as a vehicle for enhancing the voices of marginalized groups, especially children. She has also published a biography of Judge Richey entitled A COURTROOM OF HER OWN (Carolina Academic Press 1998). Professor Atwood was the Reporter for the Uniform Representation of Children in Abuse, Neglect, and Custody Proceedings Act, and she is an Arizona Commissioner with the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. She was on the Arizona Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission from 2001-2007, serving as chair in 2006. Professor Atwood received the College of Law Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1998 and the Graduate College Distinguished Teaching and Mentoring Award in 2004.

Thomas Oldham

Professor Oldham received his J.D. in 1974 from UCLA, and came to the University of Houston Law Center as Associate Professor in 1980.

Professor Oldham has also been elected to the American Law Institute, and is an active member of the law faculty, serving on numerous committees. He is a recognized expert in community property, family law, partnership, agency and business organizations law. He has been chair of the AALS Family Law Section and is a member of the Board of Editors for the American Bar Association, Family Law Quarterly. I

n recognition of his accomplishments for the UH Law Center, Professor Oldham received the UH Excellence in Research and Scholarship Award in 2000.

Nicole LaViolette
Vice-Dean French Program; Associate Professor
B.A. (Honours)(Carleton), LL.B. (Ottawa), LL.M. (Cantab.), of the Ontario Bar (2002)

Nicole LaViolette is Associate Professor in the French Common Program of Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa. She teaches public international law, international humanitarian law, conflicts of laws and family law. Prof. LaViolette has authored several articles and studies relating to refugee law, war crimes, international human rights and the rights of sexual minorities. She has also devoted part of her scholarly work to family law issues. Since 2003, she has participated in a NACLE teaching project that allows Mexican, American and Canadian law students to work collaboratively on cross-border family law issues, a project described in a 2006 issue of the Journal of Legal Education.