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An Abundantly Awesome Announcement about Jennifer Hawthorne

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Alliteration aside, we have a lot of exciting news to share about Jennifer Hawthorne's role at Skylark Law & Mediation, PC and her contributions to the field of dispute resolution.  

Since August 2016, Jen has been working with Skylark as a mediator and collaborative divorce professional.  Her role grew from an of counsel position to full time associate, and in 2022 Jen became a partner at Skylark.  Jen's skills as a mediator and her ability to lighten even the toughest conversations have elevated the work at Skylark.  Her laugh and the laughter of her clients still carries throughout the office when she has in person meetings.

For the last year Jen has been overseeing Skylark's student interns from New England law, providing opportunities for future attorneys to truly understand what it means to be a well-rounded dispute resolution professional.  She intends to continue this mentorship and find ways in the future to expand on the opportunities available for potential and new mediators with Skylark. 

Jen's contributions to Skylark are only one part of the story, though.  As with anything she does, Jen has committed herself jumping in with both feet in to the field of dispute resolution.  Jen is on the board of directors of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation (MCFM), the Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM), and the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council (MCLC).  Her work at those organization has led her to rise to being the Vice President of both APFM and MCLC at the same time, and she continues to devote herself to the success of those organizations and their members.

In Jen's own words (in an interview for APFM), she often thinks of herself as a mediator first, and an attorney second: 

I believe it is fundamental that folks remain in control of their family to the largest extent possible, and that becoming good co-parents means learning how to break the negative patterns of communication that can often exist at the end of a marriage. I focus my practice on helping my clients see the possibility of a very livable path for themselves and their children after divorce, and empower them to make decisions consistent with that path.

You can hear more about Jen's approach to mediation and collaborative law directly from a podcast she and Patrice Brymner (the past president of MCLC) host together called Mending Fences.  

On that podcast they have discussed some of the basics of mediation and collaborative law, like what to know before you get started.  They've also explored deeper dives into more complicated issues, often bringing in distinguished guests to discuss topics like dignity in co-parenting and conflict, internal family systems and ADHD and conflict.  

You can support Jen and Patrice in this work by subscribing to their podcast on whatever platform you use (they're all linked here), and stay tuned to hear more about what Jen will be doing next.  Whether it's planning the MCLC educational Roundtable, volunteering at her daughter's next play, or helping a client get through a tough week; whatever it is, we know for sure she will give it her all and it will be amazing!

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