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4609 Pinecrest Office Park Drive, Suite H
Alexandria,
Virginia
22312
Phone: 703-941-0746
Fax: 703-941-0747
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Who We Are
Resolving Conflict Institute, LLC (RCI) is a full service legal office offering traditional litigation services as well as collaborative representation. In addition to our legal services we also offer alternative dispute resolution services such as mediation and arbitration.
Our office has experience handling all forms of family law matters to include but not limited to: divorce, custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, adoptions, abuse and neglect, juvenile delinquency and other related matters.
Our office is committed to providing quality legal services and alternatives to resolving disputes. RCI is a company that affiliates and collaborates with experienced attorneys, trainers, mediators, educators, and conflict resolution consultants who are also committed to helping people and/or organizations make positive changes.
Areas of Practice:
· Collaborative Family Law · Juvenile · Family · Divorce · Equitable Distribution · Custody · Visitation · Child Support · Abuse and Neglect · Criminal
Philosophy:
RCI strives to provide zealous representation for all of its clients. We believe in providing the highest quality of representation while helping people through tough legal matters with dignity and respect. Our office prides itself on having high ethical standards and believes that confidentiality and professionalism are paramount in providing quality service to clients.
We are committed to helping people in disputes while determining the best way to resolve the matter for them and for their family. We enjoy helping our clients.
Professional Background:
Marcia K. Thompson (Founder)
Marcia K. Thompson is an attorney, certified mediator, trainer/facilitator and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) consultant. Her legal practice focuses on family, juvenile, criminal, and small business. She is also a collaborative trained attorney and offers collaborative family law as an alternative to traditional family litigation.
Marcia is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She has worked as an attorney full time as a sole practitioner and at the Lewis Law Firm doing criminal defense work as well as domestic relations. Marcia has handled legal matters in many areas, including divorce, custody, visitation, child support, adoptions, truancy, juvenile defense, criminal, and traffic matters.
As an attorney Marcia has been committed to helping people and has worked a great deal with children and families as a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) representing abused and neglected children. She has also served as a GAL in family disputes involving custody and visitation matters. She is devoted to helping people work through tough legal situations with dignity and respect.
She is also very active in local bar activities, including the Fairfax Bar. She is also active in the specialty bars, including the Virginia Women’s Attorneys Association (VWAA), and she is the immediate past President of the Northern Virginia Black Attorneys Associations (NOVABAA). She is also a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP).
Aside from her legal work Marcia is a certified mediator and mentor mediator with over 100 mediations. She is a mediation trainer and often lectures in the public and private sector on family, workplace, civil rights, and law enforcement-related issues. She is also an assistant professor and teaches Advanced Criminal Procedure, Ethics, Conflict Management Systems, Employment Law, and other related topics. Marcia is often asked to lecture on divorce, custody, child support, visitation, ethics and a variety of other legal topics.
Personal Values in addressing Collaborative Practice or Mediation:
Marcia believes that confidentiality, professionalism and ethical behavior is paramount. If those traits and many others are displayed by a collaborative professional parties will have a viable alternative to resolve many matters. Collaborative processes work and those parties who resolve disputes in this manner feel better about themselves and the outcome of their disputes. Marcia was a litigator for many years and has seen how disenchanted parties can be after a trial and/or after someone else has imposed a decision upon them. Many times no one was satisfied or happy with the decision and the outcome of the matter. Collaborative law allows people to have the ultimate say in how their lives are fashioned and how their disputes are resolved, which makes for lasting agreements and less turmoil long-term.
Collaborative - Mediation Training:
Marcia has over 300 hours of formal Collaborative and/or Mediation/ADR related training in but not limited to the following areas: Collaborative Law, EEO/Workplace Mediation Skills, General and Advanced Family Mediation Skills, Victim Offender Mediation Skills, Advanced Child Welfare Mediation Skills, Conciliation/Mediation Skills, Mediator Ethics, Negotiation Skills and other courses.
Education and Other Qualifications:
Mediator Certification, Supreme Court of Virginia (2001- Present)
Mentor Mediator Status, Supreme Court of Virginia (2002 - Present)
Federal Workplace Mediator, Northern Virginia Mediation Service (2000 – Present)
J.D., George Mason University, School of Law, Arlington, VA (1998)
B.A., Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI (1992)
Trainings Conducted:
- Divorce & Custody in VA
- What Is the Role of a GAL
- Managing the Mediation Process
- Mediator Negotiation Skills
- Conflict Management Systems
- ADR Overview
- Communications Skills
- Ethical Decision Making
- Handling Difficult Conversations
- Mediator Ethics
- VA Court Systems Overview
- Mediating Child Welfare Cases
Please email us or visit our website for additional information.
Articles by Marcia K. Thompson, Esq. – Resolving Conflict Institute, LLC:
