Dear Mary-Alice,

I'd like to thank all of you, you and your staff, for standing by me until the end. Without your help I couldn't have done it. Thank you again.

L.T.

There are not many times in one's life when you come across someone like Mary Alice and her team of professional attorneys and staff. I was fortunate enough to have Mary Alice represent me in a wrongful termination lawsuit. She always had great faith in me and my case. She made me feel confident-when my confidence was lacking. Mary Alice was very knowledgable and kept me well-informed throughout my 3 year journey. I would recommend Mary Alice to anyone who is seeking legal advice or representation.

J.S.

Sacramento, CA

Dear Ms. Coleman,

I wanted to thank you for helping me successfully resolve a challenge I had with my former employer.

It became clear I was being singled out and retaliated against for pointing out some less-than-ethical business practices. That, together with some other important factors, convinced me that it was time to leave that company.

By going toe-to-toe with their high priced lawyers you were able to secure a severance package that was a great deal more than I had originally been offered, an extended, paid leave of absence and a clean break from a company I could no longer work for in good faith.

I appreciate the work your firm did for me and care and concern you showed for my situation. I would highly recommend your services to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation at work.

Sincerely,

JMW

Sacramento, CA

Dear Mary-Alice:

As Vice-Chair of the State Bar Standing Committee on Legal Services to Middle Income Persons, I am pleased to inform you that by unanimous vote of the Middle Income Committee, on May 30, 1992, you are to be honoured with a “Healer of Conflict Award” for your dedication, support and promotion of alternative dispute resolution for the people of the State of California. Your courage and commitment was evident in your promotion of AB3011 this year. Additionally, your leadership as Chair of the Middle Income Committee has been formidable, enthusiastic, and superbly efficient.

We wish to announce this honour formally and provide you with your award at the American Bar Association Conference in San Francisco this summer, on August 10 th immediately following the Frank Sanders lecture series by Chief Justice Luca. This will begin at 2:00 pm with the reception beginning at about 3:30 pm. The state Bar Middle Income Committee and Legal Services are jointly sponsoring this reception with the American Bar Association and we wish you to attend that reception to receive your award and be honored publicly.

The State Bar Middle Income Committee greatly admires your firm commitment and promotion of appropriate dispute resolution techniques which include a wide range of conflict resolution to enable the citizens of California to resolve their disputes efficiently, cost effectively, and with minimum of distress. As Justice Berger has said, :In a truly civilized society, lawyers and judges have a duty to be ‘healers of conflict.’” With your leadership and foresight, our justice system will, in the near future, truly meet the needs of all of our California citizens.

We look forward to the opportunity to honour you and share your accomplishments with the participants and reception invitees. I look forward to seeing you on August 10 th in San Francisco.

Thank you so much for your assistance.

Yours truly,

Law Office of Mari J. Frank

Dear Mary-Alice:

I wanted to thank you again for coming to our court and giving such an outstanding course last Friday. I am sorry I could not stay after the program, but everyone who attended had given the afternoon rave reviews. We really appreciate your assistance and I very much enjoyed our lunch.

Yours,

Julie Conger

Dear Ms Coleman,

Thank you for your recent correspondence and for your fine handbook. You did an outstanding job in preparing this book. We will make good use of it and also hope to use your training program.

Sincerely,

Judith O. Stein

Dear Mary-Alice:

I want to thank you for giving a guest lecture in my Political Science 298T class-Issues in Court Administration this past Fall semester. Your lecture was very interesting and important for my class. You covered a broad range of information in a way that was easy for my class to understand and appreciate. I think the students especially appreciated your practical experience as well as your relaxed manner of presentation. Your lecture generated a great deal of discussion at the review, which is a tribute to the interest you generates in the students. Several students chose Dispute Resolution as their topic for their term papers which is another indication of the interest in your presentation.

Very Truly Yours,

Teodora C. DeLorenzo

Dear Ms. Coleman:

I am writing to thank you for the wonderful seminar that you put on recently in our county on Small Claims. The program was extremely well received. As you know, it was videotaped and Municipal Court Commissioner Talmage is going to take staps to ensure that any new employees or pro-tem judges will be required to review the training tape prior to the assumption of their duties. The tape will also be sent to the North County office and used in a similar fashion there. So, as you can see, your efforts will be alive and well in Santa Barbara for years to come.

The members of my staff were also impressed by the manual on Consumer Affairs and feel that it will be an excellent source book to all members of our staff.

Again, thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come to our county and particularly thank you for the excellent job that you did in assisting not only this office, but this county, in providing better services to our community.

Very truly yours,

Thomas W. Sneddon, Jr.

District Attorney

Dear Mary-Alice:

As this New Year begins, I wanted to take a few moments and especially thank you for your great leadership and assistance related to the work of the Dispute Resolution Advisory Council. It goes without saying that a great deal of the progress made is directly attributable to your willingness to tackle the Council’s work with great confidence and enthusiasm. It was great working with you on that project during the last two years!

Enclosed is a letter I wrote to Governor Deukmejian in which I commend you and others involved in staffing the Council for the outstanding contribution you made to its work. I sincerely hope others recognize the important assistance you have provided and value your service to the state.

I will miss the stimulation of our meetings and conversations about dispute resolution. Perhaps you and I will have the opportunity to continue periodic contact, at least in a modified way, as we work in the dispute resolution field. In the meantime, I send my very best wishes for a prosperous and healthy new year.

Warmest regards,

L. Randolph Lowry

Director, Institute for Dispute Resolution

Dear Mr. Kelley:

It has been my good fortune to work with Mary-Alice Coleman, Staff Attorney in your department, for many years. I have found her to be an extremely talented individual, creative in carrying out assignments, and effective in her dealings with public agencies and the court system, as well as a knowledgeable and helpful human being who is able to contribute to discussions of ideas and concepts. Ms. Coleman has continuously demonstrated to me, and to others, an excellent rapport with all persons and agencies with whom she comes in contact.

From the beginning of my acquaintance with Ms. Coleman she has displayed qualities of character, ability, initiative and performance seldom realized from an employee in public service, regardless of tenure. It was with Ms. Coleman’s help that this court presented, in 1985, its first seminar for pro tem attorneys sitting as commissioners and judges to hear civil or small claims matters. Since then Ms. Coleman has gone on to develop a seminar program and presented it to numerous courts throughout the state of California. Knowing her busy schedule, we especially appreciated her willingness to visit this court again on June 10 of this year, to participate, with characteristic success, in another seminar for pro tem attorneys.

My background for this commendation includes 30 years’ experience in both superior and municipal courts throughout the State of California, working as Assistant County Clerk with San Diego Superior Court, subsequently as Municipal Court Administrator in Monterey County, and currently as Court Administrator for the San Mateo County Municipal Court. I am also a past president of the California Municipal Court Clerk’s Association.

I sincerely believe that Ms. Coleman is an asset to your department and wish to let you know how highly regarded she is in the California Court system.

Sincerely,

William J. Stanford

Court Administrator

Dear Mr. Kelley:

Before the second half of the 1989-90 legislative session resumes, I wish to express my appreciation for your department’s assistance in securing passage of my Senate Bill 1137.

I have been involved in legislation too long not to understand how essential Consumer Affairs’ support was in obtaining the Governor’s signature.

I believe SB 1137 will provide consumers with greater access to the small claims courts, and I appreciate your Department’s many efforts in its behalf.

Cordially,

Milton Marks

Dear Mr. Kelley:

This is a letter of thanks and praise for the Department of Consumer Affairs, and particularly, Mary-Alice Coleman and Richard Elbrecht.

My perspective is that of Small Claims Legal Advisor for San Francisco. For over nine years, I have seen the Department of Consumer Affairs enhance the average person’s access to our justice system through excellent informational pamphlets. I am happy when I tell my clients what an effective government agency you operate.

The Small Claims Court booklets for Plaintiffs and Defendants have been used extensively, making the Small Claims Court process more understandable to the people of California. The Collection of Judgment booklet helps to make the Small Court process more effective. The book RESOLVING CONSUMER DISPUTES: SOURCEBOOK FOR SMALL CLAIMS JUDICIAL OFFICERS is a gem for pro Tem judges. It is available for anyone who wants to be informed on consumer issues. I use it as a text in my Consumer Protection class at San Francisco State University’s Extended Education Paralegal Program. The work of the Department of Consumer Affairs in expanding the use of alternative dispute resolution programs benefits the individual, the community, and the courts.

I support the simplification and consolation of Small Claims Court statutes and rules. I thank you for the interest the Department of Consumer Affairs has in the Small Claims Advisor programs in California and in its role of helping people go through the dispute resolution process.

I wish you and the Department of Consumer Affairs Continued health and success.

Sincerely,

Jeanne F. Stott

Attorney at Law

Small Claims Court Advisor