Profile

Alexandra Leichter

City: Los Angeles

State Bar of California Admission Date:  December 14, 1972

Education:

• Loyola Law School of Los Angeles, J.D. degree, 1969 –1972
• University of California, Los Angeles, B.A. degree, Mathematics, 1965 – 1969

• Private Adjudication & Law Practice (Family Law) – current
• Law Offices of Alexandra Leichter, 1979 – current
• Law Offices of Strumwasser & Leichter, 1972 – 1979
• Adjunct Professor – Loyola Law School of L.A., Summer, 1997
• Adjunct Professor – USC School of Finance, 1980 – 1981
• Adjunct Professor – San Fernando Valley College of Law, 1975

• Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation, member, 2011 – present
• Member, Family Law Section Subcommittee on Legal Specialization (1979)
• State Bar Court—various positions as examining attorney, referee, and supervising referee  (1974 – 1975; 1980 – 1989)

• Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • Chair, Women & the Law Committee, Barristers, (1977 – 1979)
  • Member, Family Law Section Executive Committee (2000 – 2004)
  • Chaired & Co-Chaired numerous sub-committees
• Beverly Hills Bar Association
  • Chair, Judicial Evaluation Committee, Barristers, 1978 – 79
  • Chair, Committee on Legal Counseling for Newlyweds and Newly-Living Together, 1979 – 1981
  • Member, Family Law Section Executive Committee (2007 – present)
  • Chair of Mentoring Programs and Programming for Novice Family Law Attorneys  

• Los Angeles Consumer Lawyers Association
• California Women Lawyers Association
• Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
• Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity
• Association of Certified Family Law Specialists
• Association of Family & Conciliation Courts

• "When Getting a 'Get' Means Not Getting What You Need," Family Law News and Review, LACBA, Fall, 1991
• "Jewish Religious Practices Affecting Child Custody Actions" - Fifteenth Annual Child Custody Colloquium, Culture in Context Compendium, 1993
• "Move-Away Rights for the Custodial Parent" - NAWBO-LA News -July/August, 1996
• "Guide to the Selection of a Lawyer in a Child Custody Action," SOLO - A Guide for the Single Parent, March/April, 1996
• "Tips for the Concerned Father When the Mother Wants to Move Away with the Children" - SOLO, A Guide for the Single Parent, July/August 1996
• "Tips for the Concerned Custodial Mother Who Wishes to Move Away with Her Children," SOLO - A Guide for the Single Parent, September/October, 1996
• "Religious Conflicts in Child Custody Cases," SOLO, A Guide for the Single Parent, November/December, 1996
• "The Jewish Divorce Dilemma," Jewish Press, July 5, 1991
• "A Plea for Prenuptials," The Jewish Journal, July 15-21, 1994
• "Conspiracy of Silence," The Messenger, May 26, 1996
• "On Feminism and Orthodoxy," The Jewish Journal, March 7-13, 1997
• "Feminist Orthodoxy: A Mainstream Concept?" The Jewish Journal, March 13, 1998
• "Impact of Jewish Divorce Law on Matrimonial Litigation," The Matrimonial Strategist , July 1998
• "Is There Life After Burgess?" SOLO - A Guide for the Single Parent, Spring, 1999
• "The Child Custody Attorney's Guide to the Jewish Holidays," Family Law News & Review, LACBA, Spring, 1999
• "Considerations When Attempting to Resolve Religious Conflicts in Custody Cases," The Matrimonial Strategist, February, 2000
• "The Impact of Jewish Divorce Law on Family Law Litigation," Domestic Relations Journal of Ohio, May/June 2002, Vol. 14, Issue 3 
• "The Agunah: A Modern-Day Nightmare," The Jewish Journal, March 18, 2005
• "The Effect of Jewish Divorce Law on Family Law Litigation,"  Family Law News, Official Publication of the State Bar of California Family Law Section, Vol. 27, No. 4, 2005
• "The Importance of the Jewish Premarital Agreement," Iranian Jewish Women’s Organization, Special Edition, Jewish Divorce, Get and Agunah, Spring 2006
• "Private Adjudication--The Good, The Bad and the Cautionary,"  Family Law News, Official Publication of the State Bar of California Family Law Section, Vol. 28, No. 2, 2006
• "Jewish Holiday Guide for Custody/Visitation Schedules,” Family Law News, Official Publication of the State Bar of California Family Law Section, Vol 29, No. 2, 2007
• "Alternate Dispute Resolution,"  Family Law Symposium Reference Books, Family Law Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association (2008)
• Alternate Dispute Resolution”-- NBI Seminar “Family Law from A to Z” (June, 2008)
• "Jewish Holiday Guide for Custody & Visitation Schedules,”   American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Newsletter Fall, 2008
• "Private Trials, Arbitrations & Other Solutions to Family Law Disputes," Family Law Symposium Reference Books, Family Law Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association 2009 & 2010
• "Practical Tips on Preparing and Trying Child Custody Cases," (co-authored with Deanna K. Straugh in 1995, 1996), revised, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, & 2010 Family Law Symposium Reference Books, Family Law Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association
• "The Effect of Islamic Family Law on North American Family Law Issues," International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, IAML Law Journal, Vol.2, Summer, 2009
• "The Effect of Jewish Divorce Law on Family Law Litigation," International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, IAML Law Journal, Vol. 2, Summer, 2009
• "Arbitration for Divorce Cases,"  Los Angeles Daily Journal, October 13, 2009
• "The Effect of  Islamic Family Law on North American Family Law Issues,"  Pennsylvania Family Lawyer, Vol. 32, Issue No.1, March, 2010
• "The Effect of Jewish Divorce Law on Family Law Litigation," Pennsylvania Family Lawyer, Vol 32, Issue No. 2 (June, 2010)

• American Jurisprudence Award in Estate Planning – 1972
• Who's Who in California (13th Edition)
• Who's Who In Executives and Professionals (1997-1998 Edition)
• Woman of Achievement Award – Women's Group, Friends of Sheba Medical Center (1997)
• Diane Hope Weiss Award”--Ohr Torah Stone (2001)
• Top 50 Female Southern California “Super Lawyers” (2006)
• Southern California “Super Lawyers” (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)

• Specializations:
  • Certified Family Law Specialist – Certified by the California Bar Board of Specialization, since 1980
  • Certified Family Law Arbitrator – Certified by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, since 2007

• Lecturer:
  • "Bridging the Gap" Program Creator of Mock Trial on Family  Law  (1979 – 1980)
  • Personal Financial Management--“Pre-Marital Agreement – Weapon or Protection”  (1990)
  • ACFLS – “Current Trends in  Child Custody Litigation” (1994)
  • State Bar of California – “Cultural Issues in Child Custody Litigation” (1994)
  • Century City Bar – “Getting a ‘Get’ – Jewish Divorce in the Context of Civil Divorce”  (1995)
  • Orthodox Union – “Kosher Divorce:  Religious and Secular Issues Relating to Divorce, Child Custody & Alimony Payments” (1997)
  • Southwestern Law School Family Law Society – “Litigating A Child Custody Contest”  (2002)
  • Jewish Family Service – Training of Volunteers for Domestic Violence Hotline, lecture on “Overview of Divorce Issues In Family Law” (2003)
  • ACFLS – “Taking Depositions of Parties” (2003)
  • National Business Institute--“Child Custody & Visitation in California” (2003)
  • International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, North American Chapter, “Religious Issues in Divorce” (2006)
  • National Business Institute – “Child Custody & Shared Parenting” (June, 2007)
  • Long Beach Bar Association – “Religion Issues in Family Law” (November, 2007)
  • JOFA Conference on “Wedding Preparations for the Orthodox Marriage: What Every Bride & Groom Must Have Before the Chuppah: Gett  Protection” (May, 2008)
  • Inns of Court, LACBA  – “Cross Examination of Experts” (May, 2008)
  • NBI – “Family Law From A to Z” (June, 2008)
  • International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, North American Chapter, Conference-co-presented on “Islamic Divorce Issues” (June  2008)
  • Beverly Hills Bar – Family Law Nuts & Bolts, “Alternative Dispute Resolution” (October, 2008)
  • American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Southern California Chapter, Co-presenting on “Islamic & Jewish Family Law Issues and its Impact on Civil Family Law Disputes” (May, 2009)
  • Privileges – Waivers & Exceptions In Family Law Cases”, with Ariel Leichter-Maroko. Family Law Study Group (January, 2010)
  • Beverly Hills Bar, Family Law Nuts & Bolts – “Custody Evaluations — From  Preparing the Client to Debunking a Negative Report” with Dr. Shawn McCoy (April, 2010)
  • Beverly Hills Bar Family Law Section – “Parenting Plan Coordination — Is it the Solution or Is it the Problem in Resolving Custody Disputes”, with Judge Isabel Cohen (ret.), Commissioner Gretchen Tayler (ret.) & Dr. Abner Weiss (May, 2010)
  • NBI – “Current Events for Family Lawyers: Legislative & Case Law Update — Private Solutions to Family Law Disputes” (July, 2010)

Community Activities:

• Public speaker on subjects of Family Law, Child Custody, Status of the Supreme Court, Women and the Law in California, Counseling for Couples, Legal Aspects of Starting Your Own Business, Legal Problems in Buying and Selling a Home, Religious Issues in Divorce, etc.
• Speaker and Moderator at 1983 Valuation Conference of California Society of Certified Public Accountants on Tax Consequences of Dissolution Awards
• Lecturer on Marriage Contracts, Dissolution and Post-Dissolution problems for NAWBO Mental Health Tax Force, and other organizations.
• Conducted judicial candidate interviews for N.O.W. 
• Pro bono legal services to NAWBO, Camp Fire Girls in Burbank, Bet Tzedek,  Shalhevet High School, Friends of Sheba Medical Center, and other organizations
• Mock Trial Tournament Judge--2006, 2007 AMTA Western Regional Mock Trial Tournament
• Mentor: Loyola Law School Mentor/Mentee Program (1990 – 1995)
• Jewish Vocational Service Mentor/Mentee Program (2000 – 2004)
• House Project Panel, Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law 
• Private mentoring for family law attorneys (2006 – present)