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Attorney Profiles
Laura M. Urbik Kern Esq.
Elmhurst, Illinois
Principal
phone 630-333-9169
866-595-4098
fax 630-993-1231
email Email Me

I recognize that you have a choice in attorneys and all family law attorneys CAN ultimately resolve your problem. The questions you must ask is, "Will the attorney I choose work to dismantle my marriage as carefully as it was originally built? Will my children be the #1 priority throughout the process? Will my lawyer explain the process and recognize that my life will be forever changed from this point forever?"

Our practice is a client centered, team approach: your life, your decisions. We will guide you, lay out your options and try to teach you conflict resolution methods that you may use in the future. Your family unit needs to be dismantled with the same care as when it was built. Our goal is to try to preserve family principles while resolving your problems.

Areas of Practice:
Family Law - General
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)/Mediation
Criminal Law
Bar Admissions:
U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1984
Supreme Court of Illinois, 1984
Supreme Court of New York, 1985
Education:
California Western School of Law, San Diego, California, 1984
J.D.


University of Salzburg, Faculty of Law, Salzburg, Austria, 1982
Course Work and Certification in International Legal Studies & Jurisprudence


McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, Sacramento, California, 1982


College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minnesota, 1978
B.A.
Major:  Political Science


Immaculate Conception High School, Elmhurst, Illinois, 1975


Published Works:
Editorials, Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Newsletter, September 2003, December 2003, April 2004


Editorial: "Children’s Rights", DuPage County Bar Brief, January, 1994


Book Review: "Legal Rights of Children", DuPage County Bar Brief, January, 1994


Classes/Seminars Taught:
Instructor, University of Illinois Officer Training School, Champaign, Illinois, 1993 - 1994


Instructor, Responsibilities included Teaching Classes on Juvenile Law, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, 1991 - 1992


Lecturer, Family Law Topics, 1999 - Present


Instructor, YWCA Legal Night, 1996 - Present


Mediation Training Instructor, College of DuPage, 2009


Moderator, Illinois Continuing Legal Education Family Law , 2008


Presenter, DuPage County Bar Association Adoption Seminar, 2007


Presenter, Interviewing Children, Guardian ad litem Training, DuPage County, 2006 - 2009


Presenter, DuPage County Bar Association Mega Meeting, Parental Allocation, 2005 - Present


Presenter, Elder Law Seminar, Part II, 2003


Presenter, Advice for Family Law Practitioner, Kids Come First, Illinois State Bar Association, 2002


Presenter, Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Program, 2000


Presenter, Illinois State Bar Association Family Law, 2000


Presenter, Mega Meeting DuPage County Bar Association, 2000


Facilitator, Juvenile Diversion Program , 1999 - 2000


Presenter, Child Representative Training, 1999


Oral Presentations, Metro Family Services and Tough Love, 1996 - 1998


Presenter, DuPage Association of Women Lawyers, Annual Trial Advocacy Seminar, 1996


Honors and Awards:
BV Rated by Martindale Hubbell


Selected by Peers as Leading Lawyer (Top 5% in State in Family Law), 2003 - 2010


Top 100 Consumer Lawyers by Leading Lawyers


Top 50 Women Lawyers by Leading Lawyers


2003 Pro Bono Award - DuPage County Bar Association Legal Aid


American Jurisprudence Award, 1984


Best Appellate Brief Award, 1982


Special Commendation for Outstanding Performance in Legal Research, Writing and Oral Argument, 1982


Illinois Collaborative Law Fellow


Professional Associations and Memberships:
DuPage County Arbitration Program , 1990 - Present
Arbitrator


City of Elmhurst Police and Fire Commissioner, 2000 - 2005


DuPage County Mediation Program, 1995 - Present
Mediator


City of Elmhurst Youth Commission, 1995 - 1996
Commissioner


Federal Defender Program, Chicago, Illinois, 1983 - 1984
Internship


California Western School of Law, San Diego, California, 1982 - 1983
Research Assistant


Special Committee on Juvenile Justice, 2010 - 2011


Custody Illinois State Bar Association, 2003 - 2007
Co-Chair, Special Committee


Special Committee on Child Representatives, 2000
Member


Visitation Council of Catholic Women, 1999 - 2007
Legislation Chair


Attorney General's Task Force on Violence to Children, 1997 - 2000
Member


Special Task Force on Children’s Representatives, 1997 - 1999
Member


Task Force on Unified Family Courts, 1997 - 1999
Member


Committee to Establish Juvenile Conflict Attorney, DuPage County, 1988
Member


Illinois State Bar Association, 1984 - Present
Member


Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section Council, 2004 - 2005
Ex-Officio


Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section Council, 2003 - 2004
Chair


Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Council, 2002 - 2003
Vice Chair


Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section Council, 2002 - 2003
Vice Chair


Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section Council, 2001 - Present
Secretary


Illinois State Bar Association, 2001 - 2008
Assembly Member


Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section Council, 1998 - 2001
Member, Continuing Legal Education Committee


DuPage County Bar Association, 1984 - Present


DuPage County Bar Association
Member, Committee Member


DuPage County Bar Association
Children's Rights Committee


DuPage County Bar Association, 1994 - 1997
Board of Directors


DuPage County Bar Association, 1993 - 1994
Chair & Founder Children’s Rights Committee


DuPage County Bar Association
Family Law Committee


Association of Family Court and Community Professionals


DuPage Juvenile Officers Association


DuPage Women Lawyers Association


Illinois Juvenile Officer Association


Illinois Mediation Counsel


National Association of Counsel for Children


CASA of DuPage, 1996 - 2000
Pro Bono Staff Attorney


DuPage County Legal Aid Office, 1986 - Present
Pro Bono Attorney


International Academy of Collaborative Professionals


Supreme Court of the United States, 2009


Past Employment Positions:
Kubiesa, Spiroff, Gosselar, Acker & Kern, P.C. , 2001 - 2004


DuPage County Prosecution of Traffic, Juvenile and Criminal Misdemeanors & Felonies, Assistant States Attorney, 1985 - 1988


Village of Roselle, Village Prosecutor, 1994 - 2006


City of Elmhurst Police and Fire Commissioner, 2000 - 2005


Pro Bono Activities:
DuPage County Professional Women's Network, 2008
Think Tank - Family Advocacy
Member, Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce, 2005 - Present
Participant, Law Day Mock Trial, 1999 - Present
Member, Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce, 1996 - 1998
Hinsdale Rotary, 1994 - 1996