DANA CURTIS, Esq., is a pioneer and leader in the Bay Area alternative dispute resolution field. She has been a full-time neutral in a wide range of contexts for over twenty years, including four years as a staff mediator for the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In recent years, Ms. Curtis has devoted a significant portion of her mediation practice to helping parties resolve elder-related issues. She has mediated a variety of disputes involving elders and their families, from informal meetings in which family members wish to have respectful conversations and make decisions that are in the best interest of the older person, to mediating highly emotional, hotly contested legal disputes involving elder abuse claims, trusts, estates and conservatorships. In 2008, Ms. Curtis founded Elder Mediation Group to provide mediation training and conflict services to older adults and adult families.
As one of California’s foremost mediation trainers, she has designed and facilitated hundreds of mediation trainings and programs for businesses, courts, private groups, professional conferences and law schools throughout the United States and internationally, including for ten years as lecturer-in-law at Stanford Law School. For a calendar of Ms. Curtis’ forthcoming trainings and presentations, see Upcoming Programs. For a list of her past presentations and trainings, see Past Programs. She has written widely on the subject of mediation, including, as annual supplement editor, California Arbitration and Mediation Practice Guide – Court-Connected ADR by John Toker (Lawpress); “Mediation and Geriatric Care Management,” chapter in Handbook of Geriatric Care Management by Cathy Jo Cress, (3d Edition, Jones & Bartlett, 2011); co-author of two chapters, “Preparing for Mediation“ and “The Mediation Process,” Litigator’s Guide to Representing Clients in ADR, (Continuing Education of the Bar, 2005); and Ninth Circuit Education Programs on Court Sponsored ADR (Western Justice Center, 2006). For a list of Ms. Curtis’ other publications, see Publications. She is also co-author of The ABA Guide to Elder Mediation, to be published by the ABA
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Ms. Curtis was a public school teacher and recognized as a National Teacher of the Year for her innovative program for teen parents. After graduation from Santa Clara University School of Law, Ms. Curtis served as law clerk to Associate Justice Edward A. Panelli of the California Supreme Court and practiced commercial and employment litigation with McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enerson (now Bingham McCutchen) in San Francisco and San Jose, CA. She serves on the board of the California Dispute Resolution Counsel and RockRose Institute, which she co-founded with a mission to promote non-violent conflict resolution. She has been recognized by the Daily Journal as one of California’s top 50 neutrals and is the recipient of The Mediation Society of San Francisco’s award for outstanding contribution to the field of mediation.
She lives in Sausalito, California, with her husband Daniel Bowling, where they enjoy living on the Ameer, their floating home, hiking and spending time with their friends and family, including their five delightful granddaughters.
Dana Curtis Mediation. The Los Angeles Daily Journal has recognized her as one of the 50 “Best Neutrals” in California. The Mediation Society of San Francisco recently honored her for her Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Mediation.
In recent years, Ms. Curtis has devoted a significant portion of her mediation practice to helping parties resolve elder-related issues. She has mediated a wide range of disputes involving elders and their families, from informal meetings in which family members wish to have respectful conversations and make decisions that are in the best interest of the older person, to mediating highly emotional, hotly contested legal disputes involving elder abuse claims, trusts, estates and conservatorships.
In 2008, Ms. Curtis founded Elder Mediation Group to provide mediation training and conflict services to older adults and adult families. To view Ms. Curtis’ elder mediation teaching schedule visit Upcoming Programs.
Ms. Curtis has also been active in the mediation community, serving for many years as Co-Chair of the Mediation Committee of the Bar Association of San Francisco; as a member of the California State Bar ADR Committee; and as a member of the board of directors of the California Dispute Resolution Institute. She is a charter member of The Mediation Society of San Francisco and belongs to numerous professional organizations, where she is frequently invited to present programs. Ms. Curtis serves on various Bay Area court and national mediation panels, including the Employment Mediation Panel of Boston Law Collaborative. For a complete list of panels on which Ms. Curtis serves, see her resume.
Ms. Curtis is co-founder and a member of the Board of Directors of RockRose Institute (rockroseinstitute.org), a Bay Area non-profit 501(3)(c) whose mission is to promote and advance non-violent conflict resolution through education, improved communication and a deeper understanding of justice. RockRose produced Facing Violence: Justice, Religion and Conflict Resolution – World Forum 2007.
When she is not working, Ms. Curtis enjoys being on her Sausalito houseboat with her husband Daniel Bowling, who also is a mediator, hiking in Marin and traveling, especially to visit her four children and four granddaughters.
View Ms. Curtis’ complete resume.
