About our Director . . .
Richard Thomas, Mediator, C.D.C.
Education:
LaSalle University,
Masters/Doctorates in Psychology, 1996
William Rainey Harper College
Associates Degree in Criminal Justice, 1980
Lewis University College of Law
Completed 1 year College of Law, 1977
Elmhurst College,
Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, 1976
Paralegal Certificate, 1975
Associates Degree in Applied Science, 1973
Certifications & Memberships:
American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children,
[Child Forensic Interview: Training Clinic]
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Will County Bar Association [Family Law Committee Meeting On Child Custody Evaluations], Joliet, Illinois
Mediation Council of Illinois [Celebrating Mediation],
St. Charles, Illinois,
Coast to Coast Mediation Center [Mediation Training], Chicago, Illinois,
The Chicago Bar Association [Agreeing to Disagree:
The Basics of Divorce Mediation], Chicago, Illinois
Mediation Council of Illinois [Symposium on Violence, Abuse and Power Imbalance in Mediation]
Bloomington, Illinois
Continuing Education:
The University of Illinois at Chicago [The Sorrow and Pity Of Divorce: The Psychotherapeutic Considerations],
Chicago, Illinois,
Affiliations:
•Consultant to the Office of the Public Defender, Cook County,
Illinois, Juvenile Division (exclusively child custody issues)
Licenses:
•Class A Private Detective, 1983-2010
•Illinois Licensed Private Investigator, 1970-1983
•Illinois Licensed Real Estate Broker, 2006-2010
Certifications:
•Certified Child Custody Evaluator Professional Academy of Custody Evaluators
•Certified Divorce Coach North American Academy of Professional `Coaching
Legislative Accomplishments:
•Co-author of the Illinois Joint Custody Law
•Lobbied for the Illinois Unlawful Visitation Interference Law as a proponent of the bill, which became law in January of 1994.
•Authored the manuscript, Custody Evaluations and Procedures
