Professional Experience
Brot • Gross • Fishbein • LLP May 1, 2019 – March 31, 2026
Partner in law firm specializing in family law litigation. Represented parties in family law proceedings and mediation consulting. Served as court-appointed minor’s counsel in family law proceedings. Represented parties in DCFS investigations and dependency proceedings.
Brot & Gross, LLP January 2016 – April 2019
Partner in law firm specializing in family law litigation. Represented parties in family law, adoption, probate, and dependency proceedings. Represented relatives and caretakers in dependency proceedings. Served as court-appointed minor’s counsel in family law proceedings.
Carlson & Greenberg July 2008 - January 2016
Managing partner in law firm with focus on child custody litigation in family law, adoption, probate, and dependency proceedings. Appointed minor’s counsel in family law proceedings.
Law Office of Elise Greenberg July 2004 - July 2008
Solo practitioner. Appointed as minor’s counsel in family law custody disputes, guardianship and adoption cases. Represented petitioners in dependency and adoption matters.
Children's Law Center of Los Angeles May 2000 - July 2004
Attorney, Law Offices of Lisa Mandel
Managed caseload of approximately 250 minors in dependency court proceedings. Daily in-court representation including trials, motions, hearings, and interviews of multiple clients. Responsible for independent investigation of minor's dependency case as well as other potential legal rights, including advocating with schools, Regional Center, and DCFS.
Public Counsel Adoptions Project Spring 2000
Pro Bono Attorney
Office of the Cook County Public Guardian September 1997 - October 1999
Assistant Public Guardian/GAL II, Juvenile Division
Attorney and guardian ad litem assigned to represent approximately 400 children in foster care. Represented minors throughout their tenure in the child welfare system including presenting their cases at trial, motions, and various hearings.
Office of the Attorney General of the State of Illinois
January - September 1997
Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Appeals Division
Office of the Cook County State's Attorney 1994 - 1996
Law Clerk in Felony Trials Division
Law Clerk in Criminal Appeals Division
Des Plaines Valley Community Center October 1991 - August 1993
Victim Advocate
Assisted adult and child sexual assault victims as they pursued prosecution. Conducted victim sensitive interviews with detectives. Accompanied victims to court hearings and to emergency rooms for treatment and evidence collection. Trained students and professionals in sexual assault laws. Conducted child abuse prevention workshops with students.
Presentations
Los Angeles County Bar Association Minor’s Counsel Training
October 2008, “The Investigation.”
October 2009, “Working as a Team: Health Professionals, Minor’s Counsel, Parents & Counsel.”
October 2010, “Family Court & Dependency Court Differences–What Minor’s Counsel Needs to Know.”
October 2011, “Be Safe, Be Aware, Beware-Personal Safety Issues for Minor’s Counsel.”
October 2012, “When Your Minor’s Counsel Case Ends Up in Dependency Court.”
October 2014, “Interviewing Children: How to, and Preparing the Minor Child.”
October 2015, “Crossover Issues: Representing Children in Family Court, Probate Court, and Dependency Court: Differences and Similarities.”
October 2016, “Conflicts of Interests and Other Ethical Dilemmas.”
October 2017, “When Special Issues Arise.”
September 2018, “Minor’s Counsel 101 - Family law, Probate, and Dependency.”
“Most Common Questions and Scenarios and How to Respond.”
November 2019, “The Evidence Code Applies in Family Law.”
“Professional Responsibilities: Knowing the Difference Between What You Have a Right to Do and What is Right to Do.”
September 2020, “The Nuts and Bolts of Remote Court Appearances.”
October 2021, “Preparing Your Minor Client to Testify and How to Take the Child's Testimony.”
October 2022, "The Risky Business of Being Minor's Counsel."
"Using Evidence to Fuel Your Representation of Your Minor Client."
October 2023, "Interviewing Minor Clients."
October 2024, "The Digital Life of Teenagers," "The Role of Minor's Counsel in DV Proceedings," and "Presenting Admissible Evidence."
October 2025, “Let New Adventures Begin,” “Putting the Counsel Back in Minor’s Counsel,” and “Evidence Panel.”
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Family Law Section
January 2013, “Custody Challenges: Dealing With Dilemmas in Child Custody Litigation.”
May 2024, “The Civility Toolbox: Tools for Creating and Maintaining Civility in Family Law Litigation.”
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section
December 2023, “Intersection of Probate Guardianship and Family Law.”
San Fernando Valley Bar Association
March 2013, “Understanding the Ramifications of Child Abuse Allegations and DCFS Investigations in Your Family Law Case: What Every Family Law Practitioner Needs to Know.”
March 2017, “Crossover Issues Between Dependency and Family Court.”
March 2020, “Current Role of Minor’s Counsel”
Beverly Hills Bar Association
November 2016, “The Effects of Domestic Violence on Custody Proceedings and the Interplay with the Dependency Court System.”
Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles
Fall 2015, “Alienation and Estrangement: Guidance for Dependency Court Minor’s Counsel.”
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Chapter Conference
February 2010, “In the Eye of the Storm: Minor’s Counsel Gives Voice to the Child.”
EducatioN
DePaul University College of Law - J.D., June 1996.
University College of Dublin, School of LawDublin, Ireland, Spring 1995.
Yale University - B.A. in Psychology, May 1991.
UCLA Extension - Family Law Program, Spring 2004.
Professional Associations
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Family Law Section
Executive Committee Member 2022-present
Chair/Co-Chair Minor’s Counsel Committee 2022-present
Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States
Beverly Hills Bar Association
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Honors & Recognitions\
Best Lawyers in America (2025 & 2026)
Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Family Lawyers” in the U.S
Daily Journal list Top Family Lawyers, 2025
