Kathryn S. Lazar co-founded Lazar and Schwartz in 1984, after working at Hudson Valley Legal Services, serving as Assistant County Attorney handling child abuse cases and being in private practice with Laura Zeisel. After living in New York, Illinois, Nevada, California and Oregon, Kathryn settled in the Hudson Valley after finishing Cornell Law School, along with Robert Schwartz, her law partner and husband. In 2021 the firm added a valuable partner, Brett Jones, and is now known as Lazar Schwartz & Jones, LLP.
Kathryn’s many personal interests, in addition to her family, include a commitment to raising money to fight breast cancer (she walked and crewed in the 39.3 mile Avon Breast Cancer fundraiser for many years), professional training, gardening and international travel. Her primary professional focus is conflict resolution in the family arena. She introduced Mediation and Collaborative Divorce to Dutchess County, and has devoted much energy to facilitating the growth of the Collaborative Divorce movement in the Hudson Valley. She has been honored as one of the 10 Best Female Attorneys by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, and by the Mediation Center of Dutchess County for her work founding the organization. She also received honors from the Hudson Valley Psychological Association for promoting peaceful resolution of disputes through her work in Mediation and Collaborative Law.
Education
Reed College, B.A. with honors
Cornell Law School, J.D. cum laude
Admitted to Practice
New York State
U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of New York
Current Affiliations
Hudson Valley Collaborative Divorce Association – Founder
MH Mediation – Founder
Advanced Practitioner, Association for Conflict Resolution
International Association of Collaborative Professionals
Founder
Lazar & Schwartz, 1980
Battered Women’s Law Project 1977
Dutchess County Dispute Resolution Center 1982
MH Mediation, 1982
Hudson Valley Collaborative Divorce and Dispute Resolution Association, 2002
Lazar Schwartz Jones, LLP, 2021
Community Activities
Matrimonial Commission Member, 1996
Board Member, Poughkeepsie Day School, 1990 – 2002
Board Member, Grace Smith House, (battered women’s shelter) 1981-1984
Board Member, East Fishkill Zoning Board, 1996 – 2001
Dutchess County Ethics Committee Member, 1982-1992
Dutchess County Bar Association Grievance Committee Member, 1982-1991