Robin Abrahamson Masson, Esq.

 

An Introduction 

Robin Abrahamson Masson  began her career representing migrant farm workers in Upstate New York and the Finger Lakes region.  She followed with several years as a Clinical Attorney and Lecturer at Cornell Law School: supervising law students in their representation of low income clients in landlord-tenant, public benefits, consumer and family law;  and teaching the law students how to interview and counsel clients, how to negotiate win-win solutions, and how to litigate cases in the courts.  In 1986, she entered private law practice; in 1988 she became a partner in the firm of Wiggins & Masson;  in 2006 she opened her own law office in the historic Boardman House. She has represented hundreds of clients in state and federal courts in trials and appeals and in negotiations.

    In recent years, Robin has shifted the focus of her law practice from litigator to facilitator, using modern, non-adversarial methods of dispute resolution, resolving conflict peacefully and respectfully without resort to the courts.  She assists clients with divorce, custody, support, separation, and other family issues using Collaborative Practice, and is a founding member and President of the Ithaca Area Collaborative Law Professionals.  She also offers services as a mediator, in which she acts as a neutral to facilitate parties' resolution of their conflict, both privately and as a volunteer at the Community Dispute Resolution Center.

Education

J.D., 1977:  National Law Center, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
 Activities: First Year Moot Court Competition
Clinical Experience: Community Legal Clinic. Representation of indigent clients in Superior
Court for the District of Columbia in custody, divorce, and consumer cases and before
the Social Security Administration. Consumer H.E.L.P. Consumer hotline, advocacy and
negotiation on behalf of consumers.

B.A. Cum Laude, 1974:  Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.
 Honors: Dean's List 1970-1974
 Outstanding Sophmore Award, 1972
 Sophmore, Junior Women's Honor Societies
 Mortar Board Member, 1973-1974
 
Summer, 1972: University of Arizona Summer Session in Guadalajara, Mexico. Proficiency in Spanish.

Admission to Practice Law

State Courts:  All New York State trial and appellate courts

Federal Courts:  United States District Court, Northern District of New York;  United States District Court, Southern District of New York;  United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Community Service

 

Professional Memberships

Amber Watkins, Paralegal/Office Manager

Amber is Robin's right hand.  Under Robin's supervision, she works with clients and drafts documents in adoptions, divorces and other family law matters, wills, health care proxies and living wills, powers of attorney,  probate proceedings, real estate closings, etc.  She provides valuable secretarial support  and manages the office.

Amber received an A.S. degree in Liberal Arts from SUNY Cobleskill in 1999  and received her Bachelors degree  in Criminal Justice from Buffalo State College in 2001.  In her Senior year at Buffalo State, Amber interned at the U.S. Probation and Parole office in downtown Buffalo.  She received a paralegal degree from Broome Community College in 2006.

Following graduation from Buffalo State, Amber counseled juvenile sex offenders at KidsPeace, a residential treatment facility.  After a few months, she moved into the classroom and obtained Teacher's Assistant Certification.  She worked in law offices in Geneva and Binghamton NY before joining Robin's team.

Amber can be reached directly at alw@massonlaw.com