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Partner

Valerie D. Arnold, Esq.

Valerie Arnold is a shareholder and partner with Arnold & Rodman PA. Ms. Arnold practices in all areas of family law including divorce, interstate and international divorce and child custody, Hague Convention and non-Hague parental child abduction, parental child abduction prevention, third-party custody and visitation, and appellate law. Ms. Arnold is rated a Super Lawyer® by SuperLawyers.com based upon her work and peer recognition in the area of family law. Ms. Arnold is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), which is an international organization of family law attorneys recognized by their peers as among the most experienced and skilled in international family law matters in their respective countries. Ms. Arnold serves on the Hague Convention Committee for the USA Chapter of the IAFL.

With over twenty years experience advocating for clients in and out of the courtroom, Ms. Arnold is frequently invited to speak locally and nationally on a wide range of family law topics including advanced seminars on complex property division, discovery tactics, trial techniques, third party custody as well as interstate and international family law and mediation. Ms. Arnold has also published numerous articles on interstate and international family law including authoring the “Interstate and International Jurisdiction and Custody Issues” chapter for the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Minnesota Custody and Child Support Deskbook.

Ms. Arnold volunteers for the Tubman Law Clinic and the Ramsey County Pro Se Clinic. Ms. Arnold is a member of the U.S. State Department’s Hague Attorney Network and also serves as a mentor attorney for the Hague Attorney Network.

Admissions

1997 Minnesota Supreme Court

2004 U.S. District Court District of Minnesota

Rule 114 Qualified Neutral for Facilitative Family Law Mediation in Minnesota

Education

University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, MN

J.D. (1997)
Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court
Winter/Spring 1996, Université Jean Moulin, Lyon, France

University of Minnesota, Department of French and Italian, Minneapolis, MN

M.A. French (1992) Related Field: Art History

Université de Savoie, Chambéry, France

Maîtrise de Lettres Modernes: certificat en linguistique (French Master’s degree in linguistics) (1990)

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

B.A. French, Minor: Linguistics (1988)

Classes / Seminars Taught

Family Law Series: Child Custody Deskbook, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education

Speaker •  Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 2022
“Interstate and International Jurisdiction”

Family Law Series: Divorce Deskbook, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education

Speaker •  Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 2021
“Interstate and International Custody”

Hennepin County Bar Association

Speaker •  Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 2021
“Topics in International Family Law”

Olmsted County Bar - Family Law Section

Speaker •  May 2021
“Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act”

Minnesota Continuing Legal Education

Speaker •  Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2020
“Top Tips for Interstate and International Cases: COVID Edition”

Minnesota Continuing Legal Education

Speaker •  Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 2020
“The Complete Family Lawyer: Interstate and International Issues”

ABA Section of Family Law

Speaker •  National Webcast, October 2019
“Family Dispute Mediation in State and Federal Courts”

Minnesota Continuing Legal Education

Speaker •  Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 2019
“Appointing, Maintaining, and Removing a Parenting Consultant”

ABA Section of Family Law Conference

Speaker •  Dominican Republic, May 2019
“This Case Will Never Settle!: A Paradigm for Successful Mediation of Family Disputes in State and Federal Courts”

ABA Section of Family Law Conference

Moderator • American Bar Association, Dominican Republic, May 2019
“Bringing Orders Across Borders: Planning for International Recognition and Enforcement”

Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, Family Law Institute

Co-Speaker •  St. Paul, Minnesota, March 2018
“Interstate and International Parental Child Abduction”

Interstate and Family Law Series: Minnesota Continuing Legal Education International Custody

Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2017
“Interstate and International Custody”

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) 54th Annual Conference

Co-Speaker • Boston, Massachusetts, June 2017
"Parenting Plans in International Cases"

Family Law Series: Child Custody Deskbook, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education

Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2016
"Interstate and International Issues"

Ramsey County Bar Association, Family Law Section CLE

Speaker • St. Paul, Minnesota, November 2016
"International Divorce and Child Custody"

Family Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education

Speaker • St. Paul, Minnesota, March 2016
"Interstate and International Issues"

Minnesota Continuing Legal Education

Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2015
"The Complete Family Lawyer: Interstate and International Issues"

ABA Section of International Law

Co-Speaker • Washington, D.C., November 2015
"International Family Mediator Training: Language Barrier"

ABA Section of International Law

Co-Speaker • Washington, D.C., November 2015
"International Family Mediator Training: Agreement Drafting and Enforcement"

NBI, Inc.

Speaker • National Teleconference, June 2015
"Interstate Custody and Visitation Issues: UCCJEA and PKPA"

NBI, Inc.

Speaker • National Webcast, March 2015
"Advanced Issues In Divorce: Trouble Shooting Marriage Dissolution Issues"

Olmsted County Bar – Family Law Section

Speaker • March 2015
"Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act"

Minnesota Continuing Legal Education

Co-Speaker • Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2014
"Advanced Family Law 2014: Hot Topics in Interstate and International Family Law: Relocation, Abduction, and the Enforcement of Support Orders and Property Division"

Legal Publications

Chapter 11: The Complete Family Lawyer: Interstate and International Issues

Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, Minneapolis, Minnesota • November 2015

Interstate and International Jurisdiction and Custody Issues

Minnesota Custody and Child Support Deskbook, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education • October 2011, updated through 2022

Advanced Family Law 2014: Hot Topics in Interstate and International Family Law: Relocation, Abduction, and the Enforcement of Support Orders and Property Division

Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, Minneapolis, Minnesota • November 2014

Child Custody Procedures: Form by Form – Discovery

Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • 2013

Child Custody Procedures: Form by Form – PreTrial and Trial

Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • 2013

Family Law 50: Interstate and International

Minnesota Continuing Legal Education • November 2012

Complex Child Custody and Support Issues In Divorce: UCCJEA and UIFSA

Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • August 2012

Legal Guide to Interstate Divorce Proceedings

Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • April 2012

Evidence Tactics in Divorce: Witness Testimony

Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • 2011

Child Custody and Support in Interstate Divorce: UCCJEA and UIFSA

Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • 2011

Innovations in Resolving International Family Law Cases in Tough Economic Times

Minnesota State Bar Association, Family Law Forum • Winter 2010/11, Volume 19, No. 1.

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction

Continuing Legal Education for Professionals, NBI, Inc. • 2010

Interstate & International Civil and Criminal Remedies to Parents of Children Who Have Been Kidnapped

Minnesota State Bar Association, Family Law Forum, Volume 17, No. 1, co-author Scott Rodman • Fall 2008

Interstate and International Jurisdiction and Custody Issues

Minnesota Custody and Child Support Deskbook, Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • September 2006

International Parental Child Abduction

Bench & Bar, Volume LXI Number XI, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • December 2004

Interpreting and the Law

Ramsey County Bar Association Barrister, co-author Bruce T. Downing, Ph.D. • February 2003

International Custody Jurisdiction: The Hague Convention

Minnesota State Bar Association Family Law Forum, Volume 12, No. 3, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • Spring 2002

Preventing Parental Kidnapping: Jurisdictional and Enforcement Issues

Minnesota State Bar Association Family Law Forum, Volume 12, No. 3, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • Spring 2002

Determining Child Custody Across Jurisdictions

Bench & Bar, Volume LVI Number XI, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • December 1999

Parental Kidnapping and Child Safety: Current Case Law Trends

MILE Seminar, Bloomington, MN, co-author Thomas W. Tuft • April 1999

Professional Associations & Memberships

International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)

Member, The Committee on Hague Conventions (USA Chapter of IAML)

Board of Directors, AFCC

Minnesota Chapter (May 2009 to April 2013)

Warren E. Burger Inn of Court
Co-Chair, Ramsey County Bar Association CLE Oversight Committee

St. Paul, MN (August 2002 – May 2006)