Judy Kurth Dougherty has been practicing family law in the greater Houston area for more than 30 years. She has been a frequent author and educator throughout her legal career, primarily in alternative dispute resolution (ADR). For 5 years as an adjunct professor at University of Houston law school, Judy taught mediation and negotiation skills. She has been a pioneer in the field of mediation serving on many significant boards, panels, and organizations since 1980. In addition, she was one of the earliest trained collaborative lawyers. She was recipient of Texas Association of Mediator's Susanne C. Adams Award for Outstanding Commitment and Dedication to the Mediation Profession.
Although Judy has been a successful litigator, her social work background and negotiation skills have helped her clients resolve most of her cases out of court with more productive resolutions. She works in partnership with clients to fashion long-term solutions that focus on building positive relationships without further court intervention.
She is a 1978 graduate and former adjunct professor of the University of Houston Law School with a Masters in Social Work from the University of Texas. She was a Director of HBA/ADR Section, Director Houston Chapter of ACR (formerly SPIDR & AFM), Advanced Practitioner of the Association for Conflict Resolution, former President/ founder of Family Mediation Network of Greater Houston, a former Director/ founder of the Texas Association of Family Mediators, former Director of the Houston Bar Association ADR Committee, former Director of Association of Attorney Mediators. Judy is a member of the IACP (International Association Collaborative Professionals), the Collaborative Law Institute, and Collaborative Family Lawyers Houston. She is a partner in the Houston firm of Dougherty and Dougherty, and has been a mediator since 1980 for, among others, American Arbitration Association, U.S. Postal Service, World Bank, U.S. Southern Federal District Panel, and trainer for Harris County Dispute Resolution Center, AAA and A.A. White. Her recent publications include: "Family Mediation," Handbook of Alternate Dispute Resolution, 2nd Edition, 1990, 3rd Edition, 2001; "Going Postal: A New Definition & Model for Employment Alternative Dispute Resolution", Houston Lawyer, 2000; "Collaborative Law, What Does It Mean To Mediators," Alternative Resolutions, 2001; and "Collaborative Divorce," Legal News, April 2005.
Judy has been involved in the community through the boards of Multi-cultural Education and Counseling through the Arts, the Krist Samaritan Counseling Center, St. Luke's Methodist Church (also as a Sunday School Teacher), Amigos de las Americas, SIDS of Greater Houston, Post Oak YMCA International, Building Task Force Dodson Montessori River Oaks Elementary School, and Crestwood-Glencove Civil Club. In addition she has been active in the Asian Society and the St. Joseph's Women's Public Relations Council, and has served as a Girl Scout Leader and Boy Scout Badge Counselor.
She is married to Jim Dougherty, her husband (and partner) of 35 years, with whom she has two children, Sean and Cara. Sean is an economist at the OECD in Paris (having graduated from Bellaire, Rice, MIT, and UPenn). Cara is a public policy analyst at the World Wildlife Fund in Washington (having graduated from Lamar, Rice, Columbia, and the University of Texas).
e-mail: judy@doughertylaw.com
