Lauren Kominkiewicz

Pronounced Common-Kay-Witz, I hail from the Midwest where everyone knows their neighbors dating back generations. My mother has been a social worker my entire life and we would often get stopped at the grocery store to hear the latest news on a cousin or distant relative. With this long-view of history, I bring optimism and hope to the realities of interpersonal relationships during my practice as a clinical social worker and work as a young lawyer. I always seek to be of service to communities and have done my best throughout life to build the skills to help people in crisis.

I obtained my BSW from Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, and went on to complete my MSW at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I moved to Washington to serve in AmeriCorps then entered clinical social work with individuals, groups, and families in community-based settings and hospitals. After obtaining my law degree from Seattle University, I served as a lawyer working with dependent youth and bring a passion for working with families at a crossroads.

In my free time, I am an avid baker and craft enthusiast who finds a new home improvement project every week. I take every other spare moment to enjoy San Diego with my husband, daughter, and 85-pound doggo named Stout.

Why I chose to work in mediation

Throughout my professional life, I have worked on multidisciplinary teams balancing interests that are sometimes in opposition. Moving into law from social work has allowed me to meld clinical skills with the technical knowledge to help clients on many fronts. Mediation has been a through-line in my career and I look forward to continuing to grow that passion with West Coast Family Mediation Center.

My community involvement

I am a member of the State Bar of California, Young Nonprofit Professional Network, and on the board of the Pain-Free Project.