Dana Jo-Ann Richardson

What Is My Why? – PEACE During my early working years, I was a Paramedic. Yes, a Paramedic, as in lights, sirens, stretchers, IVs and yelling, “Clear!” before sending 300 joules of electricity into someone’s heart in hopes of saving their life. Stress and working well under pressure is nothing new to me. After giving birth to my son, Alexander, I decided to go back to school. I was not sure in which direction I wanted to go. I had always wanted to become a world renowned chef and open my own restaurant so I went to culinary school. Yes, Culinary school as in crème brule and crepe Suzette. After earning my associate degree in Specialized Technology, Culinary Arts, and completing my externship at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN, I realized that I wanted to do more to help people. I thought long and hard about who I was at my core and the type of mark I wanted to leave upon the world, and I landed squarely on the practice of law. During my early years of practicing law, I became drawn to the practice of Family Law because I noticed an opportunity to make a real impact in peoples’ lives by helping them navigate through matters such as divorce and custody. I saw that I not only able to do the legal work, but through our work together I was able to help my clients craft and execute plans to restore peace in their lives. I believe that I am effective in helping my clients because I know what is like to live a life that lacks peace. I grew up in the Homewood area of Pittsburgh and although I enjoyed a happy and peaceful childhood, I was not immune from seeing how issues such as violence, drug addiction and crime impacted other families around me. By the time I was a young adult my childhood home had deteriorated into a dysfunctional nightmare that contained atrocities such as physical abuse, mental abuse, rape, drug use, crime, narcissism, gaslighting, and people with serious psychiatric issues within its walls. This was a stark contrast to the happiness, peace, and