Melissa Again Named Among Top Lawyers in Washingtonian

Melissa was named to the Washingtonian Magazine’s Top Lawyers in Divorce and Family Law. The list is compiled annual by editorial staff, in consultation with practitioners throughout the D.C. metro area.

Melissa Assumes Role of President of AAML DC Chapter in January 2026

Founded in 1961, the AAML was created to "encourage the study,  improve the practice, elevate the standards and advance the cause of matrimonial law, the end that the welfare of the family and society be preserved".  To become a member of this organization, one must endure a rigorous application process, sit for a national examination, and be interviewed by leadership within the organization.  Therefore, the AAML prides itself on admitting the very best family lawyers, who, above everything else, comport themselves with the highest ethical standards. In January 2026, Melissa will assume the role of President of the District of Columbia Chapter of the AAML for a 2-year-term.

Melissa named Top Attorney by Bethesda Magazine

Bethesda Magazine has published its annual rankings of Top Attorneys. Melissa was ranked among the Top Attorneys in 2025 in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution. In addition to serving as an expert and consulting on international family law cases for lawyers and their clients, Melissa also routinely serves as a neutral in these complex cross-border cases.

Melissa Co-Chairs International Programming at ABA Meeting

The American Bar Association - Family Law Section held its annual fall meeting in Montreal, Quebec last week. In addition to its normal agenda, the section hosted a full day of pre-conference programming focused on international family law issues. Four panels explored the various complicated issues inherent in representing an international family, ranging from how to create a family across borders, movement of children, protecting assets, and many other topics. Melissa was proud to co-chair the day’s programming with Bruce Hale.

Melissa Named in 2026 Edition of Best Lawyers in America®

Melissa was again named to the Best Lawyers in America® (2026 ed). This year, she not only received the honor in the area of Family Law for the District of Columbia, but also in Family Law Mediation. Best Lawyers involves a nomination process along with a peer review for all those lawyers named to the annual list.

Melissa designated to Mediation Network in MENA region

Melissa Kucinski is proud to be a new member of The Mediation Hub: MENA. This amazing network advances mediation as a critical dispute resolution process in the MENA region by bringing experts together to develop, lead, and mobilize awareness about mediation. You can find Melissa’s profile here.

Melissa Reappointed Member of ULC Joint Editorial Board

Melissa has been reappointed as one of only two members from the American Bar Association to the Uniform Law Commission’s Joint Editorial Board on Uniform Family Law. This austere body is critical to the formation of family law within the United States. The ULC’s work is grounded in a multi-year process that often starts with these Joint Editorial Boards who propose potential new acts that the Board determines would improve the law throughout the country. This Board has proposed and fostered such projects as the Uniform Judicial Interview of Children Act, the Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act, and the Uniform Family Law Arbitration Act. The Board also monitors state enactment and interpretation of the ULC’s acts and puts forth guidance, when needed, to ensure the proper understanding of its acts. It has done this on several occasions, most recently in November of 2024 when it added to the literature on the distinction between custody jurisdiction principles in the United States under one of its acts (the UCCJEA) and the Hague Abduction Convention. You can learn more about the Uniform Law Commission and its Joint Editorial Board on Uniform Family Law here.

Melissa Ranked in Band 2 by Chambers & Partners for HNW Family/Matrimonial Law

Melissa was ranked by Chambers & Partners in its High Net Worth rankings for Family/Matrimonial Law in the District of Columbia. Melissa is only one of 8 lawyers ranked in the District in this annual guide on the top lawyers. Chambers & Partners provides rankings after a rigorous review process, including an application, interview, and referee feedback.

Melissa Invited to Experts Meeting in London

Melissa was invited to a meeting of experts at the University of Westminster School of Law in August 2025 in London. She was asked to present on the topic of preventing international parental child abduction by making mediation a more accessible tool to families. While in England, Melissa will be attending the World Congress on Family Law and Children’s Rights at the University of Cambridge.

Melissa Wraps Up Term as Reporter of New Uniform Act

Melissa is approaching the end of her term as the Reporter of the Uniform Law Commission’s newest act, the Uniform Judicial Interviews of Children Act. This new act provides critical guidance to judges who interview children in their parents’ private disputes, such as custody cases and parental child abduction cases. The Reporter is the primary drafter of this act, guided by a committee of Commissioners (appointed by their State governments), Advisors, and Observers. This new act was put before the Uniform Law Commission at its annual meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico in July 2025 for its final line-by-line reading.

Melissa Quoted by Spears Magazine on Legal Risks in Relocation

Melissa was quoted by the Spears Magazine in a recent article that explored the legal risks of international relocation, including moving with children, and the Washington Declaration, a set of principles adopted by the Hague Conference on Private International Law to provide clarity on what courts should consider in these complex cases. You can read the article here.

Melissa Ranked by Chambers and Partners in Mediation

MKFL is pleased to announce that Melissa Kucinski has earned a Band 2 ranking in the 2025 Chambers USA Nationwide Guide in the area of Mediation. In speaking with Chambers USA, colleagues shared the following thoughts on Melissa:

“Melissa is knowledgeable in jurisdictional matters.”

“Melissa is second to none in terms of her knowledge of international family law. She has a wonderfully reassuring manner which enables her to gain the confidence of parties in mediation.”

“She does a fantastic job as a mediator, she offers suggestions and plants creative seeds that are able to settle a case. She offers creative solutions; she's certainly invaluable.”

“Melissa is the top international family lawyer in the US.”

“Melissa has a wonderful temperament, is very responsive, and is definitely on top of things.”

Melissa’s law and mediation practice focuses exclusively on working with family lawyers and their clients when there is an international element to the family law dispute.

Melissa Ranked by Superlawyers for 2025

Melissa was again rated by Superlawyers, receiving three separate rankings in the 2025 list. This is Melissa’s tenth consecutive year being rated as a Washington DC Superlawyer. She also again received the rankings of Top 100 DC Superlawyers and Top 50 Women Superlawyers in Washington, DC. She received those rankings for a fifth consecutive year.

Superlawyers is a peer-influenced and research-driven ranking, selecting the top 5% of attorneys to its list each year.

Melissa to Sit on Panel at Sold-Out International Family Law Conference

Melissa will be co-presenting at the Expatriate Law International Family Law Conference in France next week. Her panel will focus on “the impact of allegations of abuse on our children and financial cases.” Melissa will share her perspective on this critical topic as an international family mediator.

Melissa Helps Plan Meeting on International Child Relocation

Melissa is honored to be part of a Planning Committee that is organizing an invitation-only meeting in Washington, D.C. to discuss the progress and global perspectives on international child relocation. The event is a look back at the Washington Declaration, a set of guidelines published 15 years ago by the Hague Conference on International Law (HCCH) on the issue. The Planning Committee is comprised of a small group of experts from the HCCH, the Embassy of Canada to the United States, and the International Academy of Family Lawyers (of which Melissa is an active fellow and serves its global Board of Governors).

Melissa named among Top Family Lawyers by Doyles Guide

Doyles Guide is a leading directory of lawyers, initially published in Australia, which has now expanded its rankings to the United States. Melissa has been named among its top family lawyers in its first published rankings in Washington, D.C. You can view the rankings and learn more about Doyles Guide here about Doyles Guide here.

Melissa Collaborates with New York State Judicial Institute

Melissa is collaborating with the New York State Judicial Institute in designing a comprehensive curriculum for New York judges in all aspects of international family law. The NYSJI provides cutting-edge educational programming for judges throughout the state in all disciplines of the law. With the Institute’s dedication to an international family law curriculum, New York judges will be some of the most highly trained in the country in this complicated and far-reaching area of practice.

Melissa to be Guest Speaker at Annual Child Abduction Conference Hosted by Top London Chambers

Melissa has been invited to speak on tips and traps in US-UK child abduction cases at the annual conference of 1KBW Chambers. 1KBW Chambers is a pre-eminent family law chambers in London specializing in financial and children’s matters and expert in international family cases. 1KBW’s annual child abduction conference features the expertise of the Chambers and devotes its conference proceeds to the work of Reunite, a nonprofit who has long supported families in cases of international movement of children.

Melissa is honored to be included among the extraordinary lineup of speakers, and to connect with her colleagues in London in late January.

Melissa named among Washingtonian Top Lawyers in 2024

Melissa was again ranked among the Top Divorce and Family Lawyers in the 2024 issue of the Washingtonian. This annual list ranks the Washington metropolitan area’s top legal talent in sixteen discrete areas of practice. Washington, D.C. has one of the highest concentration of professionals with law degrees in the United States.

MKFL named Tier 1 Family Law Firm in DC by Best Lawyers

MKFL is named among the Best Law Firms, Tier 1, in Washington, D.C. in the field of family law. The rankings include client feedback, peer reviews, industry leader interviews, and detailed analysis of law firm data. MKFL is proud to be one of 18 D.C. firms ranked in the field of family law and one of only 11 that achieved the Tier 1 ranking.

MKFL Celebrates 11th Anniversary & 3rd as an International Family Law Consulting Boutique

Since re-envisioning her practice 3 years ago to exclusively help families with the most complicated international issues, Melissa has been invited to some of the biggest stages across the globe to participate in the conversations that most impact international families.

A leader in some of the most prestigious international family law bars; invited to high level diplomatic meetings in The Hague; providing advice and testimony to the U.S. Congress, Maryland General Assembly, and the U.S. Department of State; appointments as Reporter for a Uniform Law Commission Drafting Committee and to its Joint Editorial Board on Uniform Family Laws; appointments as an adjunct professor at GW Law and UC Law San Francisco; guest lecturer at the University of Bologna and Georgetown Law; invited to train judges in Florida, California, Maryland, and New York; authoring innovative articles in some of the most esteemed peer reviewed journals; co-authoring a seminal textbook in the USA on international family law; speaking on some of the most complicated topics to some of the most dynamic and skilled family lawyers.

Melissa has been in the places that matter for international families, improving laws, consulting on cases, and training the decision-makers. She is honored by the trust she has been given by so many. Here is to the next three years as MKFL continues to grow as a premiere international family law boutique firm, consulting on and resolving disputes exclusively for international families.

Melissa Testifies before U.S. Congress

On September 10, 2024, Melissa testified before the U.S. Congress Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations on the International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (ICAPRA). ICAPRA was enacted in 2014, and is now 10 years old. It highlights certain tools that the U.S. government can use in addressing international parental child abduction, mandates that the U.S. Department of State publish an annual report on countries to which children are taken from the United States by a parent, and established the Prevent Abduction program. Melissa provided testimony, buttressed by a written statement, that focused on raw data already published, and the need for more, to establish the inherent problems in legal systems for the operation of existing laws in these cross-border family disputes. She proposed more discussion on complementary legal issues, such as international family relocation laws, abduction prevention research, and the recognition and enforcement of U.S. custody orders overseas, including through the Hague Child Protection Convention, which is not yet ratified by the United States. You can watch the recording of Tuesday’s hearing at this link and read the witnesses’ written testimony at this link.

Melissa Co-Authors annual International Family Law review

The American Bar Association International Law Section and the SMU Dedman School of Law publish an annual journal issue titled the Year-in-Review. It provides international legal updates on a wide range of disciplines for the past calendar year. Melissa has co-authored the article on International Family Law for over a decade. The article providing the 2023 international family law legal updates was recently released and can be found here.

Melissa named in Best Lawyers 2025 for Family Law

Melissa has been selected by her peers for inclusion in the 31st edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for her expertise in Family Law in Washington, DC. She has been recognized in this publication since 2018.

Melissa takes stage at Uniform Law Commission annual meeting

Melissa serves as the Reporter for a drafting committee in the Uniform Law Commission, which convened at its annual meeting in Boston in mid-July. During that annual meeting, Melissa’s act, the Uniform Judicial Interview of Children Act was reviewed for the first time by the entire Commission, which provided its feedback on the draft and the policy decisions taken by the committee to date. The drafting committee will continue meeting over the course of the next year, and have its final reading of the act in July 2025. The act provides guidance to judges who interview children in chambers during private children’s disputes, such as custody or abduction cases. You can read the draft of the act that was reviewed by the Commission here. You can watch the reading of the act from July 23, 2024 here (it is the Eighth Session).

Melissa Co-Authors Article for American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Journal

The Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (JAAML) was established in 1984 and features peer reviewed articles, reviews, and editorials covering all aspects of the Family Law profession. The Journal is published by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and issued semiannually. The most recent issue focuses exclusively on international family law topics. Melissa Co-Authored the article “To Return or Not To Return – That Is The Question: Tensions Between Non-Refoulement and Orders of Return Under the Hague Abduction Convention.”The article focuses on the potential conflicts, in the United States, when a parent travels into the United States with their child and seeks asylum, and the non-traveling parent seeks the child’s return home using the Hague Abduction Convention.

Melissa Named Washington, D.C. Superlawyer 2024

Melissa has again been listed among the D.C. Superlawyers. On April 22, 2024, Superlawyers released its 2024 Washington, D.C. Top Lawyers lists. Melissa was named a Top 100 Lawyer in Washington, D.C. and among the Top 50 Women Lawyers in D.C.

Superlawyers uses a multiphase selection process that includes peer nominations and evaluation, independent research, and results in only 5% of attorneys being selected.

Melissa Awarded Woman of the Year - Family Law Silver by CityWealth

On March 14, 2024, CityWealth hosted the Annual PowerWomen Awards in New York. Among the awardees, Melissa was awarded the silver award for Woman of the Year in the field of Family Law. Congratulations to all of the awardees.

Melissa co-authors article in Giustizia consensuale

Melissa has co-authored an article that explores the complications of arbitrating an international children’s case from the U.S. perspective in an upcoming issue of Giustizia consensuale, pre-eminent peer-reviewed legal journal in Italy.

Melissa Shortlisted for 2024 Citywealth Powerwomen Awards

Melissa has been shortlisted by Citywealth for its 2024 U.S. Powerwomen Awards in the category of Woman of the Year in Family Law. Winners will be named on March 14, 2024 in New York. Congratulations to everyone who has been nominated for this year’s awards.