Marlis Bruns, M.A., ABVE-D
Stevenson and Bruns
Vocational Consultants
10 Crow Canyon Court, Suite 110
San Ramon, CA 94583
925.820.5584
marlis@stevensonbruns.com
Education
MA, Counseling Psychology, with honors, Golden Gate University, 2002
BA, California State University, Chico, 1993
Certificate, Collaborative Law, Collaborative Legal Practice Institute, 2002
Assessment Approaches in Career Development, John F. Kennedy University, Summer 2003
Professional Experience
Vocational Evaluator
Partner, Stevenson and Bruns
2001 —Present
Marlis evaluates individuals for the purpose of assessing future employability and wage earning capacity in conformity with California Family Code, Section 4320. She has qualified and testified as a court expert in Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo, San Francisco, Solano, Santa Clara, and Sacramento Counties. She is qualified to administer and interpret vocational test instruments and has performed in-depth research and statistical analysis for re-entry and professional workers in numerous industries, including information technology, education, social services, architecture/ engineering, graphic and fine arts, medical sciences and professional services. She is knowledgeable about availability, duration and costs associated with the training and rehabilitation programs in the Bay Area. She has conducted out-of-area evaluations on numerous occasions.
Marlis conducts diagnostic interviews to understand an individual’s background, education and work experience. She interprets vocational test results to identify transferable work skills, aptitudes, values and interests and has experience reporting conclusions supported by documented data, primary and secondary research, including minimum qualifications, earnings averages, and, when applicable, timeframe estimates to reach stated objectives.
Corporate and Non-Profit Experience
Marlis has nine years experience in management and staff positions in the corporate and non-profit sectors. Her job functions included recruitment, fundraising, marketing, training, business development and control of annual budgets exceeding 1.2 million. Marlis applies her knowledge of work culture, hiring practices, and interviewing strategies to help individuals identify a broad selection of career options and make realistic career choices.
Associations and Affiliations
American Board of Vocational Experts, Diplomat
National Career Development Association
California Career Development Association
Alameda County Bar Association, Family Law Section
Contra Costa County Bar Association, Family Law Section
Presentations
American Board of Vocational Experts, Panel Member, 2003
Topic: Practice Management Techniques in a Marital Dissolution Case
Bar Association of San Francisco/ Family Law Section, Speaker, 2003
Topic: The Use and Misuse of Vocational Evaluations in a Spousal Support Motion
Contra Costa County Bar Association/ Family Law Section, Speaker, 2004
Topic: How to Use a Vocational Evaluation in a Down Economy
American Board of Vocational Experts, Moderator/ Speaker, 2004
Topic: Vocational Evaluation: Standards of Practice in California Family Law
Collaborative Law Association of Contra Costa County, Speaker, 2005
Topic: Overview of the Vocational Evaluation Process in a Collaborative Dissolution
Contra Costa County Bar Association/ Family Law Section, Speaker, 2005
Topic: Identifying and Dealing with Bias in a Vocational Evaluation
American Board of Vocational Experts, Speaker, 2005
Topic: Marketing your Forensic Practice
Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, 2007
Topic: Best Practices: Effective Advocacy with a Vocational Evaluation
Alameda County Family Lawyers Association, 2007
Topic: An Overview of a More Effective — and Trackable — Seek Work Order
American Board of Vocational Experts, 2007
Topic: Interactive Report Writing for Different Forensic Venues
State Bar of California Section Education Institute, 2009
Topic: Imputing Income for Spousal and Child Support Motions
Public Radio Segment: KALW Your Legal Rights, hosted by Chuck Finney, 2009
Topic: “Manimony”
Contra Costa County Bar Association Family Law Section/ Mentoring and Networking Group, 2010
Topic: An Overview of Vocational Evaluations in Marital Dissolution
Contra Costa County Bar Association Family Law Section, 2011
Co-presenter with Commissioner James Libbey
Topic: Unemployed Parties and Seek Work Orders
American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers Mentoring Group, 2012
Topic: Vocational Evaluations and Family Law: An Overview
Contra Costa County Bar Association Family Law Section, 2012
Co-presenter with Commissioner Josanna Berkow
Topic: The Impact of the Current Labor Market on Vocational Evaluations
Contra Costa County Bar Association Family Law Section, 2013
Topic: Seek Work Orders and Other Vocational Evaluation Issues
California State Bar Association Webinar Presenter, 2013
Topic: Rising to the Challenge: Earning Capacity Assessment in Today’s Job Market
San Mateo County Bar Association, 2013
Topic: The Realities and Practicalities of the Current Economy and Vocational Evaluations
California State Bar Association Co-Presenter, 2013
Topic: Imputing Income for Child and Spousal Support in Today’s Job Market
Alameda County Bar Association Family Law Section, 2014
Co-presenter with Judge Alice Vilardi
Topic: The Impact of the Current Labor Market on Imputing Income and Seeking Work
American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, Contra Costa County, 2015
Presenter – Mentoring Group
Topic: Overview of Vocational Evaluations
American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, 40th Annual Northern California Symposium, 2016 Presenter with Alexandra Mussallem, Attorney, and Marjorie Slabach, Family Law Judge (Retired)
Topic: Three Perspectives on the Imputation of Income
American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, San Mateo County, 2016
Presenter – Mentoring Group
Topic: Introduction to Vocational Evaluations and the Assessment of Earning Capacity
Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, Contra Costa County, 2018
Presenter with Joseph H. Wolch, Esq. and Commissioner Glen Oleon (Retired)
Topic: Understanding and Exploring Aspects of Income Imputatio
American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2019
Presenter-Mentoring Group
Topic: Overview of the Vocational Evaluation Process
Contra Costa County Bar Association Family Law Section, 2020
Topic: Coronavirus & Earning Capacity: Vocational Evaluations in the Covid-19 Marketplace
Co-Presenter: Alameda County Bar Association Family Law Section, 2022
Topic: BIAS is a Four-letter Word
Co: Presenter: San Mateo County Bar Association Family Law Section, 2022
Topic: BIAS is a Four-letter Word
California Lawyers Association Family Law Section, 2022
Facts and Fallacies: A Look at the Post-Covid Job Market
Contra Costa Bar Association Family Law Section, 2022
Facts and Fallacies: A Look at the Post-Covid Job Market
American Bar Association Family Law Spring CLE Conference, 2023
Topic: Tips and Tricks for Winning a Maintenance Case in the Post-Covid Era