WHO WE ARE
OUR FOUNDING MEMBERS:
MFAC was founded by a grassroots group of women who seek a fair, safe, and streamlined family court system for all users and which serves the best interests of children. Their collective experiences with the Massachusetts family court system have shown that the system is under-resourced and at risk for protracted delays, misuse, and inequities, the judicial outcomes are unpredictable, and the cost is unaffordable to most.
These systemic shortfalls are barriers to accessible and equitable justice for all and do not ensure the best interests of Massachusetts children and families.
With the legendary phoenix as their emblem, they believe that each challenge brings an opportunity for change and renewal. They are hopeful for a better system for all.
MFAC LEADERSHIP
Margie Palladino, Executive Director
Margie Palladino is a graduate of Colgate University and Boston College Law School. She is a retired commercial litigator and a small-business owner. She left the practice of law to be the family’s caregiver of her two children. After her experience in the Massachusetts family court, she felt the strong desire and need to advocate on behalf of women and children impacted by the family court system. Margie is former chair of Family Court Reform at Jane Does Well and is co-author of MFAC’s “Equitable and Accessible Justice For All: A Working Report on the Massachusetts Family Court System.”
Contact Margie at mjpalladino@massfamily.org
Lori Sherman Johnson, Director
Lori is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and earned an MBA in finance from the University of Michigan. She worked in the finance industry in New York and Asia before stepping away from her career to become the family’s full-time caregiver to her three children. Through her divorce, she discovered the inequitable economic treatment of caregivers in Massachusetts family law and became a dedicated advocate for family law reform. Lori is the former co-executive director of MFAC, former director of the Awareness and Advocacy Committee at Jane Does Well; co-author of MFAC’s “Equitable and Accessible Justice For All: A Working Report on the Massachusetts Family Court System;” and co-author of “Jane Does Well Public Comments and Recommendations to the 2020-2021 Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines Task Force”.
Contact Lori at ljohnson@massfamily.org
Rebecca Epstein, Director
Rebecca, a graduate of Barnard College and Tufts University School of Medicine, is a rare disease patient advocate and a longtime champion for women’s safety. A mother of four, she has spent the past eight years working on issues related to women’s safety alongside her professional advocacy work. Her experience in family court was both financially devastating and deeply traumatic, marked by a lack of protection for her and her children. Determined to turn that pain into purpose, Rebecca is committed to driving meaningful change in the family court system—because this is not the system she wants to leave for her daughter.
Contact Rebecca at repstein@massfamily.org
Lori Bassinger, Director
Lori is a family law attorney, pharmacist, and long-time advocate for systemic reform in family courts, with a particular focus on coercive control, post-separation abuse, and the impact of court processes on women and children. Her work, motivated by her own experience in family court, centers on advancing trauma-informed legal practices, increasing judicial and professional understanding of coercive control, and addressing structural gaps that place survivors at continued risk. Through advocacy, education, and coalition leadership on TRAC (Together Rising Above Coercion), Lori works to elevate survivor-informed perspectives and promote reforms that reflect the realities families face long after separation. Lori is also a mother of three adult children and remains committed to work that strengthens families, protects children, and supports long-term stability through informed, compassionate systems.
Mary Olberding, Director
Elected in 2012, Mary serves as Register of Deeds for the 20 cities and towns of Hampshire County. She spent six years on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Registers and Assistant Registers Association, including three years as president, elected by her peers. Mary is a dedicated advocate for women’s empowerment. She began her long association with Emerge Massachusetts in 2011, helping women run for political office, and served on its Board of Directors for six years. She has worked with Suffrage100MA since 2017, and now serves on the Advisory Committee of the Massachusetts Women’s History Center. Her other volunteer activities include serving on the Finance Committee in her hometown and with the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts. After her own experience with the family court system, Mary has recently focused her advocacy on supporting victims of domestic abuse and working to advance legislation that strengthens protections and drives meaningful reform in the Massachusetts family court system.