About Mary G.
Mary G. Commander has practiced law for decades after earning her J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1978. She completed her undergraduate studies at Old Dominion University in 1977. Those early years set the tone for a career that bridges courtroom practice, mediation and collaborative processes.
Her career has ranged across roles that require both advocacy and facilitation. She is the managing partner at Commander Law, Lawyers And Mediators, where she handles contested matters and alternative dispute resolution. She is a Virginia Supreme Court–certified circuit court and J&DR court family mediator. She also holds certification as a guardian ad litem from the same court. Those credentials inform how she approaches cases and how she directs the firm’s services.
Commander’s professional life includes extensive involvement in bar and practitioner organizations. She is a current member of the American Bar Association and the Norfolk Portsmouth Bar Association. She serves in the Family Law Section of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. She has been active in local and statewide groups that shape family law practice, and she previously served as president of the Tidewater Chapter of the Virginia Women Lawyers Association. She belongs to the James Kent American Inns of Court and maintains membership in the Virginia Mediation Network, the Virginia Collaborative Professionals, and Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Tidewater. International connections include membership in the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Academy of Professional Family Mediators.
Outside legal listings, Commander keeps ties to academic and civic groups. She is a life member of Friends of the Old Dominion University Library and participates in alumni and alumnae associations, including Pi Beta Phi and Delta Theta Phi. Those relationships reflect an ongoing engagement with education and community networks.
Her practice blends litigation and nonlitigious options. She represents clients in family law matters while also serving as mediator and guardian ad litem in custody and related disputes. At Commander Law, Lawyers And Mediators she oversees case strategy, mediations and collaborative sessions, and mentors younger attorneys. She currently practices family law and mediation in Virginia, handling divorce, custody and collaborative law matters.
