About Max
Max Ruthenberg-Marshall is an attorney admitted to practice in California and Georgia. They have built a practice that blends courtroom work and mediated dispute resolution. Colleagues describe a measured courtroom presence and steady work in family and civil matters.
Ruthenberg-Marshall began college at the University of Maryland, College Park, earning a B.A. in English in 2003. They went on to law school at The George Washington University Law School, where they completed a J.D. in 2010. That academic path combined a humanities background with formal legal training.
After law school, Ruthenberg-Marshall entered practice in family law. In 2012 they joined Hanrahan Freitag Family Law as an associate. There they handled client intake, negotiated agreements, and appeared in hearings. The experience provided regular exposure to contested and uncontested family law matters.
In 2015 Ruthenberg-Marshall left to found Porchlight. As founding lawyer they set up a practice that offers both representation and mediation services. Porchlight reflects an effort to provide alternatives to prolonged litigation while still offering courtroom advocacy when needed.
Ruthenberg-Marshall holds multiple mediator registrations from the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution. They are a Domestic Violence Registered Mediator, a Domestic Relations Registered Mediator, and a General Civil Registered Mediator. Those credentials permit them to mediate a range of family and civil disputes under Georgia rules.
Professional involvement has been steady. Ruthenberg-Marshall serves as vice president of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers and holds memberships in the Stonewall Bar Association, DeKalb Bar Association, Atlanta Bar Association, Cobb Bar Association, Decatur Business Association, National Association of Women Business Owners, Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and Lawyers Club of Atlanta. The list reflects engagement with both legal and business communities in the Atlanta area.
Clients and peers note Ruthenberg-Marshall’s dual track of litigated and mediated work. They approach cases with an eye toward resolving practical problems for clients, whether at the negotiating table or in court. Their current practice centers on family law and mediation.
