A2 – Protecting Elder & Dependent Adults: Elder Abuse Restraining Orders

Stefanie S. Cutler is an equity partner at Ruttenberg Cutler Broomer, LLP. She has worked in the field of trust and estate litigation and administration since 2007. Ms. Cutler received two separate Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Southern California. She graduated from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University with a Certificate in Law, Science and Technology in 2007. Ms. Cutler was also a judicial extern for the Honorable Susan R. Bolton, United States District Court, Arizona Division and a judicial extern for the Honorable Joe W. Hilberman, Los Angeles Superior Court. Her article, The AABB’S Autologous Blood Donation Suggested Guidance: Autologous Blood, HIV, and the Americans With Disabilities Act, was published in Jurimetrics: Journal of Law, Science, and Technology in 2006. Ms. Cutler also served as the Former Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Trust & Estate Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and is currently a member of the Executive Board of the Trust & Estates Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and was the former Chair of the section. She is also a co-editor of the Trusts & Estates Bulletin, a monthly epublication of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Ms. Cutler has repeatedly been recognized as a “Southern California Rising Star” in the area of Trust and Estates Litigation by Super Lawyers™, as well as one of the “Top Women Attorneys in Southern California” in Los Angeles magazine.

Sarah S. Broomer is an equity partner at Ruttenberg Cutler Broomer, LLP. Her practice includes all aspects of complex conservatorship, fiduciary, and trust and estate litigation. Ms. Broomer also handles all aspects of estate planning, family succession planning, charitable giving, and insurance trusts. Ms. Broomer has repeatedly been recognized as a “Southern California Rising Star” in the area of Trust and Estates Litigation by Super Lawyers™, as well as one of the “Top Women Attorneys in Southern California” in Los Angeles magazine. Ms. Broomer is an update author for the CEB, including the following guidebooks: Trust Administration, Powers of Attorney, Irrevocable Trusts, Small & Midsize Estates, and Decedent Estate Practice, as well as the CEB manuals on Handling a Probate, and the Probate Workflow Manual.

The Honorable Jessica Kronstadt, Judge received her B.A. from Yale University, where she was a member of the Varsity Women’s Volleyball Team. She received her J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. After graduating from law school, Judge Kronstadt worked as a litigation associate at Latham & Watkins and as a staff attorney at Bet Tzedek Legal Services. Judge Kronstadt then served as a Deputy District Attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. She was assigned to the Sex Crimes Division where she prosecuted child sexual abuse matters. Judge Kronstadt became a Superior Court judge in March of 2023. Judge Kronstadt is currently sitting in Department 7 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse of the Los Angeles Superior Court hearing restraining order matters, including but not limited to elder abuse restraining orders. Judge Kronstadt served as a Trustee on LACBA’s Board of Trustees and as a member of LACBA’s President’s Task Force on Racial and Social Justice. She also served on the Regional Board of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and was a member of ADL’s Glass Leadership Institute. Judge Kronstadt has served on the Executive Committee of the Criminal Justice Section for LACBA and as a board member of the California Young Lawyers Association. Judge Kronstadt is a past Co-Chair of the Young Lawyers Division of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and a past Executive Committee Member of the Bet Tzedek New Leadership Council.

Judge Ana Maria Luna obtained her undergraduate degrees in Biological Sciences and Spanish from the University of California, Irvine in 1981.  She graduated from the University of Southern California Gould Law School in 1984.  Judge Luna began practice as a family law attorney in the Southeast area of Los Angeles County from 1984 to 1989.  In 1990, she transitioned from family law to criminal defense work when she was hired by the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office.  She began her judicial career in October 1992 when selected by the Southeast District Municipal Court judges to serve as a court Commissioner.  In 1994, she ran for and won an open seat to that bench. She was the first Latina to serve in that municipal court district.  She became a Superior Court judge through unification in 2000.  Judge Luna has worked extensively with drug treatment issues in the criminal justice system. She was instrumental in the creation of a Drug Court program that served the Southeast District of the Los Angeles Superior Court. In 2000, she was chosen by the Board of Supervisors to chair the Prop. 36 Steering Committee for Los Angeles County in response to a voter initiative requiring treatment rather than incarceration as means to treat substance abusing defendants.  Judge Luna served as an associate with the VERA Institute and has advised other states as to the development of collaborative drug treatment programs.  She has served as faculty at the Judicial College (California) and at the National Judicial College (Reno).  She is a past president of the Latino Judges of California, and a past vice-president of the California Judges Association.  She served on the state Judicial Council from 1998 to 2001.  Judge Luna was assigned to a family law courtroom from 2014 to April 2020 where she heard child custody, support and financial issues in marital dissolution and parentage actions.  In April 2020, Judge Luna was reassigned to the Probate Division where she presided over a busy calendar court managing estate, trust, guardianship and conservatorship cases.  As of March 2022, she has been handling the long cause probate calendar.   Judge Luna has presented to the LA County Bar Association regarding minor’s counsel training (Family) and  litigating special immigrant juvenile findings (Family and Probate) as well as to the Southeast District Bar Association on cross-over issues in probate and family law.  Judge Luna likes to knit, read and walk/hike whenever she has the opportunity to do so.