Growing up, Renee Gucciardo always wanted to be a lawyer like her grandfather. She found the idea of helping people to be very fulfilling, and was awed by the impact her grandfather had on the others. There was no question in her mind that this was what she was meant to do. Ms. Gucciardo decided to pursue her passion at Michigan State University and at the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law, which propelled her to her first role, intern at the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, in 1991. She quickly garnered a reputation for her compassion and zeal, and was promoted to assistant prosecuting attorney at the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office in 1993. Ms. Gucciardo spent five years in the position, during which she also served as an instructor for the Oakland Police Academy and the Michigan Prosecuting Attorney’s Association. Notably, her efforts as a prosecutor led to hundreds of victories in the courtroom and to her appointment as the first woman in the Special Drug Unit.
Then, in 1999, Ms. Gucciardo decided to leave the public sector and join the Law Offices Raymond A. Cassar as an associate. She enjoyed working in private practice so much that she opened The Gucciardo Law Firm in 2002 and has been there ever since. In her role, Ms. Gucciardo has focused on handling family law in a manner that allows families to retain their dignity and relationship. She takes pride in building lasting relationships with her clients and fellow attorneys and judges, as she believes strongly in the importance of an amicable process. What sets her apart from others is that she treats everyone as an individual; she understands that every situation is different and that no two cases are exactly the same.
One of Ms. Gucciardo’s most memorable cases was a situation where the grandparents had been very active in their grandchild’s life and they feared the parents’ separation would impact that relationship. Ms. Gucciardo was able to step in as an intervening party and ensure that they were able to maintain their connection. Seeing their relief was particularly gratifying.
Looking to the future, Ms. Gucciardo intends to become more involved with children. She recently started taking appointments as a guardian ad litem, which allows her to actually talk with kids and see things from their point of view. A common thread she’s noticed between the cases she’s handled is that kids’ voices often get lost in the system. She has made it her mission to change that, and has found the work to be very rewarding thus far.
In recognition of her hard work and passion, Ms. Gucciardo was named a Super Lawyer and an AV Preeminent Attorney. She was also listed among the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. Her accomplishments were featured in two editions of Who’s Who in American Law and one of Who’s Who in America.
