Marianne Merritt Talbot is a coach, trial lawyer, author, stress and well-being expert and motivational speaker born and raised in New York City.  Marianne founded Modern Venus Ltd. after retiring from an illustrious 14-year career as a lawyer in which she specialized in civil rights, women's rights and animal protection law.   Marianne and Modern Venus Ltd. are dedicated to empowering women to live a bigger life in large ways (time for a career change or to start your own business?) as well as small (Marianne specializes in assisting women in relieving stress while infusing creativity into their daily lives).  Marianne is a fierce advocate for women in the workplace, and Modern Venus Ltd. is creating a new feminine corporate model based upon the principles of community, creativity and philanthropy.   

Marianne's career path has been wide-ranging and creative.  Originally trained from the age of three to become a professional violinist, she changed course in college and became a women's studies major and taught women's studies classes during her undergraduate career at the State University of New York at Albany. Thereafter, while studying law in Washington, DC, Marianne worked at a number of leading civil rights organizations, including the Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights Under Law (assisting in protecting the voting rights of African-Americans in Louisiana and Mississippi), the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (working on education and employment discrimination cases), and also interned at the United States Department of Justice, where she worked on criminal civil rights prosecutions (including the Rodney King trial).

After graduating from law school with honors, Marianne practiced complex commercial litigation with the firm of Hirschkop & Associates, P.C. and trained under the tutelage of Philip J. Hirschkop, one of the country's premier litigators and civil liberties champions. This practice included representing clients in the areas of civil rights, women's rights and animal protection law.

As a law professor, Marianne taught writing and oral advocacy at the George Washington University Law School and the American University, Washington College of Law. Marianne was also invited to teach the first animal protection law course at the George Washington University Law School. Marianne has provided writing consulting services to outside organizations, including conducting a writing workshop for the judges and attorney staff of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.

Marianne has consulted and spoken widely on topics related to personal well-being. To that end, she trained to coach with, and facilitated courses at, Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts (as seen on 20/20, The Today Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The New York Times). In 2006, she delivered a lecture on environmental sustainability at the annual conference of the New York State American Institute of Architects and published numerous articles on environmental sustainability and green building practices. Marianne has also studied many other disciplines related to design, health, movement and well-being.

Marianne is a proud member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, National Association of Women Lawyers, Ladies Who Launch, Downtown Women's Club, the Femme Network, the Step Up Women's Network, Business Network International, and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, among others. 

Marianne has founded and/or has served as a director of various charitable organizations, including most recently The Ten Dollar Club, a nonprofit that funds international relief efforts around the world, and The Kinhaven Music School, an academy for young musicians located in Weston, Vermont.

Marianne lives in a historic brownstone in beautiful Park Slope, Brooklyn, with her husband of three years, Daniel and two beautiful ebony felines, George and Severus Sherman.

    Severus Sherman Talbot 

  March 19, 2005

Marianne and her gaggle of adorable flower girls!