Attorney Genelle Johnson

About Attorney Genelle Johnson

(also known as Genelle M. Johnson)

We live in a country created by families. At first, that may seem like a strange statement, but families of all shapes and sizes make up the fiber of our communities and our daily lives. So while many attorneys who focus on family law have complicated reasons for doing so, attorney Genelle Johnson's reason is simple. To her, there is simply no other area of law that is as important.

While many law practices are concerned with tangible benefits, she believes family law is different. Family law cases deal with heartbreak and the future of your family and children. Genelle is drawn to these cases because it gives her a chance to help people in ways that are far more valuable than money or possessions alone.

Abigail’s work as the legal advocacy intern with the Harbor House Domestic Abuse Program taught her the true role of any legal advocate. She worked with people in tough, emotionally charged situations, struggling to get their much-needed restraining orders. As a legal advocate, her role was not to fight for these people, rather, she translated their experiences into something the courts could understand.

To Abigail, an attorney’s role too isn’t just to represent their client, it is to translate for them–to transform their experiences into an argument based in laws and statutes that convinces the court to rule in their favor. A lot of people have a hard time advocating for themselves, especially in front of a judge. Abigail saw this, but she also saw that winning these cases gave them safety and control over their lives. Abigail was pretty sure she wanted to work in family law after this experience, but law school solidified her path.

While at the University of Wisconsin Law School, Abigail worked in the UW Family Court Clinic where she got in-the-trenches family law experience. With six other students and a supervising attorney, she worked on family law cases for people with low incomes. She worked directly with the clients, researching their cases, drafting their documents, and even advocating for them in court. This was her first experience truly diving into family law cases, and it confirmed her desire to work in family law. She loves these cases because she helps families transform their lives for the better. The cases also challenged her to think creatively and critically to best bring her client’s needs to the court.

She graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice, Magna Cum Laude, from Loyola University Chicago before obtaining her law degree from Marquette University. Genelle has an extensive law career and is experienced practicing in the areas of divorce, paternity, child custody and support, collaborative divorce, adoption, and mediation to name a few.

Her career started in the Outagamie County District Attorney's Office before she went on to establish her own firm. Later, she became a Managing Partner with Holloway & Johnson for six years before joining Diversified Investigation as an in-house counsel. There, she established herself as a solo practitioner for another four years before becoming Managing Partner at SLO Fox Valley. And now, she has brought her years of experience to Sterling Law Offices, where she focuses exclusively on family law.

Born and raised in Neillsville, WI, Genelle loves small-town Wisconsin. The people are down to earth, hard-working, family-oriented and friendly. She now lives in Manawa, WI, a country town with a scant population of 1300 people, surrounded by wildlife, farmland, and room to roam. Just how she likes it. So it's no surprise that outside of her work, she loves to fish or take her nieces and nephews up to Bear Lake Resort to swim at the beach. When she's not out exploring nature you might find her in Miller Park, where tailgating is taken more seriously than the actual game, or sampling food and wine in Door County.