Johnston, Francine Marie

I am a solo practitioner, specializing in family law and construction issues. I also see myself as a "general practitioner" serving to help people, like a family doctor, figure out what their needs are and who can best help them meet those needs.

I've been a solo practitioner for 23 years. Prior I worked as an associate for four years for McInerney & Dillon (construction law firm in Oakland).

I have been an instructor at the Building Education Center (in Berkeley) for 20 years. I also participate in a variety of county bar activities (including the design of programs to help extend legal self-help to people who cannot afford lawyers).

I focus primarily on construction contract issues (breach of contract, liens, construction defects),and I prefer to work with clients who want to actively participate in the process of the dispute resolution to help the results better match their needs.

I have continued to seek updates of my skills in a variety of areas of the law, so I can better advise clients regarding their real needs, even if outside my specialties.

I maintained a B average in engineering, participated in a wide variety of student activities (honor societies, acting, interfraternity government), but mostly I learned what is important to me personally, and to remember that engineering is not the solution to most problems in life (and law school taught that the law is also not the solution to most issues: finding out what is the solution, and how that interacts with the law is what most of my practice is about).

I focused on a broad education for a civil practice; Northeastern has a co-op program, so I worked in various legal settings to better acquaint myself with general practice.

I help clients to make intelligent and realistic choices to implement their own values, so that the result can match their needs, and I prefer to work with clients who want to take significant responsibility for the process and outcome.

I help clients to make intelligent and realistic choices to implement their own values, so that the result can match their needs, and I prefer to work with clients who want to take significant responsibility for the process and outcome.