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Lisa is committed to helping to empower her clients by providing them with the information they need to make educated and informed decisions about the important legal issues affecting their lives. Her practice is focused on helping people resolve their real life conflicts and legal problems with grace and integrity. She assists and supports her clients in navigating the necessary court processes and provides the information they need to make the right decisions for themselves and their family. She follows a practice model that focuses on mediation, collaboration, alternative methods of resolving conflict and creative problem solving to find solutions to personal and family issues that avoid unnecessary adversarial positioning, costly court battles and the bitterness often associated with divorce and custody disputes. After over 30 years of a civil and family law litigation practice, Lisa no longer directly represents clients in contested court matters as her primary approach is helping clients resolve their legal issues without court intervention and as economically as possible.

Education and Training

  • University of San Francisco School of Law; San Francisco, CA  — J.D. 1992

  • State University of New York at Buffalo; Buffalo, NY — BA, cum laude 1985: Psychology and Sociology 

  • Oberlin College; Oberlin, OH— Liberal Arts 1981-1983

  • Mediation Training- Gary Friedman, Center for Mediation in Law (2008)

  • Collaborative Law Training - Sacramento Collaborative Divorce Group (2017)

Professional Affiliations

  • Collaborative Professionals of Mendocino County and Lake Counties, President (2018-2022)

  • Collaborative Divorce Golden Gate, Attorney Member (2021-Present)

  • Mendocino Women’s Bar Association, Treasurer

  • Mendocino County Association of Family Law Practitioners, President

  • Mendocino County Bar Association, President (2020 & 2023)

  • State Bar of California — Admitted 1992

  • United States Supreme Court Bar—Admitted 2018

  • Member of International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (2018 to Present)

  • San Francisco Bar Association’s Homeless Advocacy Project, Volunteer Attorney, 1997

  • Queen’s Bench, San Francisco, CA — 1992-1996

  • National Lawyer’s Guild

  • Law Clerk, American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California; San Francisco, CA — 1991

Legal Experience

  • Solo Practitioner, Law Offices of Lisa H. Hillegas; Ukiah, CA — 2013 to Present

  • Managing Attorney, Supervising Attorney and Associate, Legal Services of Northern California; Ukiah, CA — 2001-2011

    • Managed legal aid office providing housing, public benefits, health, and civil rights advocacy for low-income families. Primary focus on state and federal housing law, including several successful lawsuits against local governments regarding affordable housing issues. Administrative and legislative advocacy for housing policies and ordinances.

  • Attorney, Law Offices of Thomas F. Johnson; Ukiah, CA — 1999-2001

    • Litigation support for general civil litigation firm, including state appellate matters. Established a variety of water rights, including “pre-1949” rights for local grape growers.

  • Litigation Associate, Hardin, Cook, Loper, Engel & Bergez; Oakland, CA — 1992-1996

  • Law Clerk — 1991-1992

    • Handled all aspects of litigation for toxic tort, product liability, and general civil cases (defense focus) in state and federal courts.  Worked on briefs and appeared as co-counsel for the respondent at oral argument in U.S. Supreme Court case, FDIC v. Meyer (1994) 510 U.S. 471 (Sovereign immunity and Federal Tort Claims Act issues.)  Successfully defended the action on summary judgment, upheld on appeal in Wedeck v. Union Oil Company of California (Unocal) (1997) 59 Cal. App. 4th 848 (Special employment status as bar to tort action.)

  • Law Clerk, Thacher, Albrecht & Ratcliff; San Francisco, CA — 1989-1991

  • Paralegal — 1986-1989