Kathy Minella Named August 2021 Attorney Of The Month

We’re so excited to share that our founder, Kathy Minella, has been named Attorney Journal’s August 2021 Attorney of the Month!

Our team had the opportunity to sit down and share what drives us, where we came from and where we hope to take family law into the future. Below are some key excerpts from the feature article published in this months issue. The full link to the story is also below.

A brief look back..

Kathy moved to San Diego in July 2007 for law school and never looked back.

After graduating from Columbia College Chicago with a BFA in interactive media in 2003, she earned her J.D. at the California Western School of Law in 2009. While attending law school, she gained invaluable family law experience volunteering at the Madge Bradley domestic violence clinic. After law school she worked at a large San Diego-based family law firm, a smaller firm, and then founded Minella Law Group, APC, in 2014. She employs two attorneys, two paralegals and a support staff.

Kathy says, “I made the decision to open my own firm because I wanted more autonomy in who I represent. My previous jobs didn’t allow me a say in who I represented and that really bothered me. I sometimes had to represent clients I did not believe in. I also had to take positions based on what my boss stated rather than what I believed to be right. I decided to form my own firm.”

As Minella Law moves forward…

We like to think, “We are changing the way law firms do business. We represent all walks of life, gender, race, and orientation. Our typical client is one who has a problem that needs solving whether it be access to their children or a pending restraining order, we gravitate towards people who have been experiencing injustice because they didn’t have representation in court. We do that by working with proven traditions, but at the same time innovating constantly to improve what we can do for our clients.”

We keep the firm on the leading edge by making the firm completely paperless where everything is maintained online. This gives clients the ability to access their client file at anytime by logging onto their platform. The attorneys maintain all calendars online, so clients always know what is going on in their case. “This sets us apart and takes away the secrecy in your case and need to constantly contact your attorney.

What drives us…

Kathy takes a very down-to-Earth, client-friendly approach to face-to-face encounters. “I consider myself a very creative person and not your average lawyer. I like to wear jeans to the office, and you will rarely catch me in a suit. I didn’t move across the country to a beach town to wear a suit to work every day. I like to be real and down to earth with my clients, not lawyerly.”

“I’m a problem solver and mediation is a great avenue for that. You can provide a real neutral viewpoint. You can get the parties together and find a solution without having to go to court.”

She also enjoys it. Helping people see the bigger picture and focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.

We consider each client’s unique needs and hope to help take the stress away from a difficult time. Contact our office for more information about your new or existing case.