About Lisa
Lisa Hillegas earned her J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1992. Before law school she studied psychology and social gerontology at the State University of New York at Buffalo and took courses in liberal arts at Oberlin College. The varied academic background set the stage for a career rooted in community practice and collaborative approaches to dispute resolution.
Hillegas is admitted to practice in California and to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Her professional life has been centered in Mendocino County for decades. She joined the Mendocino County Bar Association in 1999 and has remained an active member. That local engagement has shaped much of her work and the roles she has accepted in the legal community.
She has held several leadership posts in local and national organizations. Hillegas has served as treasurer of the Mendocino Women’s Bar Association since 1999 and as secretary of the Mendocino County Family Bar Association since 2013. In 2014 she joined the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. She became president of the Collaborative Professionals of Mendocino and Lake Counties in 2015 and continues in that position. Those roles reflect steady involvement rather than short-term volunteer efforts.
Colleagues describe her approach as steady and pragmatic. She has spent years practicing in settings where negotiation and problem solving are primary tools. Her professional affiliations suggest a practice that often handles family matters through collaborative processes and related dispute-resolution methods. Admission to the Ninth Circuit also allows her to handle appeals when cases require it.
Over time Hillegas has woven community work and legal practice together. She has taken on administrative duties in bar organizations while maintaining a caseload. The combination of local leadership and courtroom admission gives her a range of tools to use for clients and for professional colleagues.
She currently practices in Mendocino County, where her work includes collaborative law and family matters.
