About Paisley S.
Paisley S. Hoffman trained first as a social worker before turning to law. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2012, then completed a Master of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin School of Social Work in 2014. She returned to the University of Wisconsin Law School and received her J.D. in 2017. Those consecutive degrees shape how she approaches clients and cases today.
Her law school years were active and hands-on. She interned with the UW Law School Family Law Project, assisting on matters that touched on custody and support. She spent time at the State Public Defender’s Office, where she observed public defense practice from the inside. Other placements included ARC Community Services and Briarpatch Youth Services, which exposed her to issues affecting vulnerable people and young clients. She also participated in work connected to the Wisconsin Innocence Project, gaining perspective on post-conviction review and other corrective processes.
After law school, Hoffman moved into private practice. In 2018 she joined Nicholson, Goetz & Otis s.c. as an associate. That role brought client counseling, litigation preparation and courtroom exposure. Colleagues from that period describe her as deliberate in preparing cases and attentive in client interviews. Her background in social work continued to inform the way she evaluates nonlegal needs alongside legal issues.
Hoffman’s experience spans family-focused matters, defense-side representation and work on behalf of young people and those in community service settings. She has handled intake, legal research and courtroom filings, and she has taken part in investigations tied to wrongful-conviction inquiries. Those varied roles leave her comfortable with both negotiation and litigation stages of a case. She tends to prioritize practical next steps and clear communication when explaining options to clients.
She practices at Nicholson, Gansner & Otis, S.C., where her caseload reflects the mix of public-defense, family and youth-centered work that marked her early career. Her approach brings together social work instincts and legal training to address the full range of issues a client may present.
