Traci L. Whittemore Associate Attorney joined The Law Office of Johnson & Johnson in early 2021. Traci has over 10 years’ experience in the fields of Juvenile, Family and Education law. As a California Licensed attorney for 7 years, she has represented over 400 parents and dozens of children in the Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus county courts. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from California State University Stanislaus where she graduated with Honors and was on the Dean’s list every semester. She received a Merit Based Scholarship to Golden Gate University Law School in San Francisco and was admitted into their Honors Lawyering Program.
While at Golden Gate School of Law, Traci received the CALI Award of Excellence in Immigration Law, Children in the Law, Judicial Externship and Lawyering Skills and was nominated for the Rose Elizabeth Bird Leadership Award. She was awarded her Doctor of Jurisprudence with Certificates of Distinction in Family Law and Youth Law. While in law school, Traci served as a Certified Law Student, appearing with supervision in hearings and trials. Traci also served as a Judicial Extern in the Alameda County Family Courts gaining invaluable knowledge from behind the bench.
Traci opened her own law firm in 2013, serving clients in Family, Juvenile, and Education Law. Traci compassionately assisted her clients in crafting unique custody agreements, Marital Settlement Agreements, and assisting clients in the Property and Asset Division. She assisted families in guardianships and pre-petition diversion meetings. She also represented families in Special Education and Expulsion hearings. In 2014 she joined the Alameda County Dependency Panel, first as an educational consultant and appeals writer and in 2015 as a court-appointed attorney. She also served as the Independent Appeals Hearing Officer at UC Berkley for 3 years. She served for over 2 years on the Alameda County Minor’s Counsel Panel representing children in high conflict custody situations.
In 2018, Traci moved forward by joining the innovative trauma-informed team at East Bay Family Defenders. Soon thereafter, Traci became known as a powerful force on staff, often engaging in complex cases involving many expert witnesses. She dedicated herself to providing compassionate and competent legal representation to the parents of Alameda County. Traci has done over 100 trials in all phases of dependency including detentions hearings, jurisdictions and disposition hearings, return hearings, and .26 hearings. She has worked with a variety of experts in various fields including medical, behavior, and bonding. She has excelled at presenting the clients’ stories, winning very difficult bypass hearings and often resulting in children being returned early than anticipated. Traci focuses on the client and their growth, helping them move quickly through the dependency case in order to exit the system at the earliest possible moment.
Traci is a passionate parent of three, including one with complex special needs, and brings an understanding to her work that isn’t often seen. She is committed to hearing your story and focusing on your family’s strengths in order to give you the best legal representation. She loves finding unique, out-of-the-box solutions for complex situations and is excited to bring that to the Law Office of Johnson and Johnson.