Stephen W. Johnson was born in the Los Angeles area in 1951.  Mr. Johnson attended Loyola High School of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University, and Schiller College of Paris, France.  A former collegeate athlete, he played on several rugby division and league championship teams (Player of the Year) and a national championship football team. 

Mr. Johnson has 34 years experience as a civil litigation attorney, and has tried over 75 cases. He graduated from Loyola Law School in 1976, law clerked before graduation for a Wilshire Boulevard insurance defense litigation firm, and worked as an associate in the corporate legal department of a Los Angeles based oil company (eventually becoming corporate counsel).  He has been in private practice in San Luis Obispo since 1979 handling business, real estate and personal injury law and litigation.  

He is a member of the State Bar of California and San Luis Obispo County Bar associations (past president) and the Central Coast Trial Lawyers Association (past Trial Attorney of the Year and past president); a past arbitrator for the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court; an appointed Hearing Board Officer for the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District Hearing Board; past chairman of the Bar Association’s County Judicial Evaluation Poll; member of the SLO County Mock Trial Committee; a past arbitrator for the SLO County Bar Association; Board member and Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa; member of the Avila Business Association; founding member of the See Canyon Watershed Group; and recently elected to the Avila Valley Advisory Council. 

Mr. Johnson has served on many community boards of directors, including the San Luis Youth Symphony, Alpha, San Luis Yacht Club, Old Mission Church and Roatry Club.  He also is very involved in Special Olympics with his Down Syndrome daughter, Collette.  

In his spare time Mr. Johnson likes to ranch, garden, cook, sail and travel.

Mr. Johnson has owned and lived on a commercial fruit ranch in See Canyon since 1989, where he raised three children and lives with his wife of 33 years, Liz. 

In 2007 Mr. Johnson moved his 28 year San Luis Obispo law practice to neighboring Avila Beach.  

Mr. Johnson is a member of the Real Property Law Section of the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association.