Maureen Geralyn Johnson
Maureen Geralyn Johnson
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Maureen Johnson Obituary
July 3, 1960 - August 29, 2025
Maureen passed away August 29, 2025 after battling cancer for several months.
Maureen was born in Washington DC but moved to San Fransisco with her family when she was very young. She was an only child. She moved to Los Angeles area to attend UCLA and spent most of her adult life in the Los Angeles area. She loved dogs, the beach, thrifting, sports (especially football, she was a huge Dallas Cowboy fan), good food and good company.
Maureen wore many career hats in her lifetime and was accomplished at all of them. Her initial degree was in film but later she went back for her law degree and later got an undergrad degree in screen writing. She was soft spoken but very versatile, extremely smart and excelled in everything she did. She first worked on film projects, then was bar tender including Ritz Carlton and Gladstone's, she played guitar and piano, also designed and made jewelry, she got her law degree in mid 1990s and worked as corporate lawyer she later did some screenplay writing, she tried her hand as a realtor for a while but found her real nitch and love as a law professor (she taught at Loyola Marymount, Las Vegas University, UConn, University of California Irvine, University of San Diego and Seattle University of Law). She was revered by many of her students and she loved mentoring them. She was a real advocate for social justice also, always looking out for the underdog. She was always optimistic and saw the good in everyone, which made everyone love her that much more. She moved out of the Los Angeles area from 2019-2023 (her Vegas and UConn years), but moved back to her home in west Los Angeles in August 2023 where she lived her remaining years.
Maureen was a real dog lover. Her first dog was an Australian cattle dog Chica, her second dog was a bearded collie mix named Molly and her most recent dog Bernie a golden doodle who was her pride and joy.
Maureen is preceded in death by her mother Helen (Mabel) Hickey Johnson and her father Perry Johnson. She is succeeded by two Aunts (Gertrude Mary Smeltzer and Nancy Hickey), many cousins, many friends and many students all who adored her.
Maureen was a catholic. A private Neptune Society service is being held for her. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in her name to animal charities, social justice charities or cancer research.
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Florian Tinschert
October 20, 2025
Professor Johnson taught the very first law school class I ever attended, Legal Profession. I had no legal background whatsoever and didn't know any lawyers. In a lot of ways, she was my guide to the profession. What stood out to me from the beginning was her deep empathy for all people and just how much she cared about her students. She always encouraged us to think critically, question the institutions we were joining, and to envision ways to create a better future not just for our profession but society at large. Even in difficult times, she held onto a sense of optimism for the future while remaining clear-eyed about the challenges the legal profession and the U.S. in general were facing. She also made sure that a variety of viewpoints were represented in the classroom, even (or especially) those she disagreed with.
During that first semester, I often doubted whether I belonged in law school at all. Professor Johnson's kind, calming presence reassured me that I did. Having also transitioned from the film industry to a legal career, I found her perspective on the law very relatable. She opened my eyes to the ways that I could use my storytelling experience in litigation. She was also very supportive of my goal to pursue a career in civil rights and encouraged me to reach out to a lawyer I deeply admired for my Lawyer Interview Paper. I don't know if I would have had the nerve to do so without her encouragement. In many ways, that decision set me on the path I am on today. At the end of our last class, she told me that she was confident that I would help change the world as a civil rights lawyer. Amidst all my doubts about law school, that meant a lot to me.
The last time I saw her encapsulated what kind of professor she was: She came to campus during finals for "Therapy Hours with Pup Bernie," to comfort and reassure her beyond stressed-out students with the presence of her very sweet dog. She did not have to do that and she lived pretty far away from UCI. But she did it because she cared about her students and their well-being.
I was devastated to hear of her passing, which was completely unexpected and shocking to me and many other students. I wish I had taken up her invitation to come to her office hours sometime during the spring semester. She will be dearly missed by everyone at UCI. Her legacy lives on in all the students whose lives she changed. I am deeply grateful to have gotten the chance to meet her and I hope that we can make her proud.
My condolences and deepest sympathy to her family, friends, and Pup Bernie, who clearly loved her deeply.
- Florian Tinschert
[The picture was taken on the last day of our Legal Profession class in November 2024 at UCI.]
Algeiba Cagabcab
September 24, 2025
I am incredibly grateful to have met Professor Johnson, who was full of compassion for others and sincerely cared for her students. I fondly remember our one-on-one meeting at our hotel lobby in Seattle, where we transitioned from discussing my legal writing work to sharing personal stories, which involved a lot of giggling and laughing out loud. I will forever cherish her memory and strive to spread the same positive light that she brought into every room she entered.
Sha-Shana
September 20, 2025
My heart is saddened beyond measure at the news of Maureen´s passing. I lost a colleague, friend, and mentor. My love and prayers to her family, friends, beloved dog, and all who knew her. Maureen, may the joy and love you shared keep your light forever shining.
Brianna O´Leary
September 17, 2025
I had Professor Johnson my last semester at UCI Law. Our class was very small and we talked about social movements and the connection between legal writing and social change. I immediately felt comfortable sharing in class because she was so warm and welcoming. Her optimism and hope were contagious, and she encouraged us cynical millennials and gen-zers to not lose hope. She was genuinely interested in who we were as people beyond law school and was always ready to greet us with a smile. I emailed her when Kamala Harris´s campaign began to pick up momentum, thrilled to see hope reminiscent of the Obama campaigns we had discussed in class. Although Kamala lost, I will continue to hope and believe that Professor Johnson was right: the moral arc of the universe bends towards justice. I am heartbroken to hear of her passing and send sincerest condolences to all of her loved ones.
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Ruth Sokol
September 17, 2025
I am beyond sad to learn of Maureen's passing. I was her insurance agent for many years. She was such a kind, giving person. She knew I was interested in writing screenplays and walked me through the process.
Whenever she called, we caught up on our love of animals and her writing activities.
She will be greatly missed by many and I am certainly one of those fortunate to know her.
Aly Mebane-Lacey
September 11, 2025
I feel incredibly fortunate to have been a student of Professor Johnson during my first year of law school at SU. On our very first day of class, she told us that the most persuasive legal writing is that which persuades the heart. That phrase has stayed with me. I think it also perfectly reflects the way she lived, taught, and led her class, always with her heart at the center. She reminded the class often that we had the power to change the world for the better. That message, paired with her unwavering belief in us, inspired my own confidence that I could succeed in law school and beyond.
During that year, I was pregnant, and I will never forget how often she checked in to see how I was doing, always offering support and kindness. She loved when anyone in class introduced their babies or fur babies, and we all loved when Bernie made a quick appearance. She celebrated every completed law school milestone with us, encouraging us each step of the way.
I had the privilege of working closely with her on a project that connected our legal writing class to a nonprofit immigration advocacy group in my community. Through that experience, I saw firsthand her passion and dedication for justice and her ability to inspire while challenging us to grow. I always left her class feeling uplifted and hopeful.
Professor Johnson was a mentor and a model of what it means to be both a great professor and a wonderful person. She will always remain an inspiration to me to lead with joy and with my whole heart. I will forever cherish the lessons I learned from her.
Rest in peace, you will be greatly missed
Beatrice Tice
September 10, 2025
Maureen taught with me as a visiting Lawyering Skills professor at UC Irvine. What a wonderful friend and colleague! She brought sunshine and laughter everywhere she went. I will miss you always, Maureen!
Rachel Croskery-Roberts
September 10, 2025
I absolutely adored Maureen. She was whip-smart and so giving. She talked about her sweet dog like he was her child, and she was so fun to be around. Maureen worked at UCI with me, teaching both legal profession and lawyering skills. She was a great teacher and and even better human being. People who got to know her were very lucky, and I will miss her very much.
Valerie
September 10, 2025
Was a good friend in our college years. I had always hoped we´d see each other again. Rest in paradise you sweet soul.
Casey Giles
September 10, 2025
I met Maureen when we were young attorneys in LA. It was her first job in a firm but she was obviously so smart, and also so much fun and so nice. And so hard working and such a good sport. And so many other wonderful things. We became fast friends.
It wasn´t quite what Maureen wanted to be doing, but instead of just complaining as most people did, Maureen actually tried other things. I remember her teaching me the power pose in case I ever needed to have my photo on a postcard (her realtor days), and I got to read a few of her early screen writing assignments. She was so excited when she got the full time teaching assignment at Loyola, and I´m so glad to see how many people she touched over the years through her teaching all over the country.
I am so sorry for Maureen´s family and friends but how lucky all of us were to have known her. And I´m so happy to see the comfort she had in her last days, and to know that Bernie is still in her family. What a wonderful life she had, but way too short.
Ashish Verma
September 10, 2025
Professor Johnson,
Thank you for all that you did for us and for the care you continually showed your students, both inside and out of the classroom. Professor Johnson taught my Legal Profession and Ethics class at UCI Law in the Fall of 2024. She had a bright, comforting presence as a teacher, and always worked hard to support her students however she could: from always being willing to meet again and again to further discuss interesting writing topics and help brainstorm, to giving us all gift bags at the end of class to share how proud she was of us, to bringing in her dog Bernie to encourage us all when we needed it most during finals week as we all studied. There was never a day she didn't show how much she cared and her kindness shined through in every interaction she had with her students. Her always approachable and kind presence and teaching will be deeply missed. I'm glad to have learned ethics from such a thoroughly kind, sweet, and supportive professor, there could be no better teacher.
Souania M.
September 10, 2025
I was Maureen's faculty legal assistant at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Maureen was also so kind to me. Maureen was full of energy and was always excited to teach. May she rest in peace.
Tarique
September 9, 2025
Maureen and I went to the MFA program at UCLA screenwriting and we had blast together. So much fun hanging out with her. She´ll be missed.
Susie Salmon
September 9, 2025
Maureen was a ray of light in so many ways-her humor, her warmth, her energy, her incandescent talent. Her scholarship in the legal writing discipline was creative, insightful, and practical; I have assigned her piece on emotional hooks in introductions to my second-semester 1Ls for years. She provided the best feedback at workshops, always insightful and supportive. Just this summer I was thinking how much I missed seeing her at this year´s conferences-it was always such a joy to talk dogs, movies, and UCLA with Maureen. I will miss her, and my heart is with her close friends and family.
Sali G Johnson
September 9, 2025
Mo. as I called her, was a friend, and sorority sister. She will be missed by all
Merry jayne Howard/Gabriela Chinnock
September 7, 2025
Maureen was my friend for 43 years. We got each other through a lot of life and we laughed a lot along the way. Whenever I called her and she would answer "my friend" with such genuine enthusiasm and warmth, no matter how tough my day had been, I felt lucky to have such a friend. She was always looking for the positive, passionate about equality and social justice, and one of the hardest workers I have ever known. She didn't indulge in unnecessary drama. She was smart and talented in so many, many ways, loved all of her animals over the years, had such genuine kindness in her heart and was a generous spirit to be around, especially if you needed advice around something. She taught me about the strength it takes to stay true to your values, especially when others around you are taking the low road, and you feel like you are standing alone. She also taught me that kindness often takes great strength. I miss her laugh and her company deeply. Rest in peace my friend.
Grace Tonner
September 7, 2025
Maureen was a wonderful colleague when she taught at UC Irvine. She was well liked by her students and colleagues. She was a talented teacher along with her numerous other talents. She was a delightful person with a ready smile and a heart of gold. She will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know her. We are blessed to have known her. Rest in peace, sweet Maureen.
Todd Stafford
September 7, 2025
Maureen and I were visiting professors at UC Irvine during the 2023-24 academic year. We officed right across the hall from one another, and we talked frequently and at length about film, politics, books, music, art, food, travel-hell, everything. She was a dear person. Warm, kind, generous, fun, funny, creative, and always upbeat. Her golden doodle, Bernie-yup, named after a certain senator from Vermont-meant the world to her and she spoke of him like a person. Quite the musician, Maureen kept a cool electric guitar in her office. An interesting, delightfully quirky (my highest praise) person, she embraced life with great verve-every conversation seemed to reveal another experience, a new detail, an unexpected facet. She touched the lives of countless students and colleagues. She brightened rooms and lifted moods, always. Maureen was a special gem. I can´t believe she´s gone. Maureen, rest in peace! And know that your light will live in our memories!
Todd
Nancy Bermudez
September 6, 2025
Professor Johnson,
You will be missed by many. You showed compassion, understanding, and care to each and every student you taught. I fondly remember your comment to me on our first in-person class at Seattle U. You mentioned I reminded you of your aunt Betty, because of my smile. I will carry this fond memory with me. With love, Nancy Bermudez
Sarah C
September 4, 2025
I had the privilege of getting to know Professor Johnson through the Seattle University legal writing program as her teaching assistant. One of the many things that struck me about Maureen was her constant positivity and compassion. She always took the time to check in with me and the students, and she genuinely cared about us holistically. I am grateful for her perspective during a very tumultuous time within our profession, and I will remember the insights she shared with me fondly. Maureen - thank you for holding the door open behind you and for welcoming new legal professionals with open arms. Your impact will continue to be felt by your students and all those they encounter.
Hannah Mosley
September 4, 2025
I am deeply saddened to hear of Professor Johnson´s passing. She taught my legal writing class at Seattle University. She was such a positive and engaged teacher, and it was clear to all of us how passionate she was about the course content. She guided us through our first year of law school with patience, humor, and dedication, and became a true staple of that experience.
I will always remember her waltzing into class and pointing at a table
full of gift bags after one of our grueling in-person weekends filled with civil procedure and torts. She came in with her purple suit, her bright smile, and an energy that lifted the room. As she described each item, her enthusiasm made the simple notebook, pen, and keepsakes feel like treasure. Her joy in sharing those small things was contagious, and it turned an ordinary afternoon into a moment of connection and celebration. Her class and her style gave us a welcome escape in the middle of the intensity of 1L year.
I had a one to one with her as recently as April, and she was as happy and engaged as ever. I had no idea how sick she was, and it speaks to her strength and her commitment to her students that she continued to show up with such warmth and energy.
Her legacy will live on in the lessons she taught us, both in the classroom and through her example of resilience and generosity. She will be deeply missed, and I am grateful that we had the chance to learn from her.
May her memory always be a blessing.
Jean Boylan
September 3, 2025
Maureen was a very kind soul. She was a very positive person.She loved her dogs! Maureen was my friend and colleague at Loyola Law School. Maureen will be missed.
Linda Berger
September 3, 2025
In 2017, when I told Maureen about my new puppy, she sent me a photo of "Senator Bernie." That name and that face made me laugh - and like Bernie, Maureen brought grace and hope into every day.
Joy Kanwar
September 3, 2025
Maureen was such a positive light in the legal writing world. We will miss her greatly. My heart goes out to her family, her colleagues, her students, and her furry friends, whom she loved so much. Still thinking about a wonderful message I got from her right after we met at a conference in 2019 - she was just so lovely and encouraging. I hope she felt all the love that she gave out come back to her as well.
Lori Johnson
September 3, 2025
We were very lucky have Maureen teach with us at UNLV. She was a lovely person and will be very missed.
Terry Pollman
September 3, 2025
Maureen was a lovely person-kind with a giving nature. I feel very lucky to have known her.
Katy Boling
September 3, 2025
Maureen spent the 2024-25 academic year teaching here at Seattle U in our first-year lawyering skills course as a visiting professor in our hybrid FLEX JD program. She was an incredibly fun, passionate, and dedicated teacher, scholar, and person. Even though she was primarily teaching from the LA area, many of us on the Seattle U faculty were able to see her socially when she was in town for FLEX weekends (I've posted a photo from a hilarious play we all went to together), and we're grateful for that. She loved teaching legal writing and lawyering skills, and I´m so happy that she did so with us for a year. She will be missed.
Mary Culbert
September 3, 2025
Sincere condolences to all Maureen´s friends and family on the sad loss of such a lovely human. Was just thinking the other day about Maureen´s advice on the best gluten free spaghetti to buy (Barilla) and did finally buy it a few weeks ago. She was a wise and kind person who will be missed.
Christine Eckert
September 3, 2025
So sorry to hear that Maureen lost her fight to overcome her cancer. I was looking forward to her returning to CT with Bernie. May she rest in peace.
Nick Sunderland
September 3, 2025
Professor Johnson was an inspirational figure who carried herself with the utmost positivity. She led with kindness. The Seattle U community is deeply saddened by her passing. Rest in peace.
Rachel Timm
September 3, 2025
Maureen was a dear friend and mentor. I had the great privilege of working with her at UConn Law, and we continued our friendship by phone when she moved back to California. Every time we spoke, I looked forward to her cheerful greeting. "Hello my friend!" My heart is heavy with the news of her passing. She was an expert legal writing instructor. She was an incredible storyteller. And most remarkable was her demeanor. She was always patient and kind-never condescending. She treated each student with respect. We all loved it when she brought Bernie for campus visits. I joined the UConn Law Legal Practice Department during a time of transition. I struggled during my first year. I was so grateful when Maureen joined our team because she came with so much experience and wisdom, and she welcomed me as a mentee. Whenever I had a question about teaching, she was happy to jump on a WebEx call and talk me through her methods. I found success in my own classes after implementing many of her suggestions. She was always eager to offer encouragement whenever needed. I will miss her dearly. She was one of the kindest people I have ever met.
Rest in peace, dear friend.
Carolyn smeltzer
September 3, 2025
Dear Maureen
When u were born the whole Hickey family was so happy! When you and your mom would visit Chicago , Niles and Michigan City when you were small , it was such a big event! I am not sure when those visits got less and less , but then some of the cousin would come and see you! Later in life you came for important family gatherings .
I know this summer was the last part of your life on earth and held so many uncertainties. I know choose to see you healthy and happy , like you are now in heaven and like st my mom 100th birthday just last September . You will always be remembered as quiet, smart, after social justice and kind... ps witty like your dad also!
Love Carolyn
Saleema Snow
September 3, 2025
This news deeply saddens my heart because Maureen was such a great support and joy. At the 2017 Legal Writing Institute Writers Workshop in Colorado, she provided more than feedback for my article. She showed compassion, encouragement, and celebrated my Berkley placement with such excitement. Whenever our paths crossed at a conference or other event, she was deliberate in reaching out. I'm already missing her voice, her words, her encouragement, and her vision of how we improve our institutions. Sending my love and prayers to all friends and family.
Leslie Culver
September 2, 2025
Maureen - it was an honor and joy to be a part of your legal writing family for so many years. We crossed paths at many conferences and writing workshops; your smile and joy were contagious. I am so grateful that I was privileged to see you one last time and watch you present at the Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Conference in Utah in March of 2025. You will be dearly missed.
Haley Ashton
September 2, 2025
Professor Johnson was one of the kindest, most caring people I have ever met. I can't even start to list all of the ways in which she made us be more than law students, always making sure we considered the WRGO (what's really going on) in a case from the view of the average person, and how we would feel about things if we weren't viewing it from the law but rather as a person, taking time to humanize every aspect of a case. She also made the best hypotheticals and made things fun and exciting with her incredible imagination that I am sure made her an amazing screen writer.
She was so humble that she would correct students who called her Dr. Johnson, insisting that because she didn't have a doctorate she was just a professor, but she was so much more than just a professor. She sat with many of us after the 2024 election and commiserated with us as well as inspire us to take action and be hopeful still for what is to come. She surprised us on our final immersion weekend of the first semester we had with her with a gift bag of sweet, encouraging things for finals. The gift included a pen that said "Dream Big", a heart shaped pin that says "kind", and a seasoning packet from her favorite local store called "a new hope", which I think speaks perfectly to who she was. A kind, hopeful dreamer. I used that pen so much that it's already out of ink, but it will stay on my desk always.
Thank you Professor Johnson for your impact on this world, your students and everyone you came into contact with. You created a ripple effect that will carry on for generations. A beautiful soul with an even more beautiful heart, rest in peace.
Kathryn Boling
September 2, 2025
Noel Estabillo
September 2, 2025
Condolences on behalf of Vitas Hospice.
Prayers for the family and friends.
-Chaplain Noel
Stephanie Williams
September 2, 2025
Maureen was a champion for the underdog (and four footed dogs too!) and her advocacy inspired us all. She will be missed.
Mary Smeltzer
September 2, 2025
You had such a big impact on so many, I so wish you could have stayed longer. It was a tough summer but I'm glad I spent it with you on your long journey home. Love you and miss you. Bernie is doing fine but misses you
I promise to meet you later at sea and we will have an eternal girls beach day.
Sharon Binter
September 2, 2025
Maureen is at peace now and reunited with her family and friends who have passed before her! She´ll always be with those who are left behind in their many memories of her!
Sharon Binter
Charles Buckner
September 2, 2025
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