Ryan Johnson is an Associate (pending bar admission) at Berger Kahn’s Lake Forest office, where his focus is in labor and employment law.

Ryan earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a minor in Psychology from Chapman University before pursuing his Juris Doctor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. While at UC Irvine, he was active in Moot Court and the Tax Law Society.

While at UC Irvine Law, Ryan dedicated significant time to pro bono work. At Community Legal Aid SoCal in Santa Ana, he assisted low-income elderly and disabled clients with securing social security benefits, conducted client intakes, and drafted legal memos. He later volunteered at the Northshore Public Defender’s Office in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, where he gained experience in legal research, discovery review, and motion drafting—including a double jeopardy motion that resolved a client’s case at a pre-trial hearing. In 2024, Ryan continued his pro bono efforts with Innocence OC.

In 2023, Ryan served as a law clerk at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, where he shadowed attorneys throughout trial proceedings, participated in strategy meetings, conducted legal research, and drafted motions. The following year, he clerked at the California Office of the Attorney General, where he researched and drafted two respondent’s briefs filed with the California Court of Appeal and contributed to a third brief involving a Marsden issue.

In his free time, Ryan loves swimming, playing chess, songwriting, and singing.