Life truly is an adventure for Amy Rebecca Johnson, whether she is cooking, working out, practicing yoga or the law, spending time with her husband and their pets, or learning everything possible about other cultures.
Johnson, who goes by Amy Rebecca and her maiden name, is not afraid to take risks, start something new (she took the LSAT on a whim), set boundaries and even change her mind (getting married after spending her life saying that was not happening). No matter what she is doing or where she is going, she tries to be as prepared as possible for her next adventure, even if she has zero indication of where she is going. At the time of the interview for this article, Johnson did not know where her next adventure was going to be – literally. She and her husband, Andy, booked a delayed “mystery” honeymoon with a company specializing in such adventures. They were married in August of 2020, in the earliest months of the pandemic.
But they had no idea where they were headed for their 10-day international trip until they arrived at St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Oct. 14, 2022. The packing list that arrived 10 days prior to their excursion listed both jackets and swimwear and that temperatures would fluctuate from low-50 to mid-80 degrees at their destination.
"I told Andy that I would stick to the packing list and not overthink it or the destination," Johnson said. "That might be difficult but I will be prepared and I want to be surprised.
The couple finally revealed their destination via YouTube video when they arrived at the airport. And the destination is……read on to find out!
The fact that she had no idea where they were going is all part of the adventure.
"I'm a major, adventurous traveler," Johnson said. "There's basically no place I would not go. I think there's something unique and neat about every place. I like learning about different places, people and the way people live. It gives good perspective and enhances my life. I take away something from every trip."
She also has no reservations about traveling by herself.
"Traveling alone is sometimes magical," Johnson said. "The decisions are 100 percent yours. I've met amazing people when I've traveled alone. There is a group of guys I met in 2017 in Iceland, and we still stay in touch. If you don't want to talk to someone, you don't have to. But if you want to talk to other people, you have to be the one to seek them out.
Johnson's love of travel dates back to her childhood and her fascination with maps.
"I have a love of maps; I read maps and atlases,” Johnson said. "I will sit in bed reading them while normal people are reading a book. I learned to appreciate maps from my Dad. I love different places and adventures, seeing and learning — especially learning — new things. I love knowing things about the world. Typically, I'll know a bunch of stuff about the place I'm going to before I go on the trip. I feel like knowledge is invaluable. I feel it is important to educate yourself about the world around you. It enhances the experience and what you take away from it."
For her mystery trip, Johnson was going to spend her time waiting for their flight at the airport downloading information to read about their destination. They knew they had at least a 14-hour flight so plenty of time to become educated.
There is no doubt she immersed herself in the culture of wherever they landed. And possibly brought back some new ideas to try in the kitchen.
"One of the wonderful things about travel is that you get to experience the culture and it becomes a part of you," Johnson said. "Even the food. The ideas and flavors/spices often become a part of what I like to make at home. I like to experiment with food and flavors, so often, the ideas of the cuisine of places of my travel become a part of some of the regular things I make, just with a twist."
When she is not traveling the world, Johnson practices family law at the Clayton-based law firm Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal, P.C. Her focus is primarily divorces, child custody and adoption.
Following law school at Saint Louis University School of Law, she ran her own successful solo practice.
Just as she educates herself, she encourages her potential clients and clients to educate themselves as they are going through the legal process they are facing.
"I always tell potential clients, 'you are here to educate yourself about your choices,'" Johnson said. "Otherwise, you're going into something blind. Sometimes I meet with someone considering a divorce, they see the options and sometimes I never see them again."
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Johnson was a freelance film producer and event planner. But she needed a new experience. "I had finished a shoot and it was not a fun one," Johnson said. "I was about 26 years old and took some time off. In February of the next year, I met some friends at O'Connell's. The question was asked, 'if you could go back to school, what would you do?' I responded that I would go to law school. I woke up the next day and thought it was a pretty good idea. I got the books, studied and the took the LSAT. When I went to law school, I didn't think about going into family law. But as a 2L, I took a family law class and I found it to be a very interesting part of law. After all, you shouldn't need a lawyer coming into a very intimate relationship. It's a weird intersection of life and law."
She graduated from law school in December of 2009, in the middle of a recession.
"There weren't any jobs," Johnson said. "I had interviewed at a couple of places and then decided to start my own practice. It made sense and wasn't scary to me because I had always worked for myself."
She took the bar in February 2010 and started as a solo practitioner that summer.
"I actively sought out how to get family law cases," Johnson said. "I was helping and shadowing a couple of lawyers and getting into court. I was often hired by other attorneys to do some office and court tasks and this added to my experiences. All of that got me into the courts and I was able to observe and learn how the court works and what it meant to be prepared."
After a number of years, a new adventure presented itself. While attending a family law CLE, Hon. Susan Block sat next to her.
"She said, 'you should come work for us' [at Paule, Camazine]," Johnson said. "That was on a Friday. She slid her phone to me and said, 'give me your number.' I gave her my card and I received an email from her on Sunday asking me to send her my resume. I didn't have one, but I fixed up an old one. On Monday morning, HR contacted me. On Wednesday morning, I went in for the scheduled meeting. And I accepted an offer after lunch on Wednesday afternoon. It was an unexpected whirlwind."
Johnson said it was not the offer but the people she had met who made her feel she was in the right place.
"I thought I was meeting just with Alisse Camazine, but there were six family law lawyers in the meeting," Johnson said. "I had a gut feeling that these are my people. They answered every question and any concerns I had without me even asking. I had been working for myself for six years, on my own schedule. They said you do what you need to do. They were treating me like an attorney who knows what they're doing. They were looking for someone and thought my energy and spirit would work there.
"They had made some calls between Monday and Wednesday to other judges and attorneys. The feedback was that I was a great attorney. I attribute that to the time that I had spent getting into the courtroom. I had learned how to be prepared and that showed. As a solo, I always made sure I was prepared because I wanted to be taken seriously. I had seen attorneys who were prepared and attorneys who were not. I made sure I always was."
Just as she does with her own life, Johnson believes in treating her clients as the whole person, not the current crisis they are experiencing.
"I will say I'm here to do your divorce, but that's just one part of you," Johnson said. "Often, there are issues such as depression, anxiety and maybe even learning how to budget if one spouse handled all the bills. I always say I will find someone to help with that. It's all about caring about the people, not just the case. I like to look at my clients as the whole person. I try to pay attention to what their needs are, what's important to them. That way I can help them in the way that is best for them, and try to get them the best outcome."
Johnson also serves the community with several pro bono-related activities.
"I volunteer with a number of pro bono organizations, volunteer with the St. Louis County domestic violence indirect criminal contempt docket, and encourage pro bono work with the attorneys in my firm," said Johnson, who recently received a pro bono award from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. "On a yearly basis, I usually do 100-plus hours of pro bono work. Pro bono work is really important to me."
"The legal process can be scary without legal representation, especially to those dealing with family law issues. It should be available to everyone and it's important to me to be able to assist in making it accessible to people who might not otherwise be able to afford representation. I encourage all attorneys to do pro bono work. Even one matter a quarter or every six months will make a difference."
She has earned accolades for her work, most recently receiving the Litigation Practitioner Award at the Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women's Justice Awards ceremony.
Johnson currently serves as secretary of BAMSL's Executive Committee/Board of Governors. She became a member of the Well-Being Committee when it started in the 2018-19 BAMSL bar year and has served as its chair since the 2020-21 bar year.
"I've always been a member and involved in some way but being Well-Being chair has really made me more involved," Johnson said. "I love BAMSL, it is such an important part of the community. I like that it's not mandatory and you can choose how to be involved. It serves as a good support system."
She also became concerned about lawyers' well-being – not just physical but also mental.
"I have a lot of friends from law school who don't practice anymore because of burnout," Johnson said. "I wanted to know why that was happening. Well, people didn't have balance in their lives. Lawyers are so driven and never take time for themselves. The mental health of attorneys didn't seem good. Some have substance abuse, others aren't taking care of themselves physically and some aren't caring for their emotional needs. As Well-Being Committee chair, I wanted to focus on wellbeing principles. We are a whole person, not just one part. If one part is suffering, all are suffering. If one part is doing well, other parts will follow. My own well-being is many parts."
She also has hosted some yoga sessions for BAMSL members and encouraged members to be active with a walking steps challenge during COVID. She personally took up running during COVID.
"I like to work out and be active," Johnson said. "Being active makes me feel good. I was a competitive figure skater growing up. I started doing yoga in high school. I became certified to teach yoga almost a decade ago. Yoga means to yoke, or to bring together. It's about the overall experience of combining the mind and body together, breath and movement together. Yoga isn't just about poses. There are the spiritual, emotional and physical aspects. I incorporate other movement practices and strength training into my weekly activity. Being active clears the head and lung space.
Johnson wakes up around 4:30 a.m. and starts her day with a workout.
"At the end of the day, it's harder for me to be motivated to get a solid workout in," Johnson said. "I want to end my day and be at home with my family. I’m a morning person and I see the sun rise every day. I like to acknowledge the new day and seeing the sun actually rise helps me to be grateful for the day ahead."
It also keeps her grounded and helps her keep her energetic, spirited and calming nature at the forefront.
"I think that my calmness comes partially from my study and practice of yoga," Johnson said. "I try not to let things affect me and instead just ride the waves of what comes. I'm a great mixture of my parents' personalities, so I'm sure a lot of this comes from my genes as well."
It also reminds her to balance everything in her life. Which leads us back to making sure she spends quality time with her new husband. They dated for about four years before getting married.
Marriage was not a step that she felt she needed in her relationship, until one fateful trip to Peru in October of 2019.
"It was a difficult trip; we loved the trip but we both were sick and it tested our relationship," Johnson said. "When we got back, I realized that I love him even more now because of what we went through — together. Something shifted and I realized that I wanted the significance of marriage for our relationship. When we got home, I told him I wanted to get married. He formally proposed in December at the Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Garden, in the rain. It also rained on our wedding day."
Hopefully, there was minimal or no rain on their honeymoon, despite the packing list including rain gear. By the time you read this article, Johnson and her husband will be back stateside. And their destination was……Istanbul, Cappadocia region, and Antalya in Turkey. We cannot wait to hear stories from that adventure.
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