Helping people led Olson to family, criminal law

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When the attorney Warren Wood first met Angela Olson while she was a young associate, he was struck by her sincerity.

“Through our interactions in various cases and at (State) Bar functions, I have come to admire that core value as perhaps the one trait that defines her as a genuinely good person and successful lawyer,” Wood said.

Olson, who has practiced law for more than a decade, is a family-law and criminal-defense lawyer in St. Croix County and owns Angela Olson Law.

“I’ve always really been interested in criminal law,” Olson said. “Constitutional issues just always clicked with me. In law school I then took a family-law class as well. It just seemed to go hand in hand with helping people through difficult times in their lives.”

Olson enjoys being able to listen to people, counsel them and help them by providing them with a less emotional perspective on whatever situation they find themselves in.

However, one of the hardest parts of her work is the fact that she often must work with clients who are going through the worst times in their lives, whether they’re being charged with a crime or going through a divorce.

“And they look to me to fix those problems,” she said. “Obviously I do my best. I’ve got the confines of the law that I have to deal with, other people to deal with. But they look to you to save their lives, and it’s a tall order.”

Six years ago on March 1, Olson decided to hang out her own shingle and reached out to Wood for advice. She has since added an attorney and recently opened a second office.

“I enjoyed our talks about her new practice and incorporated many of her ideas into mine,” Wood said. “Her ability to focus on finding solutions to complex problems separates her from other practitioners whose first impulse is to litigate.”

Beyond her leadership and attorney roles, Olson is involved with various professional and local organizations.

The attorney Christine Rasmussen, who owns Valley Crossing Law, met Olson while they were both young lawyers serving on the board of the St. Croix Valley Bar Association.

“Angela is a fierce advocate for her clients,” Rasmussen said. “She’s an extremely loyal friend.”