Barbara J Gislason

It has been over two years since we hired Barbara. I still get upset when I am reminded of her. In 2016, we had a pet-related issue that needed legal representation. At that time, Barbara was the only Minnesota animal law attorney we could find. We initially met with her for a long and very expensive... consultation at a cost of $350. A majority of the consultation was Barbara interrupting our story, bragging about a book she was writing and talking about matters unrelated to our immediate concerns. We were distraught and desperate at the time and foolishly, still pursued her representation mostly due to a shortage of animal law attorneys. While building our case, she had a lot of unnecessary banter with the city and us, often bragging about herself, and sometimes double-billing because she did not listen to instruction the first time. I want to clarify that BARBARA IS A HORRIBLE LISTENER AND LACKS SELF-AWARENESS. She never seemed to care about the details of the case we expressed to her and took direction poorly. However, we were always billed promptly for her time. We kept hoping that despite all of the concerns we had about her, that her performance at the hearing would make it all worth it. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The morning of our hearing, she asked me and another supportive witness to bring copies of evidence we had already given to her because she did not have it. Imagine hearing this from your attorney on the morning of your hearing. Barbara ultimately did not address all of our concerns at the hearing and oftentimes appeared to be "winging it." She also admitted to us that she was unprepared because she expected a settlement. Again, imagine hearing this from your attorney on the day of your case. I was so disappointed by her arrogance, unpreparedness, negligence, poor representation and failure to listen and understand our case. I subsequently asked her for a full-refund, which she declined in a difficult-to-follow, 4-page diatribe letter (please refer to her response to reviews for color). I also contacted the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board regarding her conduct. Unfortunately, they do not handle fee disputes, attorney negligence, poor quality representation or malpractice and deferred me to the civil courts. The bottom line based on my experience, I strongly DO NOT recommend Barbara and her services. She lacks self-awareness and oftentimes seems unable to listen to her clients' concerns and needs, and her behavior and conduct should not be accepted nor tolerated by anyone.

Barbara will protect you and your brand. She has a process which she uses to get the right information to win the case. She took a special case for us and her professionalism and expertise shined. I will recommend Barbara to anyone that needs someone who is experienced on how to win and cares. The wh...ole time, she was concerned for us and was a great support.

Ms. Barbara J. Gislason represented me in a divorce that was emotionally difficult and intellectually challenging. She supported me and helped me achieve a good and fair result. Through the divorce process, I discovered Ms. Gislason to be very knowledgeable about all aspects of law, efficient, strong...-willed, and foremost, compassionate! In addition, Ms Gislason has a great, friendly, and proactive support staff! I will definitely recommend Ms. Gislason to my friends and family.

I went in for a consultation - which should have been a warning right off the bat, because she charges $200 (discounted rate) for 60 minutes. She first has you fill out a form that asks for personal information, including your Social Security Number. She gave me a second form 10 minutes later, and r...ight when we were about to go into her office. The form was an agreement of the "consult fee", and she has you sign it before she'll sit down to discuss anything. We then sat down, and she immediately explained how she conducts her meetings. i was not allowed to ask questions, or even tell her why I was there. Again - this is signs a client needs to pay attention to. I was paying her for her time - yet, she wouldn't let me talk. She presceded to ask me questions about my childhood. Mind it I'm almost 60. I tried to question her why that matters since my case was to do about a vet's misdiagnois, and how should I handle addressing the situation. So asking me about my growing up - and in details.....how many siblings, what was the family situation like - did we have any animals. What training did they have; how long did they live; who were the primary caregivers of the pets? Everytime I'd jump in to get to the issue at hand - she would tell me to be quiet and "follow her". After at least 45 minutes later, she informed me that she was doing this as a way to find out if I was credible; and then told me I was. She would talk about her writing books, and situations she's encountered - as examples. Our conversation was going no where and when I finally got her to stop the nonscence - she told me that its been 1.5 hours (must have had the clock behind me on the wall), and that I owed her $350. She got up and presented me with the signed form stating I agreed to pay and as she headed for the doorway to block me from leaving - she asked for my credit card. I didn't feel I could get around her and reluctantly gave her my credit card but told her that an hour of the time was wasted on sizing me up. She got an attitude and asked me if I was critizing her. She was definitely a nut case; and I would warn anyone - everyone do not use this attorney. My gut feeling of her asking for my SS#, and a $200 fee for consultation should have had me say Hell NO, but I had wanted someone to talk to that dealt with animal rights and she is posted as such. No reviews out there to steer you away.........So - this is the steer away sign. Go the other way!

I met with Barbara Gislason on a family law matter. She was very helpful and knowledgeable about the issues and understood the situation and problems involved. She discussed the options in a way that helped me make the necessary decisions. She handled everything in a very professional way while also ...being supportive and making me feel comfortable at a difficult time. I truly appreciate having her assistance as my lawyer. Robin