About Us
Our Attorneys
Crystal L. Johnson
Jana Szostek
Crystal L. Johnson was born in Chicago, IL and she has spent the majority of her life as a proud resident of Gary, IN. She followed in her parents and uncle’s footsteps when she chose to become an attorney, entrepreneur, and real estate investor.
She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Wilberforce University and her Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso University School of Law. After working at a CPA/Law firm for twenty (20) years as a Senior Accountant, she started her law practice in Northwest Indiana, Law Office of Crystal L. Johnson LLC, where she focuses her practice in the areas of small business formation, estate planning, real estate, and property tax lien sales.
Crystal is an advocate for her clients and works relentlessly to resolve their issues. As an entrepreneur and real estate investor, Crystal understands how difficult it can be to start and maintain a business. She works closely with her clients to ensure that they form a proper legal structure for their business.
Over the course of Crystal’s career, she has dedicated a substantial amount of time to advancing the professional culture of Lake County through her active involvement with several professional organizations and associations such as being a Board Member and Treasurer of e-Engaging Northwest Indiana Business Women; Board Member and Treasurer of the James Kimbrough Bar Association; Board Member and Membership Chairperson of the Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association (“NICIA”); and, a member of Indiana University Northwest Indiana's Business Academy, the Lake County Bar Association; Realtist Association of Indiana; and, National Bar Association
Crystal L. Johnson's career and contributions are truly inspiring. Her dedication to both her clients and her community runs deep. From her work in small business formation to her advocacy in various professional organizations, she seems to be balancing multiple roles with a focus on helping others succeed. Her involvement with charitable organizations like the Bernie Mac Foundation shows how committed she is to giving back, especially to causes that impact families and individuals in meaningful ways.
Jana Szostek is a Northwest Indiana native and spent the first decade of her career working as a paramedic. She was honored to help her patients and their families through very difficult life experiences. She soon progressed to a training and supervisory role, where she developed her love of teaching. She and her husband, who also is a paramedic, launched their own training and consulting business and spent 25 years training the EMTs of the future. Through their business, they published a magazine for emergency responders, developed a training system for EMT students, and created continuing education materials.
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Jana earned her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Indiana University Northwest and her Master’s degree in Personnel and Human Resource Development (Industrial-Organizational Psychology) from Illinois Institute of Technology. This enabled her to expand her business to include business consulting. She provided human resource consulting and training and development services to assist companies in navigating various business and workplace issues.
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Jana earned her Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law. While there, she participated in the Mediation Clinic and mediated small claims court cases. She became certified as a Domestic Relations Mediator as well. Upon graduation, Jana opened her law practice, offering estate planning services, and continued her consulting and teaching career at a local university. Jana’s activities at the university include managing several programs for the business school, including student assessment, professional development, and small business development. In addition, she teaches law-related courses. She is admitted to practice law in Indiana.
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Jana’s primary interest is estate planning. She is passionate about helping clients navigate the estate planning process. She uses her experience as an educator to explain options and guide clients through the choices they need to make.
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In addition, Jana is interested in business organization, management, succession planning, and business formation. As a business owner, Jana appreciates the challenges and needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs. She uses her experience as an attorney, business owner, and educator to come alongside business owners to help them through the myriad situations they encounter.