In Memoriam: Joe Genshlea (1938 – 2024)
Published: November 8, 2024
We mourn the loss of our friend and colleague, Joe Genshlea. A founding partner of Weintraub Tobin, Joe was instrumental in establishing the Firm’s high standards of legal excellence as well as setting a remarkable example of community leadership, both of which Weintraub continues to hold itself to.
A legendary litigator, Joe was voted into California’s Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame. According to his law partner Brendan Begley, he was known for being “a marvel at cross-examination and jury persuasion.” Yet his style was calm and understated, owing more to “storyteller warmth than bellicose heat,” as Ed Goldman wrote in a recent Comstock’s profile. Joe practiced law for more than 50 years, influencing a generation of young attorneys. A Firm leader in 2001, Joe spoke to a gathering of Weintraub employees on September 11. Partner Scott Hervey remembers that “everyone was pretty frazzled and emotional. I don’t remember what he said, but I do remember that it helped to hear his calming words of assurance.”
Joe seemed to know everyone in town. Managing Partner Gary Bradus remembers that “if you went out to lunch with him, he’d say ‘hi’ to someone, tell you who it was, and then fifteen minutes later you’d know the history of Sacramento.” Over the years, many encouraged him to write down his recollections, but he instead chose to funnel the stories into a way to support nonprofit organizations, which was deeply important to him. He created a play about his recollections, “A Sense of Place,” with the Sacramento Theatre Company. He mounted the show three times, raising money for the theatre and for Sierra Forever Families.
A life-long resident of Land Park, Joe Genshlea loved Sacramento and even ran for mayor. Although he did not become an elected mayor of the city, his loving family and his vast network of friends, colleagues, and associates knew him to be one of its leading citizens. He will be sorely missed.
The Sacramento Bee published this obituary on November 6, 2024.