Overview And Experience
There’s a reason Indigo Family Law runs as smoothly as it does, and a lot of it comes down to Johana Bufford.
Officially, she’s our Office Manager and Paralegal. In reality, she wears more hats than a well-stocked millinery. As head of the legal department, she ensures that every case moves forward as it should, that no client ever feels lost in the process, and—most importantly—that they know they’re being heard and taken care of.
Johana’s path to Indigo Family Law started thousands of miles away, in Albania, where she earned her law degree at the University of Tirana and began a career practicing law and teaching labor law. Then came an enormous leap of faith—one of many in her life: she applied for a U.S. Green Card on a whim, went through an intensive interview process, and flew off to the U.S. She landed at JFK Airport facing a decision: follow family members to Chicago or take a chance on an old friend in Myrtle Beach. She chose the latter.
It was another leap that led her to the law here. While working in a restaurant, she read a news clipping about a regular customer—a local attorney handling a death penalty case. Intrigued, she asked him a few (okay, more than a few) questions. They were so insightful it didn’t take him long before he offered her a job. That was the beginning of more than a decade of learning, adapting, and mastering the intricacies of South Carolina law. She initially met Brana Williams as part of that capital murder case, she was second chair. It took a while, though the writing was on the wall from the moment they met, but when the opportunity arose, she joined Indigo Family Law.
Johana often says, “I’m blessed to work here.” The truth is, we’re the ones who are lucky. Her legal training and background give her a unique perspective, and if not for being trained in the the Napoleonic Code standing in the way, she’d be practicing law in the U.S. herself. Instead, she channels her skills into making sure Indigo’s clients always feel supported.
Beyond the office, Johana contributes heavily to the firm’s unofficial “dog culture” with her two goldendoodles. She loves to travel—anywhere from Charleston to Europe—but always returns to the work she loves.