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Barbara L. Johnson: Partner with Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, Washington, DC [By Kenneth Davis] Employment litigator Barbara Johnson had already established a solid career before going into law. She worked as an analytical chemist and instrument engineer for The Dow Chemical Company in Midland, MI, for five years prior to becoming an attorney. She said two attorney friends piqued her interest in law while she was working at Dow.
“At the time, I knew that I didn’t want to
She explained why she left Wickliff & Hall to
In addition to her employment law cases,
continue doing what I was doing as an
join Paul Hastings:
Johnson has litigated ERISA, Sarbanes-Oxley,
instrument engineer,” she said. “And I
premises liability, toxic tort, environmental
needed some kind of an advanced degree,
“I saw it as an opportunity to join just a
and I was looking at an advanced technical
wonderful employment law department that
racism, and business tort cases.
degree or M.B.A. I hadn’t really thought
handles phenomenal cases, has tremendous
She is also chair of Paul Hastings’ Global Pro
about law school until I met Jim and Anita
resources, and an incredible variety of clients
Bono and Community Involvement Committee,
Jenkins, and they said, ‘Well, you should
with whom we do work,” she said. “And
a member of the firm’s Diversity Policy and
think about law school.’”
also to join a real full-service law firm with
Practices Committee, and on the Partnership
lots of opportunities to get to know amazing
Evaluation Committee.
Johnson took her friends’ advice and
attorneys who work on very different types
enrolled at William & Mary Marshall-Wythe
of matters, whether it be international
Johnson discussed what she enjoys most
School of Law in Williamsburg, VA; she
arbitrations or major corporate transactions.”
about her job:
that, she began working as in-house counsel
In her practice at Paul Hastings, Johnson
“I particularly enjoy litigation and the
for Dow, and in 1985, she transferred to one
represents employers in various
opportunity to learn to tell a story about a
of its Texas facilities, where she said she
discrimination matters, wage and hour
particular situation,” she said. “Since becoming
initially worked on “pretty much anything
matters, and issues centering on benefits.
a litigator, I have learned that an important
that came through the door.” Then she
She said her practice has changed from
aspect of successful litigation is the ability to
began to primarily counsel the company’s
being comprised of more of a single-
tell stories. And I mean that in a positive way,
human resources department.
plaintiff caseload to one that involves more
in that companies, like individuals, have stories,
complicated complex litigation, collective
and I think to be successful you’ve got to be
Johnson eventually chose to leave Dow and
actions, and multiple-plaintiff class actions.
able to tell the company’s stories through the
join a minority-owned firm-Wickliff & Hall-
Additionally, Johnson regularly tries cases
company’s witnesses.”
in 1990.
involving issues of race, age, gender, and
earned her law degree in 1984. Right after
disability discrimination, retaliation, breach
Johnson said she “loves” to speak to law
“I always knew that I wanted to try cases since
of contract, and various employment torts
students. She has spoken to students at
from the time that I had been in law school
in both state and federal courts. She also
Georgetown University Law Center and
and recognized that that was not going to be
provides employment law advice to her
William & Mary Marshall-Wythe School of
an option with Dow, which is why I ended up
clients.
Law, as well as to a number of BLSA (Black
leaving and joining a law firm,” she explained.
Law Students Association) groups. “Recognizing that so few cases actually go to
Johnson handled employment litigation at the
trial, it’s also very important to help clients
“BLSA is a very popular organization on
Houston-based firm and became a partner in
develop strategies for avoiding litigation to
virtually every law school campus,” she
1993. She left the firm in 2002 to join Paul,
assure that they are in compliance with the
said. “Also, BLSA has regional and national
Hastings, Janofsky & Walker as a partner in
myriad of laws that affect them,” she said.
meetings involving students of color from a lot
its Washington, DC, office.
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of different law schools.”
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Johnson said she speaks to law students
“Marty [Wickliff] taught me about the value
Johnson said that she has many hobbies
about the profession and the opportunities
of really just hard work and the reality that
and interests, including cooking, genealogy,
they will have as attorneys. She also
this is a very demanding and challenging
community involvement, and fitness.
talks to students about how to do well
profession,” she said. “And with Marty, it
in law school, especially when it comes
was never about cutting corners and always
She discussed some of the goals she’d like
to thinking “strategically” about law
giving the clients more than they expect and
to accomplish with her practice in the next
school exams and getting ready for them.
exceeding expectations in every way.”
few years:
about speaking to law students is the
Johnson said one of the highlights of
“I’m looking to continue to take my practice
“ability to make a difference in terms of
her professional career was joining Paul
to the next level in terms of the clients I
someone’s future and future opportunities
Hastings, a prominent international law firm,
represent and the types of cases in which I get
and possibilities in the profession.”
as a partner.
involved,” she said. “And I’m looking to help
She had the following advice for law
“So few people of color and so few female
for the firm…I just think that the development
students:
lawyers of color really have the opportunity to
of and mentoring of younger attorneys is an
experience practice at this level in terms of
important obligation that I have. So those are
the clients we serve and the sophistication of
my primary objectives.”
Johnson said that what she enjoys most
in developing the next generation of leaders
“Other than what I said about the importance of thinking about law school exams strategically […] there’s a tremendous interest right now, especially among large law firms, in attracting minority lawyers,” she said. “And so my advice is to look deeper in terms of the organization that’s wooing them and to really understand what the possibilities are there for advancement and what kinds of culture and environment they’re going to get into.” Johnson said the two people who influenced her the most in her formative years as a lawyer were attorneys Anthony Sadberry and A. Martin Wickliff, Jr., both of whom she worked with at Wickliff & Hall.
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this practice,” she said. ON THE NET Johnson was born and raised in Hampton, VA. “I’m the product of very hardworking parents and a very loving family environment, where I was nurtured by not only my parents but my aunts and uncles and the whole community,” she said. Johnson is married to a management consultant with his own firm. She has three stepchildren, one of whom is majoring in education at the University of Houston.
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker www.paulhastings.com William & Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law www.wm.edu/law The Dow Chemical Company www.dow.com