Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt is honored to announce that shareholder Jamila A. Johnson will be leaving the firm to take on a leadership role at the Southern Poverty Law Center as a senior supervising attorney in New Orleans. While it is a bittersweet moment for the firm to see Jamila leave after 10 years, Schwabe could not be more proud of the work that Jamila will be doing in New Orleans defending the constitutional rights of those who are disproportionately impacted by our nation’s criminal justice system. Jamila’s last day at Schwabe is March 31.

“After spending one-third of my life at Schwabe, nothing less than this position would have ever made me leave,” said Jamila. “I want to thank everyone at the firm for making it such a fantastic place to learn and strive to master the practice of law.”

Jamila brings to her new role the skills she acquired in her legal practice at Schwabe, which included constitutional litigation and scope of governmental powers. Since joining Schwabe as a summer intern in 2006, she has worked in the firm’s Manufacturing, Distribution & Retail and Ports, Maritime & Transportation industry groups, focusing on condemnation and litigation cases. Outside the office, she has held leadership roles with the ACLU of Washington, Washington Housing Alliance, Tabor 100, and Seattle Women’s Commission, among other organizations, and served as Adjunct Professor of Ethics at Seattle University.

“We couldn’t be more proud of Jamila.  Her joining the SPLC is a wonderful tribute to both her talents as a lawyer and her unwavering passion for and commitment to justice for the underserved and most vulnerable members of society.  Certainly, for us, this is a bittersweet moment,” said Managing Partner Mark Long. “As sorry as we are to see her leave, we will treasure the impact Jamila has had on our firm, and we will long be honored to claim her as a friend and former colleague.  We wish Jamila the very best for much continuing success on this next stage of her journey.”