Contributed by Summer Work Experience in the Law, Inc.
It is with great sadness that the Summer Work Experience in the Law, Inc. (“SWEL”) Board President Reggie Staples announces the passing of its founder and inspirational leader James L. Johnson, Esq. Mr. Johnson, a proud 1980 graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law, spent most of his legal career in the Law Department of the City of Cincinnati and later worked with the Hamilton County Public Defender’s office. But his true passion and legacy was the founding, nurturing and growth of the SWEL program, a Cincinnati-based pipeline program that exposes historically primarily African American high school and college students to the legal profession.
What started as one man’s passionate and visionary plan 37 years ago literally transformed the lives of hundreds of young people and inspired so many diverse students to enter law school and become successful lawyers in our community and throughout the nation. To say that Mr. Johnson has had a profound impact on Cincinnati’s legal community during the last 37 years would be an understatement. Mr. Johnson often said that while he never had biological children, he was gifted with hundreds of youths with whom he developed lifelong mentor-protegee relationships and who affectionately referred to him as “Mr. J.”
One of those SWEL scholars was Gabe Davis, the son of a retired Cincinnati police officer, who went on to graduate from Yale University and Harvard Law School. Gabe is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center and summed up his gratitude to Mr. Johnson as follows: “It is hard to overstate what Jim means to me. I am an attorney because of him and his mentorship. Jim gave selflessly of his time and energy and empowered hundreds of kids like me to chase our dreams. I’ll miss him dearly but am eternally grateful that he took the time to sow into my life.”
Another notable SWEL alumnus is Ken Parker, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and President Emeritus of the SWEL Board. Ken has worked tirelessly over the years on behalf of SWEL and was a dear friend to Mr. Johnson. He commented, “While Mr. Johnsonwill be so greatly missed and there will forever be a hole in our hearts, we will honor him by continuing his legacy of hope, excellence, and enduring love here at SWEL. If the youth he assisted through SWEL were to become attorneys and started a firm, it would be one of the largest law firms in Cincinnati. And for those youth who did not go on to practice law, Mr. Johnson ensured that they would become leaders throughout their respective communities. He was truly a genuine and unmatched force of nature.”
Indeed, Mr. Johnson’s legacy will continue to live on for generations to come.