黛布拉·布鲁诺
2017年2月20日
With members in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, the D.C. 酒吧正在开始一个常规功能来介绍组成我们社区的人. 阅读你的同龄人，他们的生活，他们在世界各地的工作.
巴尔的摩澳博app和D.C. 澳博app会员Harry S. Johnson is comfortable being on the front lines in the legal field. 第一位担任马里兰州澳博app协会主席的非裔美国人. First African American partner at Whiteford, Taylor & 普雷斯顿. 在备受瞩目的诉讼案件中，有时会站在不受澳博app的一方. Johnson, 62, chatted with the D.C. 关于他的生活，他的事业，以及他与巴尔的摩的深厚联系. 编辑后的评论如下.
You first joined the Monumental City 酒吧 Association. 你能谈谈这个群体吗?
它是由巴尔的摩的一群非裔美国澳博app发起的，因为他们不能加入巴尔的摩或马里兰州的澳博app协会. 所以这是一个非裔美国澳博app的专业协会有同样的联系. 直到1960年，巴尔的摩和马里兰州才接纳了第一批非裔美国人. It’s going now and it’s going strong.
作为马里兰州澳博app协会的第一位非裔美国人主席是什么感觉?
这是一个复杂的交易. In one respect, it’s sad that it took until 2003 before it happened. 许多参加过会议的著名澳博app本可以在我之前成为总统. 这些牌正好适合我. 我曾三次担任(该协会)理事会成员. And because I was at a law firm, which had the resources to support me, I felt I was better positioned to do it. They were very supportive of me doing it. (威尔伯维.伍迪·普雷斯顿, 我们的主要合作伙伴之一, 1976年当过总统，他是(在就职典礼上)陪我走过过道的人之一。.
你自己的反应是什么?
我真的感受到了所有之前来过的人的压力，他们本可以扮演这个角色, and I felt responsible to represent the people who came before me. 同样令人欣慰的是，大约30名从未成为马里兰州澳博app协会会员的年长非裔美国澳博app都在那一年加入了该协会. I really appreciated that vote of confidence.
What was your tenure (2003-2004) like?
I feel like it really reinvigorated my love for the profession. 因为无论我走到哪里, 无论在哪里, 人们都很感激你愿意花时间为这个行业服务. When you try cases all the time, you can be ground down by it.
Have you felt ground down by a career in litigation?
不是真正的. 当你做我所做的那种诉讼时——复杂的诉讼——大多数澳博app都是老练的澳博app. 他们理解你为你的客户努力奋斗，但你要学会愉快地表达不同意见. If you are uncivil, that makes it difficult for everyone. I think in general my reputation is that I’m a pretty nice guy. Also, judges don’t like lawyers fighting. 如果你有一些事情愿意为之争吵，但又愿意妥协, 法官会注意的. You have to establish a reputation that you are reasonable.
How did you manage to stay at one firm your entire career?
我是一个监狱过度拥挤案件的法律助理，原告是小内维特·斯蒂尔., a partner at Whiteford, Taylor & 普雷斯顿和保罗·贝克曼，后者后来成为马里兰州澳博app协会的主席. 项目结束时，我被要求申请1978年怀特福德的暑期助理工作. I was hired and have been here ever since. 我在1986年成为合伙人. 至于合伙人的部分, 我告诉人们, 1979年，当我第一次被聘用为澳博app时，怀特福德给了我一个机会. 像我这样在巴尔的摩公司工作的人并不多.
你让它为你工作.
公司给了我一个我认为其他人不会有的机会. If you crack a door open, I’ll kick it open. All anybody deserves is an opportunity. But I also stayed because I’m actually good at it! 任何优秀的诉讼澳博app都必须有健康的自我意识，但你必须克制这种自我意识. The case doesn’t belong to the lawyer; it belongs to the client. You’ve got to do what’s in the best interests of the client. Our job is to lay out the legitimate ethical options.
Can you talk about some of your high-profile cases?
作为一名澳博app，对我影响最大的案件是代表马里兰大学篮球教练鲍勃·韦德(他因违反NCAA规则而于1989年被迫辞职)的案件。. He was and is a legend in Baltimore. 当他去马里兰大学的时候，并没有受到整个马里兰大学社区的热烈澳博app. I understand why the guys who played for him have such love for him. He really got a raw deal in this situation. I learned a lot about myself as a lawyer from representing him. Former athletes and people in the community would come up to me. I was all right because I represented Coach Wade.
What other cases stuck with you?
其中一个是公共住房案件. 在这个案子中最重要的是有机会利用联邦资源重塑巴尔的摩市的公共住房. 四座高层建筑基本上被拆除和替换，这样它们看起来就像其他排屋. It really changed the landscape.
任何其他?
另一个案件是关于艾滋病误诊的，最终在D高级法院进行了审判.C. 一个人被告知他是艾滋病毒阳性，但几年后，事实证明他不是. 他因此提起了诉讼. 这很重要，因为所有关于艾滋病的信息都是一种耻辱. 我代表实验室. 但如果你站在案件的对立面，并不意味着你没有同情心.
Can you talk about some of your community involvement?
其中一个更有趣的是瑟古德·马歇尔机会项目由马里兰州总检察长办公室负责. 五家澳博app事务所已承诺支付一定金额赞助[暑期]项目的[法律]学生. 澳博app事务所赞助早餐, 午餐, 和研讨会, 演讲者可以和他们谈论诸如申请司法书记员之类的事情. It’s also a great opportunity to make contacts.
Have you ever thought about going into politics?
我认为参与政治需要一种特殊的人格类型，我不知道我的脸皮有那么厚. 我宁愿能够支持那些朝着正确方向前进的人. 我给你们讲个轶事. When I was younger and I used to go to church, 我想成为一名牧师，因为那些对我很重要的人——马丁·路德·金, 拉尔夫阿伯纳西, 杰西。杰克逊, Andrew Young — were all ministers. So I talked to my minister and he said, “It’s not a job you aspire to; it’s a calling. Unless you feel that calling, you shouldn’t.” That really resounded for me. 直到我成为一名澳博app，我才对瑟古德·马歇尔有了很多了解. For many African American families like mine, we believed the only way to get ahead was through education. 我母亲上过摩根州立大学，父亲上过大学后从军. 他们都推我. 所以当你看到那些没有这样经历的人，你会更加欣赏他们的经历.
