I knew I wanted to be a trial attorney when I saw Blair Underwood and Jimmy Smits on L.A. Law.  I have had over 30 jury trials working for the City of New York, an insurance defense firm and the Oregon Department of Justice.  Performing in front of a jury is one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve ever had—win or lose.  I think I am an actor at my core.  Odd because I am also a cinephile:  I love movies by Clint Eastwood, Akira Kurosawa, Antoine Fuqua and John Woo.  I sympathize with the tortured hero and the lost cause.

I am a devout capitalist; hate bullies; root for the underdog; and believe in the system.  Reasons why I became the first Director of Civil Rights for the Oregon Attorney General.  Before moving to Oregon, I drafted judicial opinions as a Principal Law Clerk for a New York State Supreme Court Justice.  I started my legal career as a litigation associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, after graduating from law school.  I now have a general practice law firm, HARMON JOHNSON LLC, that focuses on discrimination, civil rights violations and wage theft.

I also love teaching.  Several women in my family were teachers and professors.  This inspired me to be an adjunct professor, and a high school and college trial advocacy Coach.  I have also taught trial skills to attorneys from across the country as a National Attorney General Training and Research Institute faculty member.  I am a Libra.  And I love to cook, write and do home improvements in my spare time.  I have sworn off Starbucks, Waffle House, and Hobby Lobby to name a few.  I also refuse to watch anything NFL—games, highlights, updates, documentaries, etc.—until Colin Kaepernick gets at least a try-out.

Practice Areas

Civil Litigation, Civil Rights, Consumer Protection, Divorce, DWI/DUI Defense, Elder Law, Judiciary, Landlord Tenant, Personal Injury, Police Misconduct

Type of Practice

Private Practice

Years of Practice

10-15 years

States Licensed to Practice

NY, OR

Undergraduate School

John Jay College of Criminal Justice , 1991

Law School

Howard University School of Law , 2002

Bar Admission

NY , 2003
OR , 2013