Today we’d like to introduce you to Precious Johnson.
Precious, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have wanted to be a lawyer for as long as I can remember. I remember watching a Dave Chapelle skit on the OJ Simpson case, and I starting thinking well…did he really do it? I started searching things about the case, and as funny as that sounds, I really think that is what sparked my interest in the law—me trying to form my own opinion on whether OJ really did do it?!
I started at Florida State University in 2011. While there, I studied Politicial Science—which is pretty typical for most people who have plans to go to law school.
I started at Emory University in 2015. While there, I realized there is so much more to the law than what we see on a day to day basis. I attempted to explore as many areas of the law as possible. I met some of my closest friends during law school. I really enjoyed law school. But, there were some dark times…law school was very stressful—the exams, the politics, and of course, the job search. I was a pretty good student, in the middle of the pack as far as grades, and a standout in community organizations…but I just had a hard time finding a job, or as they say now “securing the bag.” I use to think to myself that I was crazy for trying to be the first lawyer in my family…that there is no way I could do this…and what was I thinking when I started this journey. I got my first-year internship on the day before my last final, and I got my second-year internship the week after finals. I think it all happened exactly the way it was supposed to happen because having some trouble during the job search process pushed me to apply for a federal clerkship, a position that is really prestigious and really hard to get.
I spent almost every waking (and non-crying) moment of the summer after graduation studying for the bar exam, which is a two-day exam. I was, and still am, so happy to have passed on the first time. There is no way I could see myself studying and sitting for that exam a second time! But…I do want to take it again for some other state, just to make myself more marketable as an attorney.
I spent my first year out of law school as federal judicial law clerk in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was a great experience. I was challenged each and every day. I never knew what to expect, each day brought a new issue—no two cases were the same. I learned so much…and when I wasn’t learning, I was having a ton of fun. There was always something going on in New Orleans.
I am now an associate at a large law firm, here in their Atlanta office, practicing on their general liability team. I am enjoying it a lot so far, and hoping to get into some products liability work in the future. I also hope to get into being a Q&A panelist to speak to pre-law students and law students about their journey.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For the most part, it has been somewhat smooth…probably more smooth than most, but there were some struggles along the way. There were times I was too hard on myself, thinking I could not become the first lawyer in my family, but even when things did not look up, I would call my dad for a pep talk and then keep pushing…things always turned out well.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I work for a large law firm. The firm is based in California. I work in the Atlanta office. I am an associate so I do…basically whatever the partners I work for ask me to do (i.e., summarize things draft correspondence, conduct site visits, conduct witness interviews, write motions, and assist with trial preparation). I work with on the general liability group and hope to work with the products liability group in the future. I am most proud of my organizational skills…I think those skills help me in every aspect of my day, from keeping track of my assignments to being organized in my writing. I think my love for the law sets me apart from others…I really enjoy what I do. It does not feel like work to me so I can spend a lot of my time doing it and not feel tired or stressed. I enjoy it.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would apply to even higher-ranked law schools like Vanderbilt, NYU, or even Harvard or Yale. I counted myself out of those top schools without even applying. I honestly thought Emory Law was a stretch, and that I would not get in…but I got accepted with a merit scholarship. I think I should have at least tried to get into those higher-ranked schools. I call this lesson, “Let someone else tell you no. Don’t ever tell yourself no.” Nevertheless, I think Emory Law was right where I was supposed to be—the best three years of my life.
Contact Info:
- Email: preciousjohnson@preciousjohnson.com
Image Credit:
@itsdannygphoto – for pic 1 and graduation pic
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