Baylor Law Alum Elected President-Elect of the State Bar of Texas

Contact: Julie Carlson, Baylor Law School, (254) 710-6681

Baylor Law alumnus Roland Johnson of Fort Worth has been elected President-Elect of the State Bar of Texas. Johnson will serve as president in 2009-2010, and will follow another Baylor lawyer, Harper Estes, who will begin his term as president in June.

"A turtle does not get on top of a fence post without 100 percent help and that is what just happened in this election," Johnson said. "I am grateful for Baylor lawyers who voted across the state. Baylor lawyers give their best to the profession in so many ways, and I believe Baylor Law School prepares you for leadership in the community as well as the courtroom."

Johnson is the managing shareholder of Harris, Finley & Bogle P.C., the law firm where he has worked since 1982. He became Managing Shareholder in 1989.

He received his bachelor's degree magna cum laude from Baylor University in 1976 and his juris doctor degree cum laude in 1979. While at Baylor Law School, he was associate editor of Baylor Law Review. He is board certified in civil litigation and has more than 27 years experience in civil litigation. His practice includes extensive litigation in commercial litigation, legal malpractice defense and arbitration related issues.

After law school, he began his career Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller.

Johnson holds professional licenses with the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern Districts of Texas; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; and U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas; State Bar of Texas Board of Directors (2003-2006); Texas Legal Protection Plan Board of Directors (2006-2007); The American Law Institute; American Board of Trial Advocates; Texas Association of Defense Counsel; Texas Bar Foundation (Life Fellow); Tarrant County Bar Association (President, 2001-02); Tarrant County Bar Foundation (Board of Directors, Charter Fellow, Sustaining Life Fellow); Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism (Member); and Texas Association of Mediators (Member).

He was named a Texas Monthly Super Lawyer in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and is Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court President. Additionally, he serves as an Adjunct Professor at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law and received the Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Award in 2005. He also received the Tarrant County Bar Association Professionalism Award in 2004.

His community involvement includes serving as commissioner on the Fort Worth Civil Service Commission, board member of the Day Resource Center (for the homeless), board member of the Baylor Alumni Association, swine barn superintendent for the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show and weather watcher for KXAS-TV. He and his wife of 30 years, Cindy, are members of Broadway Baptist Church. They have two sons: Ben, who holds a B.A. in environmental studies and Spanish from Southwestern University, and Wes, a candidate for a joint M.B.A/M.A. degree in international relations at Yale University.

Johnson will follow in the footsteps of a number of Baylor Law alumni who have held the post of president of the state bar. Baylor Law predecessors in this position of leadership include A.J. Folley, Leon Jaworski, Gib Gayle, Jim Bowmer, Cullen Smith, Wayne Fisher and Frank Newton.

"Baylor lawyers have always risen to the call of leadership - in the profession, in their communities, in their churches and in all other venues," said Baylor Law Dean Brad Toben. "Given this tradition and history, we are especially gratified that we will have Harper and Roland - two Baylor lawyers - serving back-to-back as the President of the State Bar of Texas, the second largest bar organization in the nation."

The State Bar of Texas is an administrative agency of the Supreme Court of Texas that provides educational programs for the legal profession and the public, administers the minimum continuing legal education program for attorneys and manages the attorney discipline system.