Leading the Maryland Bar Association
Harry S. Johnson, Political Science 76, a partner in the Baltimore law firm of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, became president of the Maryland Bar Association in July 2003. He is the first African-American president of the 20,000-member organization. As president, he hopes to encourage lawyers to be leaders in the community and enhance the involvement of minorities in the legal profession.
After graduating from the University of Maryland School of Law, Johnson joined Whiteford, Taylor & Preston and in 1986 became the firms first African-American partner. His legal work focuses on product liability, mass tort, professional liability, and other complex litigation. In addition, he continues to be an advocate for minority recruitment in the states law firms and has established a mentorship program pairing African-American law students with Baltimore attorneys.
A student-athlete and former president of the Student Government Association, Johnson remains connected to UMBC. He hires UMBC student interns, taught a business law class in the Department of Economics and was instrumental in helping to establish the Second Generation Scholarship Fund for undergraduates who have demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of minorities.
Johnson credits UMBC faculty and advisors for guiding him in the direction of law and setting him on a path to success. UMBC provided a network and a support system that have stayed with me to the present, he says.
