Brendan Johnson (South Dakota)
| Brendan Johnson | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Robins Kaplan LLP |
| Role: | Partner |
| Location: | Sioux Falls, S.D. |
| Education: | •B.S., University of South Dakota •J.D., University of Virginia |
Brendan Johnson is a partner and managing director of the Sioux Falls, S.D., office of Robins Kaplan LLP, a Minneapolis-based law firm. Johnson has been with Robins Kaplan LLP since 2015. Prior to Robins Kaplan, Johnson spent over five years as U.S. attorney for the District of South Dakota.[1]
Career
Johnson began his career as a law clerk to U.S. District Court Chief Judge Karen Schreier in Rapid City, S.D. He later worked as a deputy state's attorney in Minnehaha County, South Dakota. Johnson worked in private practice in the law firm of Johnson, Abdallah, Bollweg and Parsons LLP.[2][3]
United States attorney for South Dakota
Johnson was nominated by President Barack Obama (D) as the 40th U.S. attorney for the District of South Dakota, and was confirmed unanimously in the U.S. Senate on October 15, 2009.[2][4] He was among the longest serving U.S. attorneys in the history of South Dakota when he announced his resignation on February 18, 2015.
During Johnson's time as U.S. attorney, he rotated as chair of the U.S. Department of Justice Native American Issues Subcommittee with former U.S. attorney for the District of North Dakota, Timothy Purdon.[5] The subcommittee is the longest standing subcommittee of U.S. attorneys within the Justice Department.[2] In 2012, Johnson served as one of the 13 U.S. attorneys to the Attorney General Advisory Committee (AGAC). Johnson also served on the Terrorism-National Security Subcommittee and the Child Exploitation Subcommittees of the Department of Justice.[4]
According to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, in 2013 the District of South Dakota was ranked among the top 20 most productive United States District Courts in America, with the second highest number of criminal trials.[4] Johnson personally argued the case of United States v. Jungers to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Johnson's victory established a precedent that incorporated federal sex trafficking laws to "buyers of sex acts with minors."[4] That decision earned Johnson the praise of Linda Smith, president and founder of Shared Hope International, who called Johnson "a force of determination, initiative and skill."[4]
| Brendan Johnson interview with Yankton Press & Dakotan June 4, 2014 |
On February 18, 2015, Johnson announced his resignation as U.S. attorney for the District of South Dakota. Regarding Johnson's tenure in office, former Attorney General Eric Holder said,[4]
| “ |
As a lawyer and as a leader, Brendan has set a standard of excellence that will not soon be surpassed. Particularly with regard to public safety challenges on tribal lands, he has served as a key advisor to senior Justice Department officials—including me. As past Chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee, he is not only a respected champion for tribal justice in his own right, but a critical national leader—offering sound guidance, wise counsel, and candid advice on a host of pressing issues. In standing against violent crime, fraud, drug trafficking, violence against women, and countless other threats, Brendan's fierce and determined service, on behalf of the people of South Dakota, has been without equal. Although he will be greatly missed, his many contributions will endure.[6] |
” |
Robins Kaplan LLP
Johnson and former U.S. attorney for the District of North Dakota, Timothy Purdon, were named partners and co-chairs of the American Indian law and policy group with Minneapolis-based law firm Robins Kaplan LLP in February 2015.[7][8] Of Johnson's credentials in Indian law, Richard S. Hartunian, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York credited Johnson among "the right leaders at the right time to carry out the vision of President Obama and Attorney General Holder to improve public safety in Indian country."[5]
According to the Argus-Leader, "Johnson is viewed as one of the top political prospects for the Democratic Party in South Dakota. His name was among those that circulated as a potential Democratic contender for the 2014 Senate seat that his father gave up."[1] The Star-Tribune also noted that "[s]ome Democrats had hoped Johnson would run for the Senate seat left open when his father, [former] U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson, retired in January."[9]
He was named one of the "Top 40 politicians under 40" by the Washington Post in 2014 and "Attorney of the Year" in South Dakota by the University of South Dakota Women in Law.[8] Johnson was named to Campaign and Elections magazine's "Top 500 Influencers" list in 2012.[10]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Argus-Leader, "Brendan Johnson: 'Best job I’ve ever had'," February 18, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 U.S. Department of Justice, "Biographies: Brendan V. Johnson," March 3, 2015
- ↑ Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "South Dakota's US attorney resigns to join national law firm that also hired ND's prosecutor," February 18, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 U.S. Department of Justice, "U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson to step down," February 18, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Washington Post, "'Dakota Boys,' U.S. attorneys with focus on Indian country, stepping down," February 18, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Indian Country Today Media Network, "Former U.S. attorneys hope to level playing field for American Indians," June 6, 2015
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Robins Kaplan LLP, "Lawyers: Brendan V. Johnson," accessed November 3, 2015
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedstar - ↑ Campaign and Elections (Via Acquire Media NewsEdge), "The Influencers 500 (Campaigns and Elections)," January 22, 2013
