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Elected Member

The Hon.
Herman
N.
Johnson
Jr.

Location
Huntsville, AL, USA
Affiliation
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama
Education
Duke University
Columbia University, MA
Columbia Law School

Herman N. Johnson is an Associate Professor of Law at Samford University Cumberland School of Law. Prior to joining the Cumberland faculty in 2010, Professor Johnson served as a Member and Associate Attorney from 2001 to 2009 for Wiggins, Childs, Quinn & Pantazis, LLC, a firm with offices in Birmingham, Alabama, and Washington, D.C. At the firm, Professor Johnson represented litigants primarily in class and collective actions, with particular emphasis on wage and hour, employment discrimination, ERISA, and international human rights litigation.

Before his private legal practice, Professor Johnson served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Martha Craig Daughtrey of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 2000 to 2001, and the Honorable Myron H. Thompson of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama from 1999 to 2000. In between his studies at Duke University and Columbia University, Professor Johnson served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa, from 1991 to 1993, and as an AmeriCorps NCCC volunteer from 1994 to 1995. Professor Johnson is a native of Blackville, South Carolina.

Areas of Expertise
Civil Rights (Constitutional Law)
Human Rights (Constitutional Law)
Employment Discrimination (Employment Law)
Equitable Distribution (Family Law)
Civil Practice & Procedure (Litigation)
Evidence (Litigation)
Complex Litigation
Employment Law
Federal Jurisdiction (Federal Courts)

Member News

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Traynor on Liberty, Law, and Democracy

In his essay "Liberty, Law, and Democracy: Are There Grounds for Realistic Optimism?" Michael Traynor, former President of The American Law Institute, reflects on the challenges facing American democracy amid political polarization and institutional strain. He examines threats to the balance between liberty and law, citing dysfunction across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, while drawing on historical context and recent scholarship to frame these concerns.

Despite his sober assessment, Traynor maintains a guarded optimism rooted in America’s resilience, civic traditions, and individual potential to effect change. He highlights positive actions within the legal community, nonprofit organizations, and among engaged citizens, while outlining five practical steps Americans can take to strengthen democracy: improving civic education, demanding accountability, fostering open debate, participating in elections and local governance, and resisting simplistic solutions.

Traynor concludes that democracy is “stubborn work,” incremental, imperfect, and ongoing, but expresses confidence that Americans have the resolve to preserve it.

Read the full article The New Nationalist. 

Michael Traynor is senior counsel at Cobalt LLP in Berkeley California. He served as ALI President from 2000 to 2008, and as Chair of the Council from 2008 to 2011. He is also a recipient of ALI's Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Traynor is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.   He received the John P. Frank Outstanding Lawyer Award from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is an honorary life trustee of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and of Earthjustice and a past President (1973) of the Bar Association of San Francisco. 

Collins J. Seitz Jr. Elected CCJ President and NCSC Chair 

Revesz on Withdrawal of Endangerment Finding