Margaret Z. Johns School of Law Recipient 1999-2000

Professor Johns, who specializes in civil litigation and civil-rights law, has engaged in public service to increase pro bono representation of indigent people, to improve continuing legal education, and to improve the administration of justice in the federal courts.

From 1990 to 1998, Professor Johns chaired the Pro Bono Civil Rights Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, recruiting a panel of attorneys and coordinating appointment of counsel for indigent persons. In 1993, Professor Johns founded the law school’s Civil Rights Clinic that serves indigent persons in federal civil rights actions. Since 1993, she has coordinated a Ninth Circuit Pro Bono project, recruiting attorneys and coordinating appointment in civil cases on appeal in the Ninth Circuit from the Eastern District of California. In addition to facilitating pro bono representation by other lawyers, Professor Johns has represented numerous indigent clients by court appointment at both the trial court level and in the court of appeals.

In addition to presenting numerous professional education programs to lawyers, court staff and judges around the country, in 1992, Professor Johns was one of the three founding member of a chapter of the American Inns of Court at the School of Law. Together with Professor Edward Imwinkelreid and District Court Judge David Levi, Professor Johns recruited the members and chartered the Inn to provide a monthly forum for continuing legal education for the local bar. The Inn provides mentoring to newer members of the profession and facilitates communication between the practicing bench and bar and the School of Law.

In the area of litigation reform, Professor Johns has served on several significant court committees. She was a member and then reported for the Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Group, a congressionally mandated advisory group for the federal court, from 1991-1997. She served as chair of the Ninth Circuit’s Local Rules Review Committee from 1994-1997. The Committee reviewed all of the local civil, criminal, and admiralty rules for all of the districts in the Ninth Circuit which includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, and Washington. As a result of this review, dozens of procedural rules were revised to simplify and streamline practice in the federal courts.