E. Christopher Johnson Jr. joined the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2009 as a Visiting Professor and Director of Cooley’s LL.M. program in Corporate Law and Finance, which he launched in September of 2009. Professor Johnson formerly served as Vice President and General Counsel to General Motors North America since 2001. He was formerly Assistant General Counsel, Global Policy and Planning, and, from 1994-2001, served as Practice Area Manager, Corporate Law & Transactions.
He was in the U.S. Army from 1973-1978, attaining the rank of Captain and serving as 4th Battalion 9th Infantry Logistics Officer in Alaska and as Company Commander, 5th Training Brigade at Fort Dix, N.J. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service.
Johnson is a recognized leader in efforts to provide pro bono legal services, a cause that he championed at GM for many years. He serves as the co-chair of the Access to Justice Subcommittee of the Judicial Crossroads Taskforce of the State Bar of Michigan, as well as co-chair of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association Foundation. He is the past chair of the Corporate Pro Bono Committee for the State Bar of Michigan's Access to Justice Initiative, and co-chair of the Legacy Justice Campaign for the Detroit Legal Aid and Defender Office.
He is a national leader in efforts to increase access to law school and diversity in the legal profession. He is Vice Chairman of the Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline (formerly the Presidential Advisory Council on Diversity), and a member of the ABA Council for Legal Education Opportunity, and the ABA Section of Legal Education Standards Review Committee, a past chair of the ABA Africa Law Council. He is the recipient of many awards for his work in this and other areas, including the ABA Spirit of Excellence Corporate Award, the State Bar of Michigan Michael Franck Award and Champion of Justice Award, and the National Bar Association Clyde Bailey Award for Corporate Leadership. He was also inducted into the National Black Law Students Association Hall of Fame.
He is also active in the community, serving as an elder at NorthRidge Church in Plymouth, Michigan, chair of the Michigan United Negro College Fund Leadership and a member of the Board of the Great Lakes Division of the American Cancer Society.
He is a member of the ABA House of Delegates, and is a fellow of the American, Michigan and Detroit Metropolitan Bar Foundations. He is a frequent speaker on diversity, ethics, professionalism and other topics.
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