Diversity Matters Spring 2010

Baker Donelson Shareholder Donna Thiel sat down recently with Senior Public Policy Advisor Nancy Johnson for a conversation about Ms. Johnson’s 24 years in Congress and her philosophy on the importance of mentoring and doing your homework.

Although her father was a politician, Nancy Johnson certainly didn’t expect to grow up to spend 24 years representing her Connecticut district in the U.S. House of Representatives. She thought she’d become a teacher like her mother.

But a funny thing happened along the way to that teaching career. The mentors she found along the way – including her parents and her teachers – and the small-group learning environment she encountered in her schools, ignited a lifelong ability to actively question – a skill she calls the most important tool she acquired during her formative years.

Her parents and grandparents were her early mentors. Her grandfather founded John Marshal Law School in Chicago and her father succeeded him as dean. For 10 years her father led a national coalition of evening law schools to protect them against the ever more burdensome ABA requirements that threatened the law schools’ very existence. Her father had joined the French forces before America ever joined in on World War I, and he was keenly aware of the important role the night schools played in providing opportunity to Chicago’s immigrant and minority populations. He also knew night programs made law schools accessible to a much wider segment of society. Ultimately John Marshal produced the first black judge and the first Italian judge in Chicago. Dinner table conversation about this effort and her mother’s many community activities provided a strong foundation for Nancy’s future in public service.

Her early habit of asking questions helped inform her first political campaign. When she was asked to run for office that first time, she initially hesitated because she didn’t think she knew enough about how things work to take on such a job. But then she decided that it didn’t matter if she didn’t know enough; the question was, “Can I learn?” And she answered it by developing a consistent pattern of thoroughly educating herself on the issues at hand. She quickly learned that in politics, if you know what you’re talking about, you can have a great deal of influence. She had the time and the will to educate herself, and that passion has served her well in her quest to make a difference in her district.

Also informing her early political career was a deep commitment to community service. She cites the large number of women who’d been educated “to be the educated wives of educated men.” In other words, they didn’t have jobs, and in addition to raising families and taking care of their homes, they were expected to use their time to contribute to their communities. Those women had a huge impact; Nancy says they often developed programs that rivaled those of established non-profit organizations.

That commitment is one of the reasons Nancy was drawn to Baker Donelson; the Firm’s dedication to providing pro bono service to the community as the right thing to do and not just lip service were evidence of a culture she was excited to join.

When she was first elected to the House there were very few women members, and among her male counterparts she often encountered a paternal attitude that – thankfully – she doesn’t see much anymore. According to Nancy, “There’s a certain amount of equality in politics because every person gets one equal vote.”

When asked if being a woman has helped or hindered her career, Nancy notes that it has been a little of both. Although the paternalism was a little frustrating – as demonstrated by an early instance in which she and Barbara Boxer encountered resistance as they tried to secure updated gym equipment for the women members of Congress to equal that of the men’s gym – generally she points to qualities like having substance, being prepared, and being organized as much more important than gender.

Along the way she had political mentors as well, individuals who didn’t try to mold her too much but were there when she needed them. In mentoring her own staff members, Nancy made a point of ensuring that opposing sides of any issue were represented in internal discussions. She wanted to make sure they were exposed to all points of view, and says both creativity and discipline are necessary in successful mentoring. She notes that there is real value in helping people understand how they are creative, since creativity shows itself in many forms. She also cites inspiration, loyalty and providing guidance when needed as key mentoring traits.

Now that she’s working behind the scenes instead of in the political spotlight, Nancy is learning how to maneuver in a different environment. But in both worlds, in the end, it all comes down to relationships. These days Nancy uses the relationships she’s worked so hard to build to act as a powerful advocate for her clients on critical policy issues.

After serving 24 years in the U.S. Congress, Nancy Johnson joined Baker Donelson because she shares the Firm’s commitment to service excellence. She served 18 years on the House Ways and Means Committee and played an integral role in the passage of every major tax, trade and health care initiative during years of rapid technological and political change and the globalization of the economy. Ms. Johnson is widely recognized for her acumen and sound analyses of health care, tax and trade policies.