Page 19 - 2024 March April Magazine

ELIZABETH JOHNSON
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Law Firm/place of practice:
Liz Ann Johnson Elder Law, PLLC, University Place, WA
Number of years in practice: 12 minutes... Just kidding. I was licensed in September of 2022. So more
like 743,040 minutes.
If money and time were no object, what would you be doing right now? Probably volunteering more, especially in Elder Law, legal clinics, services for families with special needs, and senior resources. I would also definitely cut back to working five and a half days per week. Just once, I would really try to go on a 6-week European tour, and only work three or four days per week remotely during that time.
What is one thing on your bucket list?
TPCBA President, dreams really do come true! Also, to visit Ireland. If they have wifi and I can do Zoom court hearings still.
What is the best advice you have for new lawyers? Get as many mentors
as you can, even in other areas of law. Call the ethics line and get comfortable using it, even if you work for a big firm or have lots of mentors. Volunteer at Tacomaprobono because you get to shadow experienced attorneys and learn a lot. Go sit in court, on Zoom and in person. Take notes. Review the cases in LINX and see how the case developed. Call the attorneys who presented, offer to take them to lunch
and see if you can pick their brains. You may find yourself with a mentor, job offer, strategy, friend or potential co-counsel on a similar case. Join a TPCBA section or committee. Attend social events sponsored by the bar. Go to Lincoln Day. Always make time to say thank you and what you appreciate about others.
How do you create work/ life balance? I don’t. This is my worst skill set. I started working two full time
jobs when I turned 18, so anything less than 80 hours feels like a light week.
What would you like to be remembered for?
I’d like to be remembered for being kind, thoughtful, and helpful.
What is your favorite quote?
“What you plan and what takes place ain’t ever exactly been similar.”
- Jayne Cobb
What is your favorite food and restaurant? My favorite type of food it is probably Thai. My favorite restaurant is Golden Teak, and I recommend their red curry noodle dish.
What is your favorite website?
Judging by my Google history, Pierce County LINX, followed closely by
the Pierce County Auditor. Is audible considered a website? I have enjoyed listening to books on tape (I mean mp3, nobody knows what tapes are...)
Who is your hero and why? I tend
to idolize people in my real life since
I can observe them and understand them. At the risk of sucking up, I’m just going to bypass naming people and say instead I value kindness, fairness, and people who stand up for others. People who do the right thing even
if they won’t benefit from it. People who can disagree kindly. People
who stick up for others who may be disadvantaged in some way. I have a lot of personal heroes and people I strive to be more like. I think often people mistake kindness for weakness. I really appreciate someone who can balance
kindness and still stand their ground.
A friend who generally is happy
and peaceful told me her two rules are, 1. She doesn’t let other people steal her joy and 2. She doesn’t allow other people’s behavior to dictate her behavior. She’s one of the toughest and most relaxed people I have ever met.
What is the most important thing you have learned as an attorney? I feel like I am learning things every day. I think the hardest thing to learn is sometimes there is not a 'good' answer to a legal problem. Even a 'good' answer to a legal problem does not mean it will be satisfying to the client in their personal life. I think most of us pursue the law with the hopes of righting wrongs
and solving problems. It’s tough that sometimes even if we win, we don’t accomplish something that brings peace to our clients.
Since I want to end on a positive note, I was also pleasantly surprised at
how creative and collaborative even adversaries in a case can be. I like
to win in court as much as the next person, but I really appreciate a joint effort to reduce conflict and create peace for the parties involved.
"The most beautiful thing about meeting new people is discovering different perspectives and understanding the world from their eyes."
- Unknown
Continued on next page.
March/April 2024 | PIERCE COUNTY LAWYER 19