Derek Johnson '04

Derek Johnson '04 graduated from the Boston College Law School in 2007 after majoring in English and philosophy at Cornell. 

In 2005-06, Johnson was one of 10 Boston College Law School students chosen to participate in its London Program. He studied international and European Union law at King's College London for a semester and worked with JUSTICE, one of England's leading human rights organizations.

"Everything I did at Cornell prepared me in some way for law school," he says. "That I majored in English and philosophy was extremely beneficial. Learning how to question, analyze and then articulate your thoughts gives you an edge. It's a question of perspective, of how you're trained to approach things -- whether it's a poem or a statute or the fact-pattern of a lawsuit."

Johnson says he was also well prepared for the demands of law school by the fast-pace and intensity of the block plan.  And he came to Boston College with a wide array of time management, communication, and leadership skills from roles beyond class such as co-editor-in-chief of The Cornellian, appropriations chair of the Student Senate, and more.

"I was able to really figure myself out [at Cornell], which I think is a critical prerequisite to law school," he says.

He advises students considering law to "take every advantage of Cornell's unique opportunities. It isn't everywhere you can take a full course load and still have time to be involved all across the spectrum of campus life," he says.

After law school, worked as a civil litigator for Casner and Edwards, LLP in Boston. In 2009, Johnson became  a consultant for the Parliament of the World's Religions. He now splits his time between Chicago and Boston in a role that he says involves "lots of research, writing, editing and project management."

Johnson is one of many legal professionals who are giving back to Cornell as a pre-law mentor.