James "Jim" Johnson (photo: Youtube)

James "Jim" Johnson, a former partner at Debevoise & Plimpton who currently works in the New Jersey governor's office, was named Thursday as the new corporation counsel for New York City, where he'll lead the city's Law Department and oversee the work of hundreds of lawyers.

Johnson is set to replace Zachary Carter, who was corporation counsel for the last six years until he retired in August. Georgia Pestana has held the position in the interim.

"It's a phenomenal department. We are largely the law firm for the city," Johnson told the New York Law Journal. "We are one of, if not, the nation's largest public interest law firm."

The New York City Law Department, particularly in recent years, has been a driving legal force in a number of matters, including challenges to policies of the Trump administration. New York City has brought its own litigation against the federal government and added weight to other lawsuits.

New York City is currently part of litigation, for example, against the Trump administration's "public charge" rule, which would make it easier for the federal government to deny immigrants legal status who seek public assistance based on their income.

That lawsuit was the first in the country to result in the rule being put on hold just days before it was scheduled to take effect earlier this month.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that kind of gumption goes to the heart of the New York City Law Department.

"New York City's Law Department doesn't just represent the city, it fights for the values of fairness, justice and tolerance that New Yorkers hold, and it needs leaders who have spent their lives on the front lines of that fight," de Blasio said.

While Johnson currently lives in the New York City metro area, de Blasio said his office considered candidates from around the country to step in as the next corporation counsel. It was Johnson's career in law that made him the right pick, de Blasio said.

"Throughout his exemplary career, James Johnson has shown he knows the power of our laws to hold the corrupt to account, protect the defenseless and give a voice to those who have none," de Blasio said. "After a national search, I know he's the right person for the job to lead the Law Department into an even brighter future."

Johnson currently splits his time between the counsel's office for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, where he's a special counsel focused on Atlantic City, and the Brennan Center for Justice, where he's a senior fellow.

In New Jersey, Johnson's worked for nearly two years to help revitalize Atlantic City, which was partly taken over by the state's government in 2016. Johnson accepted Murphy's offer to serve as special counsel for the state's effort last year—with an annual salary of just $1.

"That job has legal, policy and operational aspects to it where we're working to rebuild city government and training the employees to perform at a much higher level," Johnson said.

Part of that effort, Johnson said, has been to work with city officials on issues like police-community relations and different models of police-community engagement. That also includes more comprehensive planning by the city's police department, he said.

Murphy said Johnson's work in Atlantic City over the past several months will have a lasting impact on the city's comeback and congratulated de Blasio on bringing him on board.

"New York City's gain is New Jersey's loss," Murphy said. "Jim Johnson ably served our administration as special counsel in Atlantic City, working to put the city back on a path to solvency and long-term growth."

Johnson has simultaneously served for the last two years as a senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, a think tank and advocacy group focused on breaking down barriers to engagement in the democratic process.

While working as a fellow at the organization, Johnson was a founding steering committee member of Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime & Incarceration, a group that's advocated for ways to prevent unnecessary incarceration.

Johnson is more than familiar with the Brennan Center; he served as chairman of its board for more than seven years until leaving the position in 2011. He was also co-counsel on the organization's legal challenge in 2000 to Florida's voting ban for convicted felons.

Frederick A.O. "Fritz" Schwarz, Jr, chief counsel of the Brennan Center, is one of two attorneys Johnson said interested him in becoming the city's net corporation counsel. Schwarz, who served as corporation counsel under former New York City Mayor Edward Koch, said Johnson's principles will make him a good fit for the position.

"I've known him to be an excellent lawyer both in private practice and public service, and I've seen him advocate for the rights of those in need at the Brennan Center," Schwarz said. "I have no doubt he'll bring that same philosophy to work on New York City's behalf."

Over the years, Johnson has gotten used to wearing more than one hat at any given time.

He joined law firm Debevoise & Plimpton the same month he became chair at the Brennan Center. He worked for more than 15 years at the firm, where he focused on civil rights matters, impact litigation, white collar criminal defense and internal investigations.

He actually started his legal career at the firm as well, nearly three decades ago, but left soon after for work in the federal government. Johnson served for six years as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan before becoming under secretary at the U.S. Treasury Department during President Bill Clinton's second term.

While working in the federal government, Johnson said he became acquainted with Carter, who was U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York at the time. Carter, Johnson said, was another attorney who inspired him to seek the corporation counsel position.

Carter said he was confident in de Blasio's choice for his successor.

"Jim is an exceptional attorney with a lifelong commitment to social justice," Carter said. "I have known him for many years as an effective manager of federal law enforcement agencies and as a leader of organizations focused on justice and equity."

As for Johnson, he said he's looking forward to serving as the city's new top lawyer. He'll start at the Law Department Monday, according to the mayor's office.

"The opportunity to join with Mayor de Blasio and to work on issues with a strong commitment to social justice and recognition of the power of law to achieve those ends made it sound like a terrific job for me to have," Johnson said.

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