BusinessReport.com

For Ryan Johnson, practicing law is a family tradition.

He’s a third-generation LSU law grad who went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. for his undergraduate degree, then came back to Baton Rouge to get his law degree, raise a family and enter the family business, so to speak.

Johnson graduated from LSU in 1999 and clerked for Judge Frank Polozola before joining the litigation section at Jones Walker, where he’s now considered one of the firm’s most accomplished young partners.

Johnson is also active in his church and serves on the board of Catholic Charities of Baton Rouge, which he says appeals to him because of the “social justice” aspect of the organization. Johnson was president of the Baton Rouge chapter of the Federal Bar Association in 2004-05 and a national delegate for the chapter in 2005-06. He also serves as a Louisiana alumni interview for applicants to Georgetown.

Johnson still finds time to practice law, which he admits fascinates him.

“I like the intellectual challenge of it,” he says. “I do litigation, and I quite honestly like the confrontational part of it. You sort of get the rush of figuring things out and then being on your feet in court and explaining to a judge or jury why it is that you’re right.”

That doesn’t mean always beating your opponent bloody through any means necessary to win a case—something Johnson thinks gives lawyers a bad reputation. Law is a profession, after all, and so it’s important to act like a professional, he says. As much as he loves his work, family comes first, Johnson says.

“I work very hard to have a balance between family life and work,” he says. “I put family life way above work, so I’ve figured out ways to try and work smarter so that I can spend more time with the kids.”

What was your first job?

“Cleaning tennis courts.”