Atlanta-based attorney Anthony Overton Van Johnson has had a brilliant and storied legal career, rising through the ranks and eventually becoming a powerhouse trial and personal injury lawyer in the state of Georgia.
He has a wealth of experience, imparting years’ worth of knowledge through his practice and dealing with clients. The legal machine is a complex one; few are fully able to maneuver through it, and even fewer are able to master it.
It requires patience, an analytical and curious mind, tenacity, and a certain deftness to decision making. Van Johnson is someone who persevered—here’s a reason why it takes so long to get through law school and why it is such an achievement.
The process of becoming an attorney
It’s a brave new world when you are leaving high school to pursue further education. Most of those who go to college will gain a four-year degree and enter our workforce. Some will go on to graduate school to hone the skills they learned at college.
Even fewer will make it to law school. For Attorney Anthony O. Van Johnson, this was his path. Because his father was a U.S. Army Airborne Infantry Senior Aviator and Flight Instructor, he was destined to some form of service himself. He was also exposed to an array of cultures and experiences.
It was because of this experience that law school was almost inevitable. However, it is the beauty of the law in that it is democratic. Theoretically, it treats everyone equally. Anyone with the right kind of attitude and smarts can also book their ticket to a top-flight law school.
Entrance to law school
Anthony O. Van Johnson graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a 3.9 GPA, which is a good start for anyone trying to get into law school. However, one must pass the dreaded LSAT before gaining admission anywhere.
The LSAT, or the Law School Admission Test, is the first law exam anyone will do when starting their journey to become an attorney. The scaled score ranges between 120 and 180.
Depending on where you want to go will dictate what level your LSAT needs to be. Van Johnson’s LSAT and GPA afforded him admission to Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana, a highly sought-after and well-respected law school.
Sitting the bar exam
Law school is only a part of the process of becoming a practicing attorney. Once qualified, you need to gain admission to the bar of the state you wish to practice in.
A bar examination is set by the jurisdiction of a place to only allow certain legal professionals to actually practice law. For example, Van Johnson is a legal practitioner in the state of Georgia, the ability to do so only being afforded to him on the basis of passing the bar.
Practicing the law
The United States operates under a civil law system. That means that the application of the law and approach by attorneys is generally dictated by black-letter principles. On the other hand, many countries operate under a common law system, looking to the courts and decisions in cases to shape decisions and approaches via precedent.
It’s a beautiful machine and one that few are capable of comprehending to a high standard—those who can represent those who can’t and come to the defense of those in need.
For attorneys like Anthony O. Van Johnson, the constantly changing legal landscape continually monitors and adapts to. Lawyers must deal with the ambulatory nature of the law or its characteristics being movable and subject to change.
What causes these changes? The philosophy of the law, which is what is known as jurisprudence (and is where the phrase Doctor of Jurisprudence, otherwise known as J.D., comes from). Lawyers need to understand how jurisprudence shapes legal decisions and the direction it changes in.
Van Johnson has carved out a mighty legal career working within this machine and developing the case law in the great state of Georgia. Black-letter law, case law, and jurisprudence are all essential areas to master when becoming a legal practitioner.
The journey to becoming an attorney
Bravery, dedication, intelligence—these are the key ingredients to a successful journey to becoming an attorney. A good dose of humility doesn’t hurt, either. A lawyer begins as a very small cog in a very large machine, and only by pure grit and smarts do they make their mark.
Anthony O. Van Johnson is this process in action. Participating in trials in over forty courts in the state of Georgia representing thousands of clients, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better example of someone effectively and successfully navigating the complexities of the law—and their journey to the top.
