Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum today swore in Erious Johnson, Jr. as the newest Assistant Attorney General at the Oregon Department of Justice.  Johnson will serve as Rosenblum’s Civil Rights Director, a position that is a critical part of the Attorney General’s core mission of outreach to diverse communities throughout Oregon.  “We are delighted to have Mr. Johnson on board,” Rosenblum said. “We had a marvelous group of candidates for this position. I selected Erious because of his extensive background in civil rights law and an already impressive record of community service and outreach in his brief time in Oregon. I was incredibly impressed with his energy and his ability to make connections.”
 
Immediately prior to his appointment, Johnson had a private law practice in Oregon and served as volunteer Chair of the Legal Redress Committee of the NAACP’s Salem-Keizer branch.  His prior experience includes serving in both the private and public sector as a practicing lawyer for Sullivan and Cromwell LLP, and the New York City Law Department. He also clerked for a New York State Supreme Court Justice. He received his J.D., with honors, from Howard University Law School in Washington, D.C., where he was a member of the law journal. Johnson earned his undergraduate degree from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He lives in Salem with his wife, where he also volunteers as a member of the board of directors for Oregon Humanities.
 
“The department has done a very positive thing, bringing Erious to the team,” said Salem-Keizer NAACP President Benny C. Williams.  “I think he will be of tremendous assistance addressing civil rights issues in Oregon.”
 
As Civil Rights Director, Johnson will work closely with the Department of Justice’s partners at civil rights enforcement agencies like the Bureau of Labor and Industries. He will maintain an active docket of civil rights cases in addition to conducting outreach and education projects to increase Oregonians’ awareness of their civil rights – and the resources available to help protect those rights. “I am excited to continue my work for the people of Oregon,” Johnson said. “I share Attorney General Rosenblum’s vision to reach all communities; to not only defend the civil rights of those in need, but also to educate Oregonians to help them thrive.”

Contact:

Kristina Edmunson, Department of Justice, Kristina.Edmunson@doj.state.or.us, 503-378-6002