In a recent article for Bloomberg Law, Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Tamarra Matthews Johnson joined fellow former clerks of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in reflecting on the justice’s pragmatic view of the law, and her lessons on excellence, strength, and kindness. Making history as the first female justice, O’Connor was appointed to the court by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and served until 2006.
“O’Connor gave me and my co-clerks the opportunity to serve the court and our country for the October 2000 term. She taught and tested us with her sharp intellect, incisive questions, sheer speed, and dedication to the court’s work,” Tamarra told Bloomberg Law. “Yet she still found time to make us lunch on Saturdays, to take us to see the azaleas bloom at the National Arboretum and the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin, and yes, to enjoy weekly aerobics sessions.”
An accomplished first-chair trial lawyer, Tamarra made her career as a litigator at the trial and appellate levels, in complex civil and criminal cases, and has represented and counseled corporate clients involved in a range of industries, from pharma to energy, and manufacturing to sports. From 2021 to 2023, Tamarra stepped away from private practice to serve as Attorney General Merrick Garland’s primary counselor on matters involving the Justice Department’s criminal enforcement work and advise senior leadership on some of the most sensitive policy issues facing the Department.
Justice O’Connor “showed a young female lawyer how to have and do it all. I learned more that year than perhaps at any other time in my legal career, including the most valuable lesson: no matter your success, maintain your humanity,” Tamarra said.