People

The Institute for Information Law & Policy's "People" tab provides brief biographies for the resident professors and staff.

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 A Farewell to Professor David Johson

I am sad to report that David Johnson is leaving us in a couple of weeks. He is joining the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Washington DC-based non-profit public policy institute that “works to promote democratic values and constitutional liberties in the digital age.” It is a wonderful opportunity for him, it’s a perfect fit for his interests, and it’s a lucky result for the CDT who will reap the benefits of David’s remarkable skills and personality that we have been so fortunate to be the beneficiaries of during the last five years. It is, of course, completely consistent with his character that very few people at NYLS know that he is leaving: for someone so extraordinarily talented, he is unassuming and self-effacing to a fault. I’m sure he thought that it would be best to leave without making any fuss, and I suspect that he’s slightly abashed at the fact that I’m taking this opportunity to tell him how grateful we are that he joined us, and how sad we are that he is leaving.

David has been such an influential figure here at NYLS and his successes so great that it’s difficult to know where to begin. Rather than focus, then, on the classes and students he taught, or the projects that he has brought to fruition—like the Vermont Virtual Company legislation, the computer systems and games used in teaching—or on the changes that he has successfully wrought—like his work with the iSection, and the Middle Sixty committee—I want to mention some aspects of David’s character that have influenced me the most.

David is the most innovative person I know, the most intellectually restless person I know, and the person most committed to improving the world. A number of years ago I realized that every time I pushed out in a new scholarly direction, one where I thought I was trailblazing out on the edge of human knowledge, I would beat my way through the underbrush and emerge triumphant, only to find a city built with unknown technologies, flying cars flitting through the air, powered by some arcane, renewable energy. And I would stare in wonder, at a billboard that read, “David Johnson was here.”

His scholarly innovations are part of his broader mission: that we were put here to make a difference. Seemingly countless times I’ve sat down with him for a coffee or lunch or dinner, and he has taken out his 3 x 5 cards and a pen, and asked me, “So, what are we going to do to change the world?” Whether the change was local or across the entire planet, David has never been happy with the status quo; and he showed me that it was entirely possible, through commitment and hard work, to make a constant difference. David is the embodiment of our motto, “Learn Law, Take Action.” Although his version would be more something like, “Learn Law, Take Action. Then Take More Action. Then Ask Yourself Whether There Isn’t Something Else You Can Be Doing Right Now To Take More Action And Make A Bigger Difference. But Above All, Never Stop Being Engaged And Never Stop Taking Action.” I cannot tell you how this has influenced my teaching, my scholarship, and my life. I know that I am not alone in this.

But perhaps most important of all, David is the embodiment of a life committed to the needs and assistance others. He has made a huge contribution to the lives of so many students, for those of our student body lucky enough to have come into contact with him. Recently David and I discussed whether we were failing in our compact with students: David was troubled that he was being paid by the law school and thought that it was unethical to take money from students when they were facing such pressures and such uncertain futures. I tried to convince him that, of all the institutions I knew and of all of the law schools where I had worked, NYLS best embodied the ideal of an purposeful life, one driven by the needs of our students and our selves, a place where (on our best days) we could go to bed happy that we had meaningfully contributed to the betterment of our students. And by extension, that we had made a difference in society. I’m not sure if David came to believe this, but his legacy for me will be this constant posing of the ethical question: Have I done all that I can to make the world a better place, through my teaching, engagement with students, scholarly writing, and all the other components of my professional life? At a time when our students face so many challenges, David’s lesson stands as constant reminder of just what a deep and sustained commitment to others can bring about in the world.

I was, and am, bereft at the thought that David won’t be physically present in the law school anymore, although he will, of course, always remain our colleague. I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to work with him, because he has changed my life profoundly for the better. I know that I speak for many (and probably for all) when I say:

David, we wish you every success and happiness back in DC. NYLS is a lesser place for your leaving. But it is a profoundly better place for your having been here.

Our best wishes to you on your new journey. We will miss you.

Dan Hunter
New York Law School
April 20, 2009