WASHINGTON, July 17, 2024 – American Bar Association President Mary Smith will award a Presidential Citation to Jeh C. Johnson, co-chair of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy and former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, at the association’s Annual Meeting, July 31-August 6, in Chicago.
Johnson will be honored for “his extraordinary and lifetime commitment to serving the profession; his unwavering commitment to the rule of law and the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion; and his relentless dedication and leadership to strengthening democracy as co-chair of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy.”
Johnson has served as task force co-chair since 2023, as secretary of Homeland Security from 2013 to 2017 and as general counsel of the Department of Defense from 2009 to 2012. He is a former general counsel of the Department of the Air Force and an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Johnson is currently in private law practice with the firm of Paul, Weiss. He is a member of the board of directors of Lockheed Martin, United States Steel, MetLife and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a trustee of Columbia University.
Johnson received The American Lawyer’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award the same year for “contributing greatly to the defense of our nation” and “guiding us through turbulent times with courage and wisdom.” Earlier this year, Johnson received the New York State Bar Association's Gold Medal Award, its highest honor.
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