Butler Snow attorney J.R. Johnson will serve as a guest speaker at the Professional Advocacy Association of Texas (PAAT) and Texas State University Public Policy and Advocacy Program on October 24, 2026. Johnson will participate in a one-hour panel discussion titled, “Ethics and Reputation in a Career of Advocacy.”
The program brings together undergraduate and graduate students, as well as professionals working in government affairs, public policy, advocacy, coalition building, and legislative affairs. Johnson will join fellow panelists in an interactive discussion focused on the practical role of ethics in advocacy, including how professional judgment, credibility, client relationships, confidentiality, competing obligations, and reputation contribute to long-term effectiveness and success in the profession.
About J.R. Johnson
Johnson’s practice focuses on disputes arising from legislative or agency action, regulatory implementation, government investigations, procurement processes, and other exercises of public authority. He represents businesses, governmental entities, political organizations, and industry groups in matters involving agency enforcement, constitutional claims, public information laws, procurement disputes, and challenges concerning the scope of governmental power.
Before joining Butler Snow, Johnson served as Executive Director and General Counsel of the Texas Ethics Commission, the state agency responsible for administering and enforcing Texas campaign finance, lobbying, ethics, and political advertising laws. In that role, he advised agency leadership on constitutional, statutory, and administrative-law issues while overseeing agency operations, rulemaking, enforcement proceedings, legislative engagement, and litigation strategy.
Johnson regularly advises clients navigating the implementation and enforcement of newly enacted laws, agency rules, and governmental initiatives, particularly where litigation risk intersects with regulatory strategy, public policy, or politically sensitive governmental action. His practice frequently involves issues concerning agency authority, statutory interpretation, separation-of-powers principles, First Amendment protections, sovereign immunity, and judicial review of governmental action.
In addition to his governmental and regulatory practice, Johnson has substantial experience representing clients in complex commercial, healthcare, and intellectual-property litigation involving contractual disputes, business torts, statutory interpretation issues, and emergency injunctive proceedings.
