Marie Johns, Benjamin Wilson Appointed Chair and Vice Chair of Judicial Nomination Commission
January 31, 2023
The District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission has selected Marie C. Johns, former deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in the Obama administration, and Benjamin F. Wilson, former chair of Beveridge & Diamond, PC, as the commission’s new chair and vice chair, respectively.
The commission is charged with selecting and recommending to the president of the United States candidates for appointment to the D.C. Court of Appeals and D.C. Superior Court. The commission also appoints the chief judges for both courts.
A corporate leader, entrepreneur, and former civil servant, Johns is the founder and chief executive officer of PPC-Leftwich, a minority/woman-owned firm focused on operational effectiveness and public policy consulting. During her tenure at SBA, Johns chaired President Obama’s Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development, created the SBA’s Council on Underserved Communities, and developed “Start Young,” an SBA–U.S. Department of Labor initiative to provide entrepreneurial training to Job Corps students. A former president of Verizon-Washington, Johns held senior positions in the telecommunications industry for more than 25 years.
Wilson retired from Beveridge & Diamond in December 2021 after 35 years with the firm where he led numerous complex environmental litigation and regulatory matters for major consumer product corporations, retailers, oil and gas companies, municipalities, and developers. Wilson formerly served in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division, where he gained substantial trial expertise in commercial litigation matters. Widely recognized as a tireless advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession, Wilson established the Diverse Partners Network in 2008 and African American General Counsel and Managing Partner Networks in 2012.
Learn more about Johns’ and Wilson’s remarkable careers here.
