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As dean of the college, Charlotte Johnson oversees a student affairs division of more than 50 professionals and 12 departments, including Residential Life, Administrative Advising, Center for Leadership and Student Involvement, Center for Outreach, Volunteerism and Education, Career Services, Chaplain’s Office, Judicial Affairs, Counseling & Psychological Services, International Student Programs, Student Health Services, ALANA Cultural Center, and Campus Safety. She also serves as a member of university’s executive council, led by President Rebecca Chopp.
Dean Johnson formerly served as assistant dean for student affairs and was a member of the senior staff at the University of Michigan Law School. In that capacity, she focused on student services, including, extracurricular activities of the law students and coordination of those activities with the academic community.
She was responsible for management and oversight of law school student organizations, as well as establishing policies, administering budgets, and interpreting and enforcing academic and disciplinary regulations.
Dean Johnson was also active in the campus community at Michigan, serving on the steering committee for the university’s Center for Institutional Diversity, and the university academic services board, which advised the provost and president. While working at the University of Michigan Law School, she served on the core teams responsible for developing legal and communication strategies in defense of the university’s admissions policies. She also assisted with formulation of oral arguments to the Supreme Court.
Dean Johnson's work on the defense of the lawsuits began shortly after she started working at the University in 1997. Initially, Law Dean Jeffrey Lehman appointed her the communications "point person" for the Law School. She provided information to students, faculty and staff about the lawsuit. During the trial, at the district court level, she provided regular written updates to the Law School community.
Dean Johnson's role evolved as the case continued through the years. She became a member of the larger communications team and went into the community to answer questions from the general public. She has spoken nationally about the cases and is a strong proponent of affirmative action, and the principle of diversity.
Born in Birmingham, Ala., Dean Johnson grew up in Flint, and worked as an attorney in Detroit before joining the law school staff. She was the first African American female partner at the firm Garan Lucow Miller, where she focused on defense litigation in the medical device, municipal law and general negligence areas.