Erin C. Johnston, Esq., is a litigation partner in the Washington, DC office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Over the past sixteen years, she has represented several Fortune 500 companies and household names, helping them resolve complex business disputes in state and federal courts nationwide. An experienced trial lawyer, Ms. Johnston has first-chaired multiple jury and bench trials. She has handled a broad range of legal matters from inception to resolution, including dedicating nearly 2000 hours to pro bono work, primarily in family law and criminal law matters.

Ms. Johnston received Kirkland’s Pro Bono Service Award several times. She also holds several leadership roles within the Firm, including chairing the Diversity Committee and the Women’s Leadership Initiative in the DC office, for which she was profiled in the Washington Lawyer Magazine. Her non-profit work includes serving on the Boards of Equal Justice Works and the Disability Rights Legal Center. She has been recognized by The National Law Journal as a “DC Rising Star” and by The Legal 500 US for General Commercial Disputes. Ms. Johnston also was named an “Emerging Women Leader in Private Practice” by DCA Live and a “Rising Star” in Business Litigation twice by Super Lawyers.
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Ms. Johnston earned her Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from the University of California at Los Angeles and her Juris Doctor from the NYU School of Law. She interned in law school with the Innocence Project and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.