While earning his bachelor's degree in political science and communication at the University of Utah, Tomu Johnson (JD '11) was considering his next steps toward a career. He'd participated in debate during high school and realized those skills and interests might be worth cultivating.
"I took classes about argument, rhetoric and logic and thought to myself, There's a profession where you put arguments together to advocate and help other people with your words, both spoken and written. I realized I might like law school," he recalls. "Law is similar to debate—more impactful, certainly, than debate in high school—but it puts the theory of argumentation and philosophy into practice."
Though Johnson chose the S.J. Quinney College of Law because he wanted to stay and work in Utah, it was also a top choice because of its size.
"The classes were small enough that I would get to know all of the students individually and put names to every face. In law school, you meet the two classes above you, your class, and then the two classes below you. That's five years worth of people who are going to be your cohort and network, and they'll be your peers throughout the rest of your life," he says. "I loved the concept that if you made a strong impression on your peers, they would help buttress you—and you would help buttress them and eventually find your footing. That was more important to me than anything. I knew I could make connections and make friends, and that has borne fruit for me."
Forming lifelong friendships at Utah Law
Even 14 years after graduating, Johnson and his wife, Beth Ranschau (also a 2011 Utah Law alum), meet up with three other classmates every few weeks.
"We've become lifelong friends and are very close. I don't know if that would have happened anywhere else," he says. "I loved the community at Utah Law. The students were so close and insular; it felt like going to Hogwarts. Law school was a lot to take in, but you were doing it with friends. It felt like all of us were rowing in the same direction."
Johnson served as president of the Student Bar Association and recalls trying to meet everybody in the class and understand what they were going through.
"I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to make people feel included through different events, from Halloween parties to dances to other social activities outside the school. It was important for me to make connections with other people, and I looked forward to that every single day," he recalls. "Keeping up those relationships even as I left law school has been one of the best things that ever happened to me."
Exploring new areas of law
Since graduating, Johnson has worked at two of Utah's oldest law firms, Snow Christensen & Martineau (now Spencer Fane) and Parsons Behle & Latimer. He started in insurance defense and personal injury law, but after a few years in this field, Johnson wanted to try something new.
"I became friends with Paul Otto, who was clerking at the Utah Supreme Court with my wife, and asked him what he was going to do when the clerkship ended and he went back to Washington, D.C. He told me he was going to do privacy law, dealing with data breaches and how to protect and preserve information. That conversation got me thinking," Johnson remembers. "I have a nerd-level fascination with computers and technology, and thought this was the perfect intersection between what I love about law and technology. I also wanted to transition away from litigation practice to a more collaborative and transactional practice."
He read a two-volume set on privacy law from front to back, taking notes and planning how he could start participating in this area.
"When I was a very young attorney, Hal Christensen (one of Snow Christensen and Martineau's namesakes) told me the best part about being a lawyer is that if you're interested in a new area of law, you can learn it and do it. You don't have to get permission from anybody or get re-licensed. You can do a deep dive and fall in love with that new area of law and change your practice. I took that to heart," he says. "It's been lovely to have an opportunity to chase down a lot of parts of the profession. I like that I can turn on a dime and do something different."
Soon Johnson was co-chairing the privacy group at Parsons Behle & Latimer and serving as CEO of Parsons' technological division, Parsons Behle Lab. He co-created a web application called GDPR IQ to help organizations automate their GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliance documents. Then in 2021, he started his own firm, The Broad Axe, to focus on privacy law.
"We've seen international legal developments, federal and state-based legal developments in privacy law, and it's only become more important. I can see it developing into the counterpoint to artificial intelligence," he says. "AI is an incredible technology that sucked up a lot of our interpersonal communications, and the rest of the internet and privacy law exists as a backstop to say that we should consider the rights of individuals when it comes to the information they provided to other people."
Because AI is in the workplace and everyday interactions now—creating automatic transcriptions, sifting through resumes, writing first drafts or performing research—Johnson says that privacy law will help everyone figure out ways to work with technology and serve as a counterpoint to it.
"I don't think human beings want to have an AI program overseeing and intermediating every conversation we have with each other. I have clients asking about using these technologies and how to make sure they aren't violating their employees' or customers' trust. It's a fun conversation to be in," he explains. "I think privacy is going to be a constant backdrop to the legal conversation, and I don't foresee that growth tapering down anytime soon."
Making time for mentorship
Apart from his practice, Johnson is active in the Utah legal community. He currently serves on the steering committee for the Utah Bar's cyberlaw section and was previously a committee vice-chair at the Utah Minority Bar Association. Johnson also served on the Salt Lake County Bar Association board and was part of the College of Law's Young Alumni Association board.
He is passionate about staying connected to the law school because students are experiencing a formative time in their lives.
"I started law school at the tail end of 2008, right when the market was collapsing, and I've navigated my career through the pandemic, too. Hopefully my advice can help ease students' nerves a bit. It's something I had to build for myself when I was in law school," he says. "I enjoy being able to talk to students during that transition and help guide them through."
Utah Law also connects to the community, Johnson says, and he enjoys being involved in that outreach.
"The law school is trying to get people from all different walks of life in its doors, and in a lot of ways, the law school serves as a public good. It's a service and utility to society, and its output is professionals who are ethical," he says. "One of the crown jewels of the S.J. Quinney College of Law is that it produces high-quality individuals. I like being part of the law school in any way I can, whether it's being on the Board of Trustees or teaching a class."
Striving for work/life balance
Four years into The Broad Axe, Johnson is most proud that his firm is a solid place for himself and his associate, Eric Cordova, to earn a living but also take a break.
"My firm has struck a balance between work and life—and oftentimes, life wins out rather than work. I've got a client base that respects me and my time, and I respect them and their time," he says. "I provide a service that's helpful but at the same time allows my associate and me to participate and be present in our families and also in the community. That's not always the case with this profession, so it's rewarding to start a firm that gives us that time back and lets us know that it's okay to go on vacation with family, participate in a board or two. The work is important, but it's not the end-all, be-all."
His advice for young law professionals echoes this mentality.
"It's important to work hard and do good work for your institution, but it's also important to carve out time for yourself. I didn't take care of myself the first few years as an associate, and I paid the price for that a bit," he recalls. "Make sure you see your family and that you're engaged with your community. Although work has a place at the table, it needs to not be the loudest voice at that table."
He encourages others to not feel guilty about other things in their lives that are also important.
"You'll find that most people here in Utah are okay with you telling them you need that time for your family or your community," he says. "If you're honest with people about your goals, they'll treat you with the respect you deserve."
Polishing what makes you unique in law practice
When Johnson speaks to other young alumni, he reminds them that they aren't their class rank and that it's important to keep some perspective at the beginning of their careers.
"You are an individual who was unique and talented before you got to law school, and you'll be that same individual when you leave law school—and you'll be better for it," he says. "Law school reorganizes your stars and your fate a bit, but you go into it with something that makes you unique. When you come out, if you can hold onto that thing that made you unique, it'll come out burnished in a way that will serve you for the rest of your career. It certainly has for me."
He recalls that he initially wanted to attend law school so he could help others, and that goal carries into his work today.
"I wanted to be a voice for other people, and this career has certainly given me the opportunity to advocate for my clients and to meet so many different community members," he says. "It's impressive that the law is flexible enough to allow viewpoints and practitioners from all different places."
While he enjoys the success The Broad Axe has experienced and continues to be excited about his clients, Johnson doesn't want to grow his business too quickly.
"I plan to continue providing boutique advice about privacy and AI work and be content with where I'm at. I'm not looking to become another large firm," he says. "I'm trying to enjoy the view from where I am."