Ariston Johnson

Ariston Johnson earned a high school diploma from Watford City High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota in 2003, and a law degree from William & Mary Law School in 2007.

His career experience includes working as an attorney at law.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Ariston E. Johnson is a fourth-generation North Dakotan who has practiced law in his home state since 2007, representing individuals, families, farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and others as they navigate the legal system. He has tried numerous jury cases and argued numerous appeals in a variety of areas from oil and gas to personal injury. He has also served as the county's zoning attorney, a prosecutor, and general counsel for an electrical cooperative.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Practical experience matters. Appellate courts see the tip of the iceberg. A justice who comes from a career of helping clients before court and after court will better understand the icebergs that another justice may not think to look for.Courts benefit from a broad perspective. When the justices have complementary experiences, the court gains in understanding the full depth and breadth of each case.Appellate courts are there to support the trial courts, not to rule over them. They should begin each case review with respect for the hard work that the trial judge and court staff put into the case and the experiences of the parties who lived the facts of the case long before the case was ever filed.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I care deeply about respect for the constitutions - federal and state - that the people have written in the exercise of their right to self-government. I believe that a court should not substitute its judgment for that of an elected legislature, a trial judge, or a jury.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

John Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, is responsible for much that modern jurists and practitioners take for granted, including the idea of writing a single majority opinion to decide each case. I would like to follow his example of leadership.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Anyone elected to public office should remember, each day, that he or she is a servant of the public and accountable to the voters, both those who voted for him or her and those who voted for other candidates.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Absolute integrity as a lifestyle, even when it is hard or invisible. Respect for the judiciary, the people who make up the judiciary, and the people who rely on the judiciary to maintain the rule of law in our nation of laws.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope that my legacy is one of respect for the judges, court staff, lawyers, and parties who rely on the Supreme Court to decide cases and clearly explain what the law means.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first regular job was waiting tables at the Buckskin Bar and Grill in Killdeer, ND, during the summer after my first year at UND.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I had a speech impediment as a child. It was only after years of struggle that a speech pathologist thought outside the box, identified the problem, and helped me past this struggle. Going from being unable to pronounce my own name to regularly speaking in front of juries, courts, and large groups of people has given me an appreciation for the struggles that those around me might be facing, whether those struggles are obvious or hidden.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

My legal philosophy is that the USA is a nation of laws, in which the rule of law should apply equally to all people.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

A judge should not decide cases based on empathy, but should always maintain empathy for parties who come to court. Most people come to court as a last resort and the outcome will have serious repurcussions in their lives. When a judge loses sight of that, it hurts those people as well as public confidence in the court system.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

The late Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union formed the backdrop of the earliest historical events I remember, including George H.W. Bush winning the 1988 presidential election and news about the 1990-1991 Gulf War (Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm).

What concerns, if any, do you have about the legal system in your state?

I am concerned about our court having too narrow or shallow of a perspective on areas of law that the justices did not practice in and about emphasis on adopting technologies that do not improve the court system and practice of law over improving outdated systems that lawyers and the public interact with every day. More broadly, I am concerned about access to justice, especially in rural areas.