Meet Bryan University Paralegal Adjunct Professor Patrick Johnson 

For nearly ten years, Patrick Johnson has been an adjunct professor in the Paralegal program at Bryan University, where he found a passion for sharing what he’s learned in his career as a prosecutor with students who aspire to work in law. 

Patrick has been a prosecuting attorney since 2008, with hopes to continue prosecuting criminal cases for another 16 years. He handles complex homicide cases and said working with victims’ families is the hardest and most rewarding part of his job. 

“You’re able to walk them through something that is probably everybody’s worst nightmare — having a loved one who’s not with us anymore,” he said. “To be able to work with them and say, ‘here’s the process – let me handle this part of everything,’ is definitely the best part of my job as a prosecutor but it can also be the toughest seeing the pain that people go through.” 

Patrick said he always felt drawn to teaching, being able to take what he sees day-to-day and turn it into teachable moments. He joined BU in 2014 and said the job grabbed his interest because he regularly works with paralegals. He likes being able to work with students based across the country. 

“I think the paralegal program at BU is very real-world-oriented,” he said. “We have faculty that have real-world experience, and we’ve designed things so that a student can walk out of the program and know what will be expected of a paralegal in the workplace.”

Last year, his students were able to follow along with one of his cases in real time and ask him questions about what they were hearing. “I’m glad we got to do that, and I thought it was a cool experience for the students at the time to be able to hear this case and then shoot me emails or text messages with questions.”  

His favorite part of teaching is building relationships with his students and being there for them as a mentor or to answer any questions they have. He said they make a difference in his life, and he hopes to do the same for them. The most rewarding part for him is when a student secures a job. “That is, to me, a win across the board. It’s a win for all of us in the program.” 

He hopes his students realize something he didn’t when he was one — teaching is more than just a job. “A lot of people who are in education are doing it because they want to make a difference and they think they have a life experience that they can bring to the table to potentially make that difference,” he said. “They’re there because they want to make you better.” 

Patrick plans to continue prosecuting and potentially teaching full-time one day when he retires. He loves teaching his paralegal students at BU and also teaches law enforcement officers. His advice to anyone just starting out as a teacher or prosecutor is to make sure you’re not cheating yourself or the job. Teaching and prosecuting are, in his words, two of the greatest jobs in the world.

“Make sure that it’s something you want to do, that it’s not just a job,” he said. “If it’s something you just see as a paycheck, I don’t think you’ll be successful, and I don’t think you’re going to be the best that you can be.” 

He stays inspired to pass his knowledge down because it’s what his mentors did for him. “There’s a duty in teaching to help others; we all have that responsibility.” Anytime he helps a student grow or land a job, it’s a win. 

As a prosecutor, you can’t always control the outcome of a case, but he believes that being able to stand up for victims and assert that what happened is not okay is a victory in itself. “If they feel that somebody fought for them, that to me is a win.” 

In his free time, Patrick likes to be outdoors with his family whenever the Arizona heat allows it. He coaches his son’s flag football team, little league team, and soccer team. He also likes playing golf and attending Diamondback games whenever possible. If he lived closer to the ocean, he’d love to try surfing. “I think I would be terrible, but if I was good at it, it looks amazing.” 

Not only does he have a love for the outdoors, but he’s also seen several Broadway plays — something that might surprise people. Growing up in Tennessee, he said his dad managed two theaters, and his family would watch the plays and listen to the soundtracks. “That’s what my family did. We would go on family trips and listen to the tapes the shows would give him, so we would listen to like Les Misérables on our road trip.”

Patrick said he’s gotten great advice over the years, from his grandpa telling him to always be kind and a mentor who told him if he worked hard, he could be a world burner. His advice to others is to avoid dwelling on what could have been and focus on giving it their all. “My dad always told me that character is revealed when no one else is around. To me, that means the only person who knows if you give something 100% is yourself. At the end of the day, only you know if you did everything you could to do well; to be a good teacher and a good lawyer.”  

For anyone considering a career at BU, Patrick said, “It’s a fantastic place to work with other people who care about the job and who want to be in education. You’re going to surround yourself with people who do this for the right reasons — sharing what they’ve learned.” 

The Bryan University Employee Spotlight is an initiative that recognizes employees monthly. All employees of Bryan University are eligible. Learn more about Careers at Bryan University.