Shawn Johnson at a glance
- Current role
- Circuit Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Arkansas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Shawn Johnson
Circuit Judge · Sixth Judicial Circuit
Biography
Professional career
- Johnson spent nearly 13 years at the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, serving as Assistant and Senior Assistant Attorney under Attorneys General Dustin McDaniel and Leslie Rutledge
- circuit judge for Arkansas’s Sixth Judicial Circuit, specifically for the 14th Division, covering Pulaski and Perry Counties
Education
- Shawn Johnson, originally from Fort Smith, Arkansas, earned his Bachelor of Arts from Hendrix College in 1998, followed by a Master of Letters from the University of St. Andrews
- University of Arkansas School of Law — J.D.
Additional information
- His judicial work includes notable rulings, such as striking down Act 236 of 2023, which attempted to impose unconstitutional restrictions on citizen-led ballot initiatives in Arkansas.
- He also served in the Clinton Administration at the White House from 1998 to 2000.
- After law school, he clerked for U.S. District Judge Robert T. Dawson in Fort Smith and held a position as an associate attorney at Mitchell Williams Law Firm in Little Rock.
- Beyond the bench, Johnson is active in civic and community leadership.
- He is an Eagle Scout, serves as vice president of operations for the Natural State Council of Scouting America, and has been a two-time president of the Rotary Club of Little Rock Metro.
- He is also a Paul Harris Fellow and participates in his local church, Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic Church in Little Rock.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
Arkansas Judiciary publishes electronic-hearing Zoom resources and court-user guides for remote proceedings.
Zoom Guides for Court UsersArkansas Judiciary: Electronic Hearings With Zoom ↗
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Arkansas Judiciary publishes state-district-court digital audio recording guidance as an official court resource.
AOC Provisional Guidelines for Digital Audio Recording in State District CourtsArkansas Judiciary: District Courts ↗
Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 26, 2026.
Arkansas Judiciary official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Arkansas Judiciary official judicial roster ↗Arkansas Judiciary: Electronic Hearings With Zoom
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Arkansas Judiciary: Electronic Hearings With Zoom ↗Arkansas Judiciary: District Courts
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Arkansas Judiciary: District Courts ↗