7/16/09 -- Judge Douglas F. Johnson of Omaha, Neb., was installed as President of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges during the organization’s 72nd Annual Conference held July 12-15, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. 

 Appointed in 1993 as judge of the Separate Juvenile Court of Douglas County, Neb., Judge Johnson presides over Nebraska's first Family Drug Treatment Court, which opened in May 2005. This court focuses on infants and toddlers and is a first in the nation. He played a major role in starting Douglas County's CASA program. He is co-chair of the Nebraska Supreme Court's Commission on Children in the Courts and he serves on the Governor’s Commission on Protection of Children. Judge Johnson also served until recently as a Lead Judge in the NCJFCJ's Child Victims Act Model Courts Project. The Douglas County Juvenile Court is one of 36 Model Courts nationwide that is implementing strategies designed to improve the courts' handling of child abuse and neglect cases.

A graduate of Creighton University School of Law, Judge Johnson frequently teaches on behalf of the NCJFCJ. He co-facilitates and teaches at NCJFCJ's annual Child Abuse and Neglect Institute. He is an adjunct professor of law at Creighton University School of Law where he has taught Juvenile Law since 1995. Judge Johnson recently completed the two-year Leaders for the 21st Century Fellowship program of Zero to Three, the National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families. He regularly contributes articles to the National CASA Association’s Judges’ Page Newsletter.

In 2005, Judge Johnson was honored with the A. W. Clark Award from the Child Saving Institute, an Omaha child advocacy organization, and with the Child Advocacy Coalition's Individual Award in recognition of his systems reforms efforts. He also received the Nebraska Supreme Court's 2001 Distinguished Judge Award for Service to the Community.