Joanna P. Boisen - Davis Wright Tremaine
Leader to Learn From: June 2022
June 1, 2022
Joanna Plichta Boisen is a leader with a story that continues to inspire people across different sectors and walks of life. As a daughter of low-income Polish immigrants, Joanna understood firsthand the importance of pro bono services and giving back to the community. After immigrating to the United States with her parents at the age of six, Joanna began dreaming of the possibilities for her career. Later, she pursued her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington, and then received her J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law.
Today, Joanna serves as Davis Wright Tremaine’s first chief pro bono and social impact officer, directing and overseeing the firm's acclaimed nationwide pro bono, social impact, and corporate social responsibility department. Outside of work, Joanna supports numerous charitable causes while raising three children and giving back to her local community.
“Joanna embodies courage, perseverance, and a commitment to social justice unlike any woman I’ve worked with in my career,” says Margie Thirlby, founder of The Thirlby Company LLC. “In addition to being insanely impressive and accomplished, my favorite thing about Joanna is her big heart and sense of humor, coupled with her authentic and ‘no B.S.’ approach to life and business. She is inspirational, brilliant, and changing the world.”
OUR INTERVIEW WITH JOANNA
You have an inspiring career story of being selected as Davis Wright Tremaine’s first Pro Bono Counsel and now Chief Pro Bono and Social Impact Officer. Share with us a bit about the evolution of those roles at your firm, and why you decided to step up to the challenge.
Remember when Steve Jobs said that the only way to do great work is to do work that you actually love? And then he said that if you haven’t found that yet not to settle, because as with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it? That’s how I feel about my entire career path. I’ve created every single position I’ve ever held because no existing role was ever right for me, and I didn’t ever want to settle.
Sixteen years ago I became the first Pro Bono Counsel and then, eventually, the first Pro Bono Partner, at my previous law firm, Foster Pepper. Getting backing from the firm’s Executive Committee as a brand new law school graduate wasn’t easy, but I had a comprehensive business plan and the backing of several partners who could tell that what I was pitching was the real deal. They saw that I was a bleeding heart with a business mind, and that hiring me for this role would benefit not only the firm, but also the communities where the firm had market presence. For twelve years I grew into an effective advocate and loved that role very much, thinking I would stay in it forever. But the opportunity to continue in my professional journey at a national law firm with a larger platform wasn’t something I could pass up.
As difficult as the decision was to leave Foster Pepper, I’m glad I made it, because the past three years at Davis Wright Tremaine have been incredible for my professional development, allowed me to fully tap into my entrepreneurial and innovative side, and continually challenge me for the better. And as I continue to build my expertise in the pro bono field, expand into others (like social impact, ESG, sustainability and others), and continue to be the best legal advocate possible for communities, causes, and constituencies that need help the most, the evolution will continue. I will embrace it wholeheartedly, because I get to do the work I love on the daily, and that’s something I hope everyone gets to the point they can say because it’s pretty extraordinary to be able to say “I love my job” and really mean it.
What have you discovered are the most essential qualities of leaders in the pro bono, social impact, and corporate social responsibility spaces?
Empathy, creativity, high emotional intelligence, ability to communicate effectively, and strong cultural competence. Most of my colleagues in the pro bono and social impact space care deeply about communities and causes that need advocacy the most because they can either relate through experience, affinity, background, or are moved to action because of the injustice of it.
How would you define confidence?
Confidence is believing that you have the knowledge, experience, or potential to accomplish your goals. It means not underestimating your capabilities, being open to new opportunities and challenges, being okay with failing, and getting outside of your comfort zone.
What is your mission or purpose in life?
I don’t know that I have one mission – it depends on what part of my life you’re asking about.
Professionally, my mission is to give back to communities in need like the ones I came from – growing up in a low-income immigrant family made me realize that everyone should have access to a lawyer, not just those who can afford it.
Personally, my mission is to be the best and most attentive and loving mother I can be to my three children who I adore with my entire being, and to be a supportive, loving partner to my husband who I admire, respect, and love.
What is your greatest superpower as a leader?
Let me start by recognizing that my superpower exists only because I’ve had the great privilege of working with extraordinary professionals (both attorneys and staff) who make the work I do, and how I do it, even remotely possible. This is important recognition because my greatest superpower – being innovative and creative in the pro bono space – wouldn’t exist without the ability to leverage the skills and superpowers of those around me.
For example, rebranding our entire department to reflect social impact, creating first-of-its-kind special pro bono software, developing never thought of before roles on a pro bono team, launching major nationwide signature pro bono programs with corporations, etc. all required working across various departments and in collaboration with numerous talented professionals.
On the daily, I work with our Marketing team, our IT team, our topnotch DEI office, the stellar women in my department, and so many others to make all of the work I do happen. These people are a significant component of the engine that makes my superpower work - because everyone can have a good idea, but if you don’t have the right people to make it happen, it’s just that – a cool thought; when you do have the right resources and brains to bring it to life, all of a sudden, your superpower is real because the ideas are backed by deliverables.
What is something that might surprise people about you?
90 percent of my food pyramid is dedicated to sugar. I would be happy subsisting off of chocolate and candy for the rest of my life and never having real (adult) food ever again.
What have you learned about vulnerability, in the context of leadership?
Many of us are taught that vulnerability is a weakness, especially in the context of leadership. But what I’ve learned over the past sixteen years working with some of the best lawyers and professional staff in the nation is that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Vulnerability is a strength. It helps us build genuine relationships with our colleagues and ultimately, be more authentic versions of ourselves. Without vulnerability, that wouldn't be possible.
What advice would you have for someone who is struggling or feeling stuck right now in their life or career?
Don’t try to figure it out on your own. Reach out to others you respect or admire for advice and counsel. Get their take on your problem or issue causing that feeling. You’ll be able to find a path forward faster because you’ll be outside of your own head, and the negative narrative will be silenced - even if for a moment.
You also never know what opportunities you’ll learn about just by having conversations – people will want to help you navigate a way out and the brainstorming that comes out of these conversations can be gold. At the end of the day, the bottom line is that it takes more than just you to get unstuck – usually, it takes a professional village.
What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
Listen more, talk less. We have a lot to learn from others' experiences, struggles, journeys, and ideas.
Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Margie is an extraordinary woman. I’m grateful that we met so many years ago through Rebuilding Together Seattle - it’s rare to meet someone so genuine, kind, brilliant, and personable all in one, but somehow, Margie is the purple squirrel who has all of these attributes and then some. She’s a force. If you haven’t had the privilege of working with her yet, you should.
Well, thank you, Joanna! We think you are pretty extraordinary.
About Joanna Plichta Boisen (she/her)
Joanna Boisen is Davis Wright Tremaine’s (DWT) first chief pro bono and social impact officer. In this role, she directs and oversees the firm's acclaimed nationwide pro bono, social impact, and corporate social responsibility department. She develops and executes on entrepreneurial pro bono and community initiatives, client-interfacing opportunities, and cutting edge, high-impact pro bono matters. She also maintains her own pro bono clients focusing on underrepresented communities, Holocaust survivor reparation litigation, domestic violence advocacy, and income-eligible nonprofit organizations.
Joanna also serves as outside counsel to in-house legal departments interested in building out and developing sophisticated pro bono core priorities and programs.
Prior to joining DWT, Joanna was a partner and chair of the tax-exempt organizations group at one of Seattle’s leading law firms (Foster Garvey, formerly Foster Pepper), where she founded and developed an award-winning, nationally recognized pro bono program and served as their firm’s first pro bono counsel for 14 years.
Throughout her career, Joanna has won numerous awards, including the Women of Courage Award (University of Washington, 2016), Seattle Met’s Extraordinary Pro Bono Contribution Award (2014), and “40 Under 40” from The Puget Sounds Business Journal (2013).
Outside of work, Joanna enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, and volunteering with various organizations, including the Federal Bar Association, The Law Fund and Campaign for Equal Justice, United Way of King County, the King Country Bar Association’s Domestic Violence Advocacy Project, and the Seattle University School of Law Law Alumni Board. Follow Joanna’s work on LinkedIn.
About this Feature
Leaders to Learn From is a standing feature in The Thirlby Company’s monthly newsletter that recognizes leaders in our community who embody our company’s core values. You can learn about our other honorees here, or subscribe to our newsletter to receive this feature and more inspiring content in the future.
