Makenna X. Johnson

Makenna X. Johnson is an associate in the Property Rights Group at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP. Her practice focuses on eminent domain, land use, and other real estate-related dispute resolution and litigation.  

Makenna has spent her entire career working on eminent domain and real estate litigation matters, including representing both property owners and condemning authorities in eminent domain proceedings, as well as developers and utility companies in land use matters.  She has experience working with experts regarding real property valuation, litigating possession in condemnation cases, and pursuing Rule 106 litigation for clients.   She also counsels clients pre-litigation through development processes with municipalities and counties, including re-zoning, location and extent, and 1041 applications, among others.  

Makenna received her J.D. from William & Mary Law School. While in law school, she was a Property Rights Fellow for the William & Mary Property Rights Project, the Membership and Alumni Coordinator for the William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal, and a recipient of the American Bar Association State and Local Government Law Award. Makenna earned her B.A. in Political Science with minors in Communication and Pre-Law from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

Outside her practice, Makenna enjoys hiking, running, and serving as a volunteer judge for high school speech and debate tournaments.  

MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS

• American Bar Association 
  • State & Local Government Law Section, Land Use Committee Chair (August 2024 – Present) and Native American Tribal Law Committee Vice-Chair (August 2023 – Present)
  • Young Lawyers Division, State & Local Government Law Committee Chair (August 2022 – Present) and Liaison to the State & Local Government Law Section (August 2023 – Present) 
• Colorado Bar Association  
  • Young Lawyers Division, Executive Council Member (July 2023 – Present)

RECOGNITION

• American Bar Association Section of State and Local Government Law, Jefferson B. Fordham Up & Comers Award (2023)

PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

• Author, “Keeping the Surplus? Examining Colorado’s Real Property Tax Lien System in Light of Tyler v. Hennepin County,” Colorado Lawyer (2024)
• Presenter, “Snapshots of Eminent Domain Issues,” CLE International Colorado Eminent Domain Conference (2024)
• Moderator, “Sheetz and the Future of Takings Jurisprudence,” ABA Annual Meeting (2024)
• Moderator, “Disaster and Resilience Legal Careers,” ABA State & Local Govt Law Section, Civil Right & Social Justice Section, and Young Lawyers Division Fall CLE Conference (2024)
• Presenter, “What is Eminent Domain? An Introduction for Law Students, Young Lawyers, and Non-Eminent Domain Lawyers,” CBA YLD CLE (2024) 
• Moderator, “Hot Topics Out of the Supreme Court,” ABA State & Local Govt Law Section, Civil Right & Social Justice Section, and Young Lawyers Division Fall Conference (2022)
• Presenter, “What’s New in Colorado in 2022? Colorado Case Law and Legislative Update,” CLE International Colorado Eminent Domain Conference (2022)