Appeals

James & Associates handles all levels of civil and criminal appeals in state and federal courts for a wide variety of clients from individuals to the largest corporations. Ms. James is certified by the California State Bar as a Certified Specialist in Appellate Law and is one of the few appellate practitioners with significant trial experience.  

The firm has unrivaled expertise in criminal appeals and has represented numerous criminal defendants on appeal in complex white collar crime cases and other criminal matters, obtaining reversals and release from imprisonment.   Ms. James was formerly the Chief of Criminal Appeals at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, where she wrote or edited hundreds of briefs and handled dozens of oral arguments in the Ninth Circuit.  While in private practice, Ms. James served as the appellate expert on the trial team representing Bill Cosby in his criminal retrial.

On civil matters, Ms. James has successfully represented individuals and businesses on appeal in a wide range of business and personal disputes.  Ms. James has represented large corporations on appeal in multi-million dollar litigation and complex business disputes, including on matters involving First Amendment issues, labor and employment, and commercial contracts.  Ms. James has obtained reversals for her clients on matters ranging from major fraud to probate disputes.

Ms. James has taught appellate advocacy as an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School and is a frequent lecturer on appellate advocacy, including speaking and helping organize the Federal Bar Association’s Ninth Circuit Appellate Practice Workshop.  Ms. James is frequently called upon by other lawyers to consult or serve as co-counsel on appeals and to consult on legal issues at the trial court level.  She is Of Counsel with Waymaker LLP in Los Angeles, California.