James W Claflin

Biographical Information

Twenty years ago, James began his law career working on complex commercial litigation at Brown & Bain (now Perkins Coie) in Phoenix following his admission to the Arizona Bar in 1991. In 1993 he was admitted to the Utah Bar and joined Scalley & Reading in Salt Lake City where he continued working in commercial litigation and added general business and criminal defense law to his practice. During that time James also joined the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) of the Army National Guard as a legal officer (JAG). In addition to providing family, small business, basic estate planning, and military law advice to the officers and soldiers in his Guard unit, James achieved the rank of Major, earned his jump wings at the US Army jump school at Ft. Benning, Georgia, and was recognized by the Army for his meritorious service. In 2005 James joined the Henderson, Nevada law firm of Peel Brimley and was admitted to the Nevada Bar. As a partner at Peel Brimley, James' practice areas included corporate and business law, contractor licensing, and contracts. He currently practices family, criminal defense, corporate/business, and contracts law in Las Vegas, Nevada.

James has been a member of the law faculties of the Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School, Concord University Law School, and the University of North Dakota Law School, where he served as the Director of the Legal Research and Writing Program. He has enjoyed designing and teaching courses in legal research and writing, the legal process, appellate advocacy, torts, trial advocacy, contracts, and criminal law.

James graduated magna cum laude from the Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School where he served as an articles editor for the BYU Law Review and was honored with a membership in the Order of the Coif for outstanding legal scholarship.