James J. Salmons, Esq.
James graduated with the highest honors from The Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law in 2019. Throughout law school, James worked full-time writing policy and ensuring regulatory compliance for a small Department of the Interior agency.
During his 2L year, James had the distinct pleasure of law clerking for the Honorable Judge Joann Johnson, Supervising Family Law Judge at the Ventura Superior Court, where he researched and drafted input for the Judge on a variety of complex family law matters.
Prior to law school, James completed a Master of Business Administration from the University of La Verne in 2016, and a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from The Johns Hopkins University in 2014 – completing both programs in the top 5% of each class.
James served honorably in the U.S. Navy from 2001-2009, where he deployed to Fallujah in 2004 and Basra, Iraq in 2005, with the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, based in Port Hueneme, CA. Seabees – Can Do!
Court Admissions & Education
- State Bar of California, admitted June 2020, State Bar No. 331391
- The Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law – Juris Doctor with Highest Honors, December 2019 – Certificates of Concentration: Family Law, Estate Planning Law, Business Law
- University of La Verne – Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management and Organizational Development, March 2016
- The Johns Hopkins University – Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy, December 2014
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics
- Certified Mediator – Ventura Center for Dispute Settlement
Honors & Memberships
- Navy Achievement Medal (2) for exceptional conduct during his first deployment to Iraq
- Witkin Legal Institute Award(s) for highest course grade in: Legal Research, Business Associations, Professional Responsibility, Advanced Legal Writing, Civil Procedure, Community Property, Family Law, Remedies, and Real Property
- Recipient of the 2018 VCOL Family Law Scholarship
- Dean's Honors List – 1L, 2L, 3L, 4L
- Los Angeles County Bar Association – Member
- Ventura County Bar Association – Member
- Ventura County Family Law Bar Association – Member
- California Lawyer's Association – Member
- Veterans of Foreign Wars – Member
Personal
James regularly enjoys surfing, golfing, cycling, snowboarding, and playing with his two dogs - Doug and Stewie. James has been described as “highly competitive but reasonable in his approach" – a trait which serves well his passion for the law!
Recent Blog Posts
Unbundling Legal Services - What is it, and is it right for you?
Attorney Fee Awards Under Family Code 2030
Free Consultations in Divorce – Why and Why Not?
Fee Agreements: When Needed and What to Look Out For
My Attorney Is Withholding My Records, What Can I Do?
Recommendations
- Looking for a divorce attorney was incredibly daunting due to there being so many and it being a very sensitive and delicate thing to go through. I immediately picked James after talking to about 1/2 a dozen other attorneys due to his honesty, ability to hear me out and knowledge.Working with him...
- James is heaven-sent! He was there when we needed him most! I can call or text him, and he was available every time. He made me feel comfortable and was very patient considering our family law case needed a lot of work. If I could I'd give him 10 stars. Thank you, James, for fighting for what's r...
- James has made this painful and difficult process tolerable and pleasant. His responses are always prompt and sympathetic, with my best interest in mind regarding the situation. James went out of his way to always answer my calls despite being outside work hours. I highly recommend James because ...
- Jim is a very competent and personable professional and is extremely knowledgeable. He guided me through the most difficult moment in my life, and I will always reach out to him for any future legal assistance. He is involved in his community, and I observed his interactions with others; they all...
- I was looking for a Divorce Family Lawyer, I send a message to 3 lawyers and Atty. James Salmon was the one who responded first, He helped me right away, not even charging anything for the first time, I could call or text him anytime, very thorough. We even facetime so I could have a glimpse of h...
- He's reliable, really smart (geeky about the law), and doesn't charge you an arm and a leg for legal support! I'd recommend him in a heartbeat.
- I was fighting my custody case for about a year without any help and James Salmons really shed light on my situation with his knowledge and experience in family law. He's been a blessing to my family!
- I was very pleased with this firm's professional and particularly honest interactions. They proactively gathered information about my case and corresponded with me. They were sympathetic to my issues and upfront about potential outcomes.It is hard to find a reliable law firm for juvenile dependen...
- James took a very delicate matter and with professionalism, kindness and tact, made it as pain-free as possible. I highly recommend James and would use his services again without hesitation! Thank you for all the swift communication and help, Jim!
- How do I even begin! James is able to calmly and kindly take an impossibly emotional crisis out of troubled hands and find a resolution. I couldn't imagine having to go through one more battle with my ex-husband. I called James and he took battle from me. Without James, my kids and I would have l...
- I can not say enough wonderful things about Compass Legal Group. Faced with a daunting custody battle over my 1 year old daughter I was lost, hurt confused and didn't have any answers or know where to turn. I had hired another firm prior to Compass Legal and they were a disaster and left me in a ...
- In a world full of scammers, I really valued James Salmon's professional and honest interactions. He made me feel protected in a situation where I needed it most and in such a difficult and troubling time, James helped put me at ease right away. He was the first attorney to call me back and did s...