Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Appellate, Professional Liability; view more
Licensed in Pennsylvania since: 2012
Education: The Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Selected to Rising Stars: 2018 - 2024 Details
Ryan H. James, an attorney with vast experience in trial and appellate practice, is the proprietor of James Law, LLC, in White Oak, Pennsylvania, offering legal counsel on a variety of criminal law matters ranging from homicides to drug offenses, sexual assault, white collar crimes, DUI and DWI charges, and more throughout Allegheny, Westmoreland, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Washington and Fayette counties.
Mr. James has carved an enviable niche in the legal profession, competently trying cases in both federal and state courts to both judges and juries. He has also navigated Disciplinary Board hearing committees. He has accumulated a rich repertoire of experiences across 18 different counties across the Commonwealth, from successfully defending clients facing charges ranging from first-degree murder to serious sexual offenses and DUIs. Elected officials rely on him to protect those they care about, and he has been sought out by three separate district attorneys to advise and represent them.
Furthermore, lawyers, judges, doctors, and parents for their children have relied upon Mr. James for representation. Within his appellate practice, he has briefed and argued over 50 cases in the Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Some of his cases have set precedents in the area of sentencing, post-conviction litigation, SORNA registration, property forfeiture, and juvenile-dependency proceedings. Additionally, Mr. James has had the honor of serving as PCRA counsel, privately and by appointment, in nearly 100 post-conviction cases.
A cum laude graduate of Allegheny College in 2007, Mr. James earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2011. While in law school, he was a managing editor of the Law Review.
Mr. James is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania (2012) and Michigan (2017). He additionally admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Having vied for a seat on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in 2019, Mr. James was "Recommended" by the Allegheny County Bar Association for possessing the legal knowledge, experience, and demeanor to excel as a judge of that court. His membership on the Criminal Justice Act panel in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Local Rules Advisory Committee, as well as his election to the ACBA's Judiciary Committee, further highlight his status as a respected legal practitioner.
Mr. James also holds the qualification of capital counsel in Pennsylvania. Additionally, he’s a past attendee of the National College of Capital Voir Dire. This remarkable professional journey, coupled with his exceptional legal knowledge, credentials and character, make him a strong advocate for those facing criminal and disciplinary charges.
Practice areas
Criminal Defense, Appellate, Professional Liability: Defense, Criminal Defense: White CollarFocus areas
Appeals, Arrest & Arraignment, Assault & Battery, Criminal Domestic Violence, Criminal Fraud, Criminal Law, Criminal Law - Federal, Drug & Alcohol Violations, False Accusations, Felony, Juvenile Delinquency, Misdemeanor, Motor Vehicle Offenses, Murder, Overdrawn Bank Account, Probation, Prosecution, Sex Offenses, Tax Evasion, Theft, White Collar Crime
- 50% Criminal Defense
- 20% Appellate
- 20% Professional Liability: Defense
- 10% Criminal Defense: White Collar
First Admitted: 2012, Pennsylvania
Professional Webpage: https://rhjameslaw.com/about/ryan-h-james/
- Pennsylvania, 2012
- Michigan, 2017
- Supreme Court of the United States, 2021
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2014
- United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, 2012
- Local Rules Advisory Committee, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, 2023
- Criminal Justice Act Panel, PAWD, 2019
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 2022
- Allegheny Lawyers’ Initiative for Justice, Founding Board Member, 2021
- Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2015
- Allegheny County Bar Association, Judiciary Committee (Elected 3-Yr. Term, 2023); Solo/Small Firm Section, Fmr. Vice-Chair, 2023
- Vice-Chair (2016-17) General Member/Council (2012-Pres.), 2012
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2012
- Verdict: Not guilty (three felony counts); guilty (one misdemeanor count—later vacated). Client faced two counts each of Aggravated Indecent Assault (F2) and Indecent Assault (M1/M2). The allegations pertained to digital penetration of a female's vagina while sleeping. The case was tried to a jury over the course of a week., 2017
- Verdict: Not guilty Five felony-charged theft offenses, which involved over 2,000-plus pages of discovery. Case was dismissed first time it was filed, then it was refiled and a judgment of acquittal was entered by judge during bench trial., 2015
- Verdict: Not guilty Client charged with first-degree murder and gun charges. Charges based upon jailhouse-informant testimony. Issue concerned identification of the shooter. Not guilty on all charges., 2016
- Verdict: $70,000 This was a real-estate seller disclosure case, which alleged multiple counts of fraud and violations of Pennsylvania's consumer protection law against multiple defendants. The case was litigated over a four-year period and tried non-jury in Allegheny County over a period of a three and a half days, 2017
- Verdict: Not Guilty: First-Degree Murder and Attempted Murder; Guilty of Third-Degree Murder Client was charged with homicide and attempted murder. The entirety of the shooting was caught on a doorbell camera. The defense was centered on self-defense or a killing in a heat of passion. The trial was a four-day trial in Allegheny County. The jury engaged in a full day of deliberations., 2024
- Verdict: Not guilty (aggravated assault); guilty (simple assault) Elderly client was charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault (F1/F2), Terroristic Threats, Simple Assault, and summary counts resulting from a fight with a neighbor. Client faced loss of firearms and possible incarceration if convicted., 2017
- Verdict: Not guilty. Client was charged with one count of Indecent Assault (M2) and two summary offenses. The Commonwealth prosecuted client because, it alleged, he sexually assaulted an employee in local convenience store by grabbing her in "the groin area." The alleged incident was caught on store surveillance cameras. If there was any contact between client and the Complainant, it was less than a second. The case proceeded to a jury and argument was advanced that the Commonwealth did not prove the required intent, nor did it show that the touching was of a sexual or intimate part of the Complainant., 2018
- Outcome: Dismissed Client was charged with two counts of insurance fraud, one count being a felony of the third degree. A first criminal complaint was filed, which was later withdrawn after the Commonwealth failed to secure its witnesses for three consecutive preliminary hearings. A second criminal complaint was filed after the withdrawal of the first, and the Commonwealth again could not proceed to trial due to the failure to secure its witnesses. A Rule 600 Motion, alleging a speedy-trial violation, was filed and granted, thus dismissing the charges., 2018
- Outcome: Dismissed Out-of-state client (from GA) was arrested on prostitution charges. She had been lodged in jail for approximately a month before I got the case. From the outset, I argued that my client was a victim of human trafficking, not the perpetrator of her own victimization. Client was released from jail shortly after I made an appearance, and the case against her was ultimately dismissed when the District Attorney's office became persuaded of my view of the case., 2018
- Verdict: Not Guilty Client was originally charged with violations of the Uniform Firearms Act, Drug Act, and Tampering with Evidence. Following a preliminary hearing, the felony gun charges were dismissed for lack of sufficient evidence. The remaining misdemeanor charges proceeded to a jury trial, and the jury found the client not guilty on all counts., 2018
- Verdict: Not Guilty Client was charged with a first-offense DUI and was ARD eligible. The facts leading to the charge was that the client started a parked car after consuming alcohol. The issue in the case revolved around whether the client was in "actual physical control of the movement of the vehicle." Case proceeded non-jury., 2018
- Verdict: Not guilty. Client was accused by his son of inappropriate sexual contact and charged with Rape, IDSI, Incest, and attempt crimes. The case was a he-said-he-said case, and it was tried to a jury over a full day of trial. There were 12 counts up for the jury's consideration, all of which were returned as Not Guilty verdicts., 2019
- Verdict: Not guilty. Client was originally charged with four offenses, one of which was disposed of at the magistrate. The remaining three offenses were for strangulation, simple assault, and endangering the welfare of children. Following a stipulated non-jury trial, the client was found not guilty of all charges, 2020
- Outcome: No-contest plea to lesser offense of recklessly endangering another person (M2). Client was charged in a murder-for-hire plot. Originally charged with a conspiracy to commit murder, but that charged was dismissed pretrial. Commonwealth amended charges, but following preparation for trial and pretrial litigation, the Commonwealth offered a no-contest plea to a second-degree misdemeanor for probation., 2021
- “0-Gram” Favorable jury finding, which negated applicability of 15-year mandatory minimum. In October of 2019, Attorney James received his first federal court-appointment as a member of the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel—a select group of private criminal-defense attorneys vetted to handle federal cases. That first appointment was to one of the 48 co-defendants named in the drug-conspiracy case known as the “Landfried indictment.” The Department of Justice, and former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Scott Brady, touted the indictment as “dismantl[ing] one of the largest prison drug smuggling rings in the country.” https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/multi-state-drug-smuggling-prison-ring-dismantled Attorney James along with two of his colleagues, represented three of the remaining defendants in the case in the first trial group of four. After five full trial days of testimony and argument before U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan, the jury returned verdicts of guilty as to all defendants after a full day of deliberation. As to Attorney James’s client only, however, the jury did not find his involvement as to cocaine or heroin, thus negating the possibility of either a 10- or 15-year mandatory-minimum sentence., 2021
- Outcome: 100 days’ imprisonment. Client was indicted for six counts of mail fraud for misappropriating approximately $150,000 over ten years as secretary/treasurer of a small borough. Case started in state court and was nolle prossed in lieu of federal prosecution. Case pled to a single count of mail fraud. Advisory guideline range called for 15-21 months' imprisonment., 2023
- Neighborhood Legal Services Association, 2012
- Pennsylvania Rising Stars List (2018-2024), Super Lawyers
- Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest, Whirl Magazine/Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (W.Pa.), 2013
- Top 40 Under 40 Criminal Lawyers (Pennsylvania), 2018-2022, The National Trial Lawyers
- Readers’ Choice (Silver Award) Winner-“Best Attorney", Trib Total Media, 2015
- Readers’ Choice (Gold Award) Winner-“Best Attorney", The Daily News, 2014
- Distinguished Student Award, Thomas M. Cooley Alumni Association, 2011
- The Earl Dayton Award, Thomas M. Cooley Law School Grade Appeals Board, 2011
- John D. Voelker Award, Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, 2011
- President's Achievement Award, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2011
- The Fitzgerald Award, Thomas M. Cooley SBA, 2011
- Allegheny College, B.A., cum laude, Honors: Alden Scholar, 2007
Selections
- Rising Stars: 2018 - 2024
