Contributor

James D. Diamond

Criminal lawyer and law school professor

James Diamond (AKA Jim) is an astute observer of courts and the law. A former state prosecutor and experienced criminal lawyer with a colorful clientele, Diamond sits at the intersection where Main Street meets real life and real crime. He writes about courtroom drama and the modern community through the lens of an attorney, educator, social commentator, and father of four active millenials. In 2014 Diamond was awarded the Doctor of Juridical Science degree (S.J.D.) from the University of Arizona College of Law, a research degree and the highest degree awarded in the field of law. His insightful dissertation "The Aftermath of Rampage Shootings: Is Healing Possible?” is grounded in forgiveness and reconciliation, themes that have been frequent topics in the news. Diamond earned his law degree (J.D.) from Brooklyn Law School in 1988, where he was a member of the Journal of International Law. He studied government at what is now the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at The University of Albany (S.U.N.Y) receiving a Bachelor’s Degree, cum laude, in Political Science. Diamond was general manager of his college FM radio station, executive director of the New York State chapter of Common Cause, an elected official in Stamford, Connecticut, and is a devotee of the Allman Brothers Band. Professor Diamond has practiced law since 1988 and has been voted by his peers to be a “SuperLawyer” every year since 2007. Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a criminal trial specialist, Diamond has tried 30 jury trials including defense of the infamous Greenwich (CT) nanny murderer, Flora Canales. Today Diamond is the Director of The Tribal Justice Clinic at the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program at the James E. Rogers College of Law/ University of Arizona and Professor of the Practice. Diamond maintains a law practice, admitted in Connecticut, Arizona and N.Y. and has considerable interest and expertise in Federal Indian law, including admission to practice in three tribal courts.