Thomas B James
also known as Thomas James, Tom James
About Thomas
Biography
Thomas B. James (Thomas James) is an attorney in private practice at the Law Office of Tom James in Cokato, Minneosta. He is admitted to the bar of Minnesota, the Federal and 8th Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He is authorized to represent clients nationally in trademark and copyright registration applications, U.S. Trademark Trials and Appeals Board (TTAB) and Copyright Claims Board (CCB) proceedings.
Attorney Tom James is a graduate of the University of California - Berkeley and Southwestern University.
Thomas James, attorney is the author of E-Commerce Law: The Legal Compliance Handbook for Online Businesses, IP Law for Non-IP Attorneys, Website Law, The History of Custody Law, and a variety of law review articles.
Cokato attorney Thomas James is founder and a continuing legal education (CLE) instructor for Echion CLE Topics: copyright law, tradmark law, e-commerce law, ethics and elimination of bias, family law, and others.
He also writes the nationally syndicated blog, The Cokato Copyright Attorney and a less focused, topical blog, Thomas B. James on Medium.
Minnesota attorney Thomas James is a certified TESOL/TELF teacher (Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages), a certified Teacher of English to Young Learners (TEYL) and a certifiedTeacher of Business English (TBE).
Practice Areas
3
Practice Areas
23 years
23 years
28 years
Fees and Rates
Cost
Sometimes
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in Minnesota for 39 years
State: Minnesota
Acquired: 1986
Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2008
Location
Law Office of Thomas B James
440 Broadway Ave N, Cokato, MN, 55321
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Thomas B James's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
2 Client Reviews
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Posted by Collin | January 27, 2026 | Hired Attorney
Excellent choice for legal advice and support!
Over the years, Tom has provided his assistance and expertise on a wide range of issues. Tom is very knowledgeable, professional, helpful, and kind. I would wholeheartedly recommend him for any/all legal advice or support. Thanks again!
Posted by Barnabas A. Yohannes | November 08, 2012 | Divorce & Separation
Best Attorney in Town
Tom Jones helped me with long and difficult divorce and order for protection cases. He not only helped me defend myself, but he also taught me valuable lessons on how to defend himself. I was facing the most powerful lawyers with over 100 counts of criminal and civil counts of false and malicious ch...
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Experience
Professional misconduct
This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2008.
Reprimand/Probation issued in MN, 2008
updated on 04/04/2026Reprimand/probation means an attorney did something wrong but may still practice law. The State gives the lawyer a public reprimand in hopes that he or she will not repeat the behavior. The State also monitors the lawyer's activities for a period of time in hopes that he or she will not repeat the behavior.
“The discipline was a consequence of a 2005 incident in which I failed to respond to an improperly served notice. It happened at a time when I had complex PTSD, which had not yet been diagnosed. After the incident, I voluntarily took time off to complete treatment for PTSD. I also voluntarily changed my practice from family law to business, trademark and copyright law. There have been no recurrences of PTSD and no performance issues since the 2005 incident.”
Honors
1995
Certification of Commendation, Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura
1995
Outstanding Service Award, Hennepin County District Court Judges
1984
Award for legal scholarship, American Jurisprudence
Work Experience
2021 - Present
Director/Instructor, Echion
2021 - Present
Attorney, LegalCORPS
1995 - Present
Attorney, Law Office of Thomas B. James
1990 - 1995
Court deputy, Hennepin County District Court
Associations
2023 - Present
ABA Intellectual Property Law SectionMember
2023 - Present
National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE)Member
2023 - Present
ABA Advertising and Marketing Law CommitteeAttorney Member
2023 - Present
ABA Committee on Copyright Office AffairsAttorney Member
2023 - Present
ABA Committee on Copyright and Emerging TechnologyAttorney Member
2023 - Present
ABA-IPL Copyright and Related Rights DivisionMember
2021 - Present
American Bar AssociationAttorney Member
2021 - Present
National Parents Organization Advisory CouncilBoard Member
2021 - Present
LegalCORPSVolunteer Attorney
2020 - Present
SCOREVolunteer
2019 - Present
Authors and Publishers AssociationMember
1998 - Present
Hennepin County Bar AssociationMember
1998 - Present
Central Minnesota Legal ServicesVolunteer Attorney
1995 - Present
Minnesota State Bar AssociationAttorney Member
Attorney Member
Attorney Member
Member
1998 - 1999
Minnesota Alliance for the Mentally Ill Advisory CouncilBoard Member
Sample of Legal Cases
Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed, but with two strong dissents filed
Reversal obtained for client
won a reversal on First Amendment grounds
secured a judgment in favor of client
affirmed in part and reversed in part
secured a judgment against a mortgage broker on behalf of homeowner
won a reversal and established a precedent for disability harassment as a cause of action under the Fair Housing Act
won on appeal, and established a precedent for classifying clinical depression as an illness within the meaning of the Family Medical Leave Act.
Opposition petition dismissed.
Education
2022
TESOL, TEYL and TBE certifications
1984
J.D.
1979
BA
Speaking Engagements
2024
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2008
Legal Impediments to Fathering in Minnesota
2005
Guidelines for Guardians ad Litem Advocating for Children in Domestic Abuse and OFP Cases
2004
New Perspectives on Domestic Violence
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Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Guides
Legal Answers
What are my options, other than amending a complaint, to add more infringement found after filing a copyright lawsuit?
10 Jan 2025
Can i use the words of an old poem that has an unknown author in musical composition that i wrote and copyright it?
19 Dec 2024
If one is reaching out to potential publishers or book agents, does a "pending copyright" provide adequate protection?
06 Dec 2024