James M Chavez

James Chavez is an accomplished attorney with a distinguished career in public defense, most notably serving as a Trial Attorney at Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc. (FDSDI) from 2007 to 2020. A graduate of UC Berkeley School of Law, where he served as class president, and Reed College with a degree in Economics.

Chavez has handled thousands of criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to death penalty cases, successfully trying over twenty-seven federal cases and arguing seven times before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and California Courts of Appeal. His dedication to public interest law and mentoring was recognized by Harvard Law School, which selected him as a Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow in 2019.

Beyond his trial work, he has held leadership roles in the legal community, contributed to legal publications, and maintained an active presence in various bar organizations while continuing to serve his community through volunteer activities, particularly in education and mentoring.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​