James Bruce Lewis

James Bruce Lewis

4.9
Rating: 8.9

Licensed for 27 years

DUI and DWI Lawyer at Honolulu, HI
Practice Areas: DUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Speeding & Traffic Ticket

1177 Queen Street, James B. Lewis, Honolulu, HI

About James

Biography

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 15 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Hawaii for 16 years

State: Hawaii

Acquired: 2009

Active

No misconduct found

Licensed in Minnesota for 27 years

State: Minnesota

Acquired: 1998

Administrative Suspension

No misconduct found

Location

Law Off. of James B. Lewis

1177 Queen Street, James B. Lewis, Honolulu, HI, 96814-4138

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James Bruce Lewis's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

78 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 5 of 51 reviews | DUI & DWI

Posted by anonymous | April 12, 2020 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

DUI Dismissed

I got arrested under suspicion of DUI in downtown Honolulu. The whole process was a stressful and expensive life experience. I talked to a few local attorneys and someone suggested James. I met with him and had a frank discussion on what happened and what I could expect in the coming months. His fees... were in-line with some of the other attorneys. Not cheap but not outrageous, and you don’t necessarily want lowest price for something like this. Either way, I hired him as my attorney. He was well prepared the majority of the time and was very responsive. To make a year long story short. We had our ADLRO hearing and I had my license back within a week, no machine or defensive driving classes. Months of delay went on but we did our court time and ended up with my DUI being dismissed. Thanks James.

Posted by anonymous | December 19, 2019 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

James was the best choice I could have made

I remember how stressful the process of selecting a lawyer was after being arrested for a DUI. Some offices I had to leave a message or make an appointment with the secretary. When I called James he answered himself, asked relevant questions, and overall left me feeling much better about the situati...on. After a brief meeting in person I knew I would want him representing me in court and that he'd offer the best defense possible against not only the DUI but speeding and reckless driving as well. James never made me feel pressured and only offered useful advice. My case became very drawn out due to how the court works and I had to go in five times, sometimes only to reschedule as they ran out of time. James was always there and he always kept me informed as to whether my case would actually be dealt with, where we were in the case, and allowed me to make strategic decisions based on his explanations. James was well known and well respected in the courtroom from my experiences there and I was always happy and felt relaxed that he was representing me. James immediately got my excessive speeding charge reduced to a traffic fine and we were debating the merits of taking the deal for the reckless charges depending on how the officer presented my driving. He also felt we could make a strong case against the DUI charges. So I was in pretty good shape even though I felt pretty rough when it first happened. However things ended even better than expected as after almost a 13 month wait James was able to get all charges dismissed with prejudice. All while I had moved away from Hawaii in the last two months to pursue a graduate program. So everything was dismissed and I never had to come back for a court date. I will always be grateful for James and how he helped me.

Posted by anonymous | September 06, 2019 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

Reliable, Professional, Confident

When I was trying to contact lawyers for consultation, I was having a hard time knowing who to go with. James answered and chatted with me about my DUI, taking time on his own birthday, and he made me feel comfortable with his professionalism and experience. I hired him and he was immensely helpful w...ith everything. Responding to email, calls, and texts, whenever I had questions, needed advice on the case, and confirmation on court days. He simply ran the show. He won my civil case where I was able to get my license returned to me in one trial. The criminal case was dismissed and I am able to get it expunged from my record completely. I was very fortunate to come across his name in my search and you would be in outstanding hands with him as your lawyer! Mahalo for everything again, James

Posted by Tiare | May 31, 2019 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

DUI CASE DISMISSED!!!

DUI CASE DISMISSED!!! James is absolutely worth his weight in gold. Pay for his expertise and professional team, priced reasonably. My anxiety and stress had decreased tremendously when hiring James. James was able to answer all my questions on how to proceed which took the fear out of not knowing wh...at to do. He handled all the paperwork, court proceedings, spoke on my behalf in the courtroom, and even showed up to court to represent me when I was unable to make it one time. He was flexible with my schedule and returned my emails, phone calls, and text messages promptly. James keeps things short and sweet straight to the point which I loved. I don't have time for lengthy conversations I just need this nightmare to be over asap. It took about 12 months to get my case dismissed and without James I believe I would have not been successful on my own or with a public attorney. MAHALO NUI LOA JAMES

Posted by anonymous | February 23, 2019 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

Arrested for DUI?!? Wish you could make it go away & fight back?! HIRE THIS MAN! (He has a zillion 5-star reviews for a reason!)

if you find yourself in need of an attorney because you have recently been charged with a DUI, then do yourself a favor, stop scouring the internet, because I already have. I met with 3 of the other most highly rated DUI attorneys in Honolulu. At the end of the day, I knew James Lewis was the Smarte...st, Hardest Working, Most Strategic, Caring, Diligent, and kind DUI attorney anywhere on Oahu. James exudes class and is always the best-dressed person in the courtroom. His aptitude to He is well-known and respected by all the judges and prosecutors,and this helps! My arresting officer never even asked me if I had been drinking at all (because I anxiously anticipated it) yet he wrote that without being asked I told him "I had a few beers after work but was good!" I was pulled over within 50 feet of making a left turn where a poorly placed and barely visible "No Left Turn" sign was, and the officer immediately treated it as a DUI stop. Everything he did during the stop told me that he was out to get me at all costs. I refused all tests and was arrested for refusal. I knew by his every move that the officer was not "protecting and serving" but rather was determined to arrest me for a DUI I didn't deserve. I was so pissed! I needed the BEST representation I could find. I first 2 met of highest rated DUI attorneys on the island. RH and K O’G, were both veterans in the field. Both of them started my consultation out with absolute certainty that they could win my case and both were very sure to make me aware of their roughly 97% victory rate. They were too busy bragging about their skills to actually take the time to learn and understand MY OWN case… Both informed me that their price was roughly $9,xxx and that they would get my case thrown out when the cops missed 3 times, before realizing who my arresting officer was. Officer W&*G, apparently known as the “Rudy” of the HPD and is awarded by MADD every year for his number of DUI arrests. Officer W&*G is also known to conduct all of his stops on his own, and always attends court. Both highly rated and expensive attorneys after seeing the officers name, told me that it would be a tough one, and was likely a toss-up… $9,000 for a coin flip?? The next attorney had an office laden in gold. He was extremely sure of his ability for finding the one way to win in a haystack, but never actually was able to convey how he intended on doing that in my case. He was upset when he heard I was meeting with James immediately after him, likely because he knows he is losing that client! I finally met with James. James opened the door, greeted me with a big smile and welcomed me in. It wasn’t the James show, he wanted to know about MY case, and every detail. After reading my arrest report, James was the first person to actually show confidence in his ability to win my case, regardless of the Officer involved. We had a long talk about strategy, and his approach was COMPLETELY different than all the others. He was strategic, and let me know various ways which he was cleverly developing an edge in cases like mine. I could tell he was extremely genuine and extremely intellectual. Every single time I called, James either picked right up, or let me know he was in court and returned my call within a couple hours. It was over a year since we met that I had the money to hire James, and although his rates had gone up since, he honored the price he had quoted me. We found out that there were 2 other charges which I hadn't realized at the time that were in conjunction with my DUI and James took care of them as well for no extra charge! I moved off-Island, and James was able to appear several times for me. Court dates were stress-free because I KNEW that I was in the best hands possible. The case went to trial and James ran circles around the officer the other attorneys feared. We WON! THANKS JAMES!

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James Bruce Lewis's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse James
Travis Ashley Newton headshot
Travis Newton

DUI and DWI lawyer | Aug 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Arya Saleh headshot
Arya Saleh

Unknown lawyer | Jul 25

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"James is the epitome of an excellent trial lawyer: highest integrity, very experienced, dedicated to getting the best result for clients, and respected by everyone that knows him. As a fellow trial attorney, I have absolute trust and confidence in James, and I highly recommend him to anyone that wants to hire the best."

Jacob Charles Stidham headshot
Jacob Stidham

DUI and DWI lawyer | Jul 24

Relationship: Friend

"James is a thoughtful, intelligent, and dedicated advocate for his clients. His combination of language skills and litigation epxertise make him uniquely qualified to handle difficult cases in a diverse place like Hawaii."

Ravi R. Gurumurthy headshot
Ravi Gurumurthy

DUI and DWI lawyer | Jul 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Michael C. Cyr headshot
Michael Cyr

DUI and DWI lawyer | Jul 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"James is a great guy and a terrific attorney. We met at the National College for DUI Defense at Harvard Law School. DUI is a constantly changing and developing area of law. It's important to be BOTH a great trial lawyer and somebody who understands the complicated science in a DUI case. James is the consummate student in his chosen field and I would heartily recommend him to anybody facing a serious DUI charge."

John Elbert Cutler headshot
John Cutler

DUI and DWI lawyer | Jul 23

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. James and I are fellow members of the National College of DUI Defense (NCDD). To be a member you must meet high standards and keep current with DUI laws. James is also a two time graduate of the NCDD Summer Session program."

Kevin O'Grady headshot
Kevin O'Grady

DUI and DWI lawyer | Oct 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

View All Endorsements
Michael C. Cyr headshot
Michael Cyr

Criminal defense lawyer

Arya Saleh headshot
Arya Saleh

Criminal defense lawyer

John Elbert Cutler headshot
John Cutler

Criminal defense lawyer

Ravi R. Gurumurthy headshot
Ravi Gurumurthy

Criminal defense lawyer

Jacob Charles Stidham headshot
Jacob Stidham

Criminal defense lawyer

Kevin O'Grady headshot
Kevin O'Grady

DUI and DWI lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.9 (Excellent)

Honors

2015

Summer Session DUI Defense - Harvard Law School, National College of DUI Defense

2013

Summer Session DUI Defense - Harvard Law School, National College of DUI Defense

Work Experience

1998 - Present

Attorney, Law Offices of James B. Lewis

2000 - 2003

Public Defender, Hennepin County Public Defender's Office

1998 - 2000

Attorney, Legal Rights Center

Associations

2013 - Present

National College of DUI Defense

Member

2010 - Present

Hawaii Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

2009 - Present

Hawaii State Bar Association

Member of the Bar

1998 - Present

Minnesota State Bar Association

Member of the Bar

Education

2006

University of Hawaii

MBA - Masters

1998

University of Minnesota

MA - Masters

1997

University of Minnesota Law School

JD - Juris Doctor

1993

University of California - Berkeley

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Languages

English

Mandarin

Spanish

Japanese

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution