James Thomas Email & Phone Number

United States

Chicago, Il, Us

As the Assistant Dean in the Office of Career Services, I am responsible for the operations of the Office, along with the development and implementation of the strategic vision – all while working and maintaining focus on the primary mission of full-time post graduate employment for our students. I report directly to the Dean of the Law School and serve as the public face of the office within the law school and in the greater legal community.

Columbus, Ohio, Us

I serve as special master, arbitrator, receiver and mediator. I am an approved member of the Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators for the American Arbitration Association.

Columbus, Ohio, Us

Special Master – Liberty Ford Lincoln Mercury, Inc., et al. v. Ford Motor Company, Case No. 1:21-cv-02085 (N.D. Ohio)Mediator – approved member of the Mediation Roster in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio.Mediator – Faranso v. Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., Case No. 2:22-cv-10181 (E.D. Mich.)Receiver – Federal Trade Commission, et. al. v. Repair All PC, LLC, et al., Case No. 1:17-cv-0869 (N.D. Ohio)Special Master – Peninsula Asset Management (Cayman) Ltd. v. Hankook Tire Co., Ltd., Case No. 5:04-cv-1153 (N.D. Ohio)

Tallahassee, Florida, Us

“ACAN is the only national organization dedicated to furthering the understanding of the bench and bar on the use of court adjuncts, special masters, court monitors, judicial referees, or masters of chancery. ACAN is a leader in promoting scholarship and research regarding the use of special masters and alternative dispute resolution.”Membership is by application and to be qualified, all Fellows required to have previously served as a Master (judicial adjuncts appointed pursuant to Rule 53 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure). For more information, visit http://courtappointedmasters.org/.

Columbus, Ohio, Us

I regularly present to groups on a number of leadership topics for lawyers and other professionals outside of the legal industry. Specific presentations topics include Leadership Principles, Time Management, Meetings and Presentations, Leaders and Difficult Conversations, Ethics and Professionalism, and Active Career Management. I customize presentations for groups based on their needs and areas of focus.

Columbus, Oh, Us

Five semesters as an instructor for upper level-law school course entitled "Lawyers as Leaders." The course was designed to help students think more broadly about the responsibilities and challenges of lawyers who achieve leadership positions. The course explores ways for students to strengthen their own personal leadership style through self-assessment and skill development.

Toledo, Ohio, Us

I created and taught a new for credit class for the law school entitled “Leadership for Law Students” – 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. The school also presented me with their Part Time Professor of the Year Award in 2017.

Columbus, Oh, Us

As a litigation partner, I focused on complex civil litigation and served as counsel and advisor to senior level leaders in law, business and government. I also continued my professional development work for firm clients and other professional organizations such as the Association of Corporate Counsel Chapters for Central Ohio and Northeast Ohio, the Women’s Bar Foundation Leadership Institute, and Fortune 500 companies.

I formed JFG after leaving Squire Sanders to provide consultation and professional development services. Today, JFG serves as an educational consulting company lead by Michelle D. Thomas, Ph.D. as President, who also happens to be my wife.

Cleveland, Ohio, Us

I returned to Squire Sanders in its Cleveland, Ohio office in 1999, after four years of service as a United States Magistrate Judge. I became a partner in the litigation group in 2001 and, in 2003, I was appointed as the Practice Group leader for the Cleveland litigation group, which was, at that time, the largest litigation group in the firm. I was responsible for the overall management of the Cleveland litigation group (partners, associates, and paralegals), and I maintained an active trial docket, with a national scope and emphasis on complex commercial cases, including large Chapter 11 cases. In 2008, I relocated to the firm’s Miami, Florida office in connection with my transition to the Practice Group Leader for the Global Litigation group, where I was responsible for the overall leadership, management, and profitability for one of the firm’s two largest practice groups with over 250 legal professionals worldwide. In that role, I led several merger integration efforts with other firms in the United States and internationally, had a significant role in the hiring, dismissal, and the setting of compensation of all levels of legal professionals in the group, and led the strategic planning and implementation for the group, including talent development.

Cleveland, Ohio, Us

I served four years as a United States Magistrate Judge, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio after having been appointed at thirty-three years of age. The average age of new appointees in 1995 was forty-five. During this time, I presided as trial judge in civil bench and jury trials conducted in Akron, Youngstown and Cleveland, Ohio courthouses, spent hundreds of hours of courtroom time for motion and evidentiary hearings, and conducted settlement and mediation conferences in civil cases.I also developed a significant civil “consent” docket in which the parties consented to the complete jurisdiction of the Magistrate Judge for all proceedings, including bench and jury trials, and entry of final judgment. Appeals of consent docket cases were to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Cleveland, Ohio, Us

I joined Squire, Sanders & Dempsey as a litigation associate following a United States District Court clerkship. While there, I gained early and unique trial experiences for an associate, one of the reasons I sought out the United States Magistrate Judge position. I liked being in the court room.

Cleveland, Ohio, Us

I served two years as an “elbow law clerk” to an outstanding trial judge and person. He was the single biggest influence in my legal career, and next to my parents, a personal mentor that taught me many life lessons that I still draw upon each day.

Juris Doctor, Law

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Political Science