McManis Faulkner founder and partner James McManis has been named an “Elite Boutique Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal, a leading legal publication and part of the Law.com/ALM (American Lawyer Media) family. This marks McManis’ second appearance on the list; he was selected to the inaugural list in 2018.
The National Law Journal’s “Elite Boutique Trailblazers” awards recognize individuals in law practice who have influenced the small law firm sector through new types of strategies or innovative court cases.
In profiling McManis’ selection, the National Law Journal detailed the firm’s track record defending civil rights and protecting citizens from arbitrary government actions. The profile highlights the firm’s success defending a Chinese-American nurse who was violently arrested for “driving too slow”; securing a precedent-setting decision on public records disclosure; and representing Dr. Rahinah Ibrahim for nearly 15 years in the first successful challenge to placement on a no-fly list. At the conclusion of the profile, McManis provides a quote on the firm’s continued fight for civil rights: “Someone once said that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. As long as there is government, there will also be abuse. We are in worrisome times, and we will keep fighting the good fight.”
A seasoned trial lawyer, McManis handles commercial, trade secrets and intellectual property matters, in addition to his civil rights work. He has been a member of the trial bar for more than 50 years, and he represents individuals in civil rights actions, employment disputes, family law and criminal defense. McManis is an Honorary Bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns, the oldest institution of legal education in Ireland. In addition, he is a Fellow of the Academy of Court Appointed Masters, the American College of Trial Lawyers, the Litigation Counsel of America, the American Bar Foundation and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. McManis received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (1967) and his B.A. in History, with Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa, from Stanford University (1964).
Click here to view Jim’s full profile in the National Law Journal