About James D.
James D. Garrett built his legal path in Nevada before settling into practice in Virginia. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 1999 and completed his Juris Doctor at UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law in 2001.
After law school Garrett moved into private practice and leadership roles at a relatively early stage. In 2005 he served as managing partner at Barnes & Garrett, PC, where he handled a mix of trial and client-management responsibilities. Two years later he joined Garrett Law Group, PLC as a senior lawyer, a position that positioned him to take on complex court work and mentor younger attorneys.
Garrett is admitted to practice in Virginia and is also admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Those admissions have allowed him to represent clients in both state and federal forums. He has taken on appointments through the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission and appears in courtrooms across the region.
Part of his work has involved court appointments through the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. He holds certification as a Guardian Ad Litem for Children and is listed as Court Appointed Counsel. In those roles he has represented the interests of children in dependency and custody matters and provided appointed representation in criminal and other proceedings for clients who could not otherwise afford counsel.
Garrett has remained active in local bar circles. He became a member of the Virginia Beach Bar Association in 2005 and joined the Norfolk & Portsmouth Bar Association in 2019. Those memberships have kept him engaged with local practice trends, evidence rulings and procedural changes that affect trial work.
His practice has spanned courtroom litigation, appointed defense work and case oversight. Colleagues describe him as steady at trial and practical in case management. He has taken on the administrative duties of running a firm while continuing to appear before judges and juries.
He currently practices at Garrett Law Group, PLC, where his work focuses on court-appointed defense and representation in state and federal proceedings.
