About James N.
James N. Markels graduated from George Mason University School of Law in 2004. He arrived in practice at a time when federal litigation and appellate procedure were evolving rapidly. The law school years placed him among a generation of lawyers trained to handle both trial court work and appeals. That foundation has shaped his courtroom approach.
He is admitted to practice in multiple jurisdictions. The list includes Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia, as well as the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the D.C. Circuit. He is also admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. Those admissions reflect a career that has moved between state and federal practice and across trial and appellate courts.
Early in his career he joined Croessmann & Westberg. Over time he rose to the firm’s partnership. In that role he has worked alongside colleagues handling complex litigation across jurisdictions. The partnership title indicates a long-term involvement in case strategy, client relations, and firm management.
Much of Markels’s courtroom work has taken place in appellate and federal settings. He appears regularly in briefs and argument settings that require attention to precedent and procedural detail. He has experience preparing appellate filings for both state and federal appeals. His courtroom presence is the product of steady exposure to multi-level litigation rather than a single narrow practice path.
Markels maintains memberships in professional associations that connect him to bench and bar communities. He belongs to the Virginia State Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. He is also a member of the Fairfax Bar Association. Those memberships keep him engaged with continuing legal education and the professional standards of the courts where he practices.
Colleagues describe him as a lawyer who balances written advocacy with courtroom practice. At Croessmann & Westberg he handles matters that require coordination across jurisdictions and between trial courts and appellate tribunals. He participates in the development of appellate strategy and the drafting of briefing that seeks to preserve issues for review.
Outside the courtroom he has been involved in firm-level matters and professional association activities tied to the regions where he practices. The combination of state and federal admissions informs how he assesses cases and prepares clients for the steps of litigation. He is currently a partner at Croessmann & Westberg and maintains a practice that emphasizes appellate and federal-court work.
