About James R.
James R. Owen grew up in Tennessee and took a direct route into the law. He earned a Bachelor of Science in political science from East Tennessee State University before moving on to the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, where he received his J.D. in 1997. He has spent his career practicing in the state that educated him.
Early in his legal life he concentrated on criminal defense matters. He is admitted to practice in Tennessee and before the Federal Circuit. That combination has allowed him to handle both trial-level criminal cases and matters that require appellate or federal court filings.
Outside the courtroom he has taken on organizational roles. In 2014 he joined the founding board of Friends of Knox County Recovery Court and served as the organization’s secretary. The group supports recovery court efforts in Knox County, and his board membership placed him in the mix of local criminal justice reform and support services.
Owen maintains professional training relevant to DUI and DWI work. He holds certification in DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He is a member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association, a membership he has held since 2014. He has also belonged to the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 1997. Those affiliations reflect a steady interest in defending clients charged with impaired driving and related criminal offenses.
He operates from the Owen Law Office. Over the years he has handled a range of criminal matters and DUI cases at the state level and filed in federal venues when necessary. He combines courtroom experience, field sobriety training and local court familiarity in his day-to-day work. His current practice concentrates on criminal defense and DUI/DWI matters.
