About James
James Thomas built a foundation in the humanities before turning to law. He earned a B.A. in English from the University of West Georgia in 2005, then completed an M.A. in English at Kansas State University in 2009. He graduated from Emory University School of Law in 2012 with a J.D. awarded with honors.
After law school he was admitted to the Georgia bar in 2012, and later gained admission in North Carolina and South Carolina in 2017. Those admissions opened the door to practice across three state systems. Early in his career he joined criminal defense circles in Georgia and took on trial work that emphasized courtroom procedure and witness preparation.
Thomas has combined courtroom practice with teaching. In 2017 he served as adjunct faculty and mock trial lawyer-coach at the University of South Carolina Upstate. That role had him coaching students on trial technique and helping prepare teams for regional competitions. The teaching work complements his litigation practice; it keeps trial skills sharp and informs how he prepares testimony and cross-examinations.
His credentials include specialized training in impaired driving detection. He holds NHTSA Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement certification and NHTSA DUI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing certification as an Impaired Driving Specialist. Those certifications inform his handling of DUI evidence, field testing challenges and related procedural issues.
Thomas is active in professional organizations. He has been a member of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Georgia State Bar since 2012. He joined the North Carolina State Bar and the South Carolina State Bar in 2017. He is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 2020 and joined the DUI Defense Lawyers Association in 2022. He also belongs to the South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
In practice he concentrates on criminal defense work, including DUI cases and contested matters that require courtroom experience. He maintains an office in Spartanburg and handles matters that arise in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. His casework combines courtroom advocacy, technical review of impaired-driving procedures and coaching witnesses for trial preparation. He currently focuses his practice on DUI and criminal defense in those three states.
