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Empire College Law School, Santa Rosa, California
J.D. Cum Laude

University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California
B.S. Applied Economics

Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, California
A.S. Administration of Justice

Academic Experience

I was hired at SRJC in December 2014.  I taught my first class in the 2015 Spring semester.

James (Jim) V. Sansone is a litigation and trial associate with Carl Mackie Power & Ross LLP (CMPR). Jim has been practicing in Northern California since 2006 and holds an AVVO rating of 9.3 (10.0 is the highest). Jim has successfully tried a wide variety of civil and bankruptcy legal disputes over his legal career in both State and Federal Court.  A persuasive and successful trial lawyer, Jim captures the respect of clients and judges alike.    

Prior to joining CMPR, Jim owned, operated, and managed a robust general civil litigation law firm (2009-2019). Litigating approximately 1,000 trials over this period, Jim was able to showcase his gift for being a tenacious, no nonsense, straight forward, bottom line attorney.  Jim’s clients value that he tells them the truth and doesn’t waste their time in order to increase billable hours.  Former clients of Jim have consistently praised his “superior knowledge of the law” and called him simply, “a bulldog.” 

Admitted to practice in California, Jim is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of California and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for 9th Federal Circuit, Jim has successfully litigated a broad range of legal issues through the judicial process, which include: bankruptcy adversary litigation on behalf of debtors and creditors; high-asset divorces, interstate and international custody disputes; real estate disputes including seller and broker misrepresentation, easements, landlord issues, boundary and title disputes; wrongful foreclosure litigation; construction industry matters including defect cases, mechanic’s lien and contract enforcement; business torts including misappropriation of trade secrets, fraudulent conveyance, interference with contract and business relations; employment claims involving discrimination, retaliation and harassment; disputes among partners, limited partners, trustee and beneficiaries; trust and estate disputes, including investment of trust assets; breach of fiduciary duty, undue influence, removal and surcharge of fiduciaries; and premises liability. 

Born and raised in Connecticut, Jim is an avid New England Patriots fan.  In his spare time, you can find him at the gym, watching movies, preferably ones with Robert DeNiro or Al Pacino, and hiking and camping with his family.

Professional Areas of Interest

Civil Litigation and Trial Practice, Business Torts, Labor and Employment Law, Real Estate Disputes

Professional Involvement and Community Service
  • Member, Sonoma County Bar Association
  • Member, Sonoma County Alliance
  • Ms. Sansone has been selected as a California Lawyer of Distinction © in 2016 for litigation and 2017-2019 for family and divorce law.  (Lawyers of Distinction Members have been selected based upon a review and vetting process by the Lawyers of Distinction Selection Committee utilizing U.S. Provisional Patent # 62/743,254. The platform generates a numerical score of 1 to 5 for each of the 12 enumerated factors which are meant to recognize the applicant’s achievements and peer recognition.)
Presentations and Publications

Co-Author, Granholm v. Heald: Are The Grapes Really Free?, Interstate Commerce Clause, United States Constitution, 1 Empire L. Rev. 25, 2006

Honors and Awards

California State Legislature Outstanding Scholastic Achievement Award

Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Professional Responsibility