Jim Lofton Adjunct Professor of Law

Phone: 540-458-4847

Email: jlofton@wlu.edu

Office: Judges' Chambers, Lewis Hall

Areas of Expertise/Classes Taught

Trial Advocacy Practicum

Education

BA, Virginia Military Institute

JD, University of Richmond

About

James Lofton spent nearly 30 years as an attorney for the U.S. government. Most recently, he was the Assistant Chief Counsel for Airports & Environmental Law at the Federal Aviation Administration. As part of his duties at the FAA, Jim directed the legal training program for the Office of Chief Counsel, providing legal training for approximately 200 FAA lawyers nationwide. Previously, Jim spent 26 years at the U.S. Department of Justice trying and managing complex cases in federal court. He continues to teach trial advocacy and public speaking at the Justice Department's National Advocacy Center.

Jim's teaching experience is varied. In addition to teaching at government agencies, Jim has completed a number of assignments outside the United States, including a year as an Atlantic Fellow in Public Policy at Cambridge University; two semesters as a Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Professor of Law at the State University of Tetova and South East European University in North Macedonia teaching trial advocacy and rule of law in 2021-22; a semester teaching as a Fulbright Scholar at the Bilkent University School of Law in Ankara, Turkey, and a semester as a Legal Specialist with the ABA Rule of Law Initiative teaching trial advocacy at five law schools in Ukraine.

As a Justice Department trial attorney, Jim received numerous awards, including the General Counsel's Award from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, several gold medals from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Justice Department's John Marshall Award, the Department's highest award for contributions and excellence in legal performance. In 2015, he was named the Government Attorney of the Year by the American Bar Association Section on Environment, Energy and Resources.