James Wagstaffe
James Wagstaffe is a partner in the San Francisco, California law firm of Kerr & Wagstaffe. He handles diverse litigation, emphasizing professional and governmental representation, legal ethics, First Amendment matters, and appeals.
Wagstaffe is a nationally known speaker on federal civil procedure and serves as an instructor at the Federal Judicial Center's "New Judges Workshops," educating newly-appointed federal judges on all aspects of federal procedure. He has more than 50 published and Westlaw cases including the widely-used Federal Civil Procedure Before Trial (TRG 2008 - Three Volumes), Removal and Remand; Commencing Actions in Federal Court, and "Much Ado About Doe Defendants," 5 Cal. Lawyer.
Wagstaffe authored Romancing the Room (Random House), a step-by-step guide to public speaking. Most recently, Mr. Wagstaffe was a contributing author to The Expert's Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do alongside fellow contributors Donald Trump, Larry King, and Ira Glass, among others.
He is also one of the most sought after First Amendment lawyers in the country. His First Amendment and media experience is exemplified by his successful defense of The New Yorker Magazine in the libel trial Masson v. New Yorker, 832 F. Supp. 1350 (N.D. Cal. 1993), aff'd 85 F.3d 1394 (9th Cir. 1996). He has successfully defended numerous broadcasters, newspapers, and magazines at trial, including The San Francisco Chronicle and Billboard Magazine.