About Decker Law.

James Decker is an appellate attorney and founder of Decker Law. Prior to starting his own firm, James was a partner at a boutique real estate and business litigation firm in Orange County, and before then he served as lead attorney for a mid-size firm’s appeal and complex motion practice group. 

James attended law school at Chapman University School of Law, where he graduated with cum laude distinction. He also served on the Chapman Law Review and earned CALI awards (i.e., top class grade) in several courses.  

As an attorney, James’s expertise and passion is legal research and writing. It is these skills, in fact, that distinguish appellate attorneys from other litigators. Whereas a trial attorney tries to persuade a jury through oral advocacy (witness examinations and closing arguments, for example), an appellate attorney must convince a panel of judges through written advocacy (specifically, a well-researched and succinct brief). 

As is common with the practice of appellate law, James handles appeals and writs arising from a variety of cases. Appellate attorneys are often described as subject matter “generalists,” because their expertise is not in any single practice area (e.g., bankruptcy or personal injury), but rather in the complex procedural arena of appellate law. Decker Law is exclusively dedicated to this niche practice area, which sets the firm apart from the many firms who only sometimes handle appeals and writs.