About James

James Hawkins is the founder of Hawkins Law, a Calgary firm that practices exclusively criminal defence across Alberta at both the trial and appellate levels. He has represented clients from many professions, including doctors, lawyers, teachers, police officers and oilfield workers, in matters ranging from routine charges to complex, high-profile cases. James earned his J.D. from Queen's University in 2010 on an accelerated timeline, studying International Criminal Law at Queen's International Study Centre in the U.K. and earning a certificate in Public International Law, and later pursuing further studies in Public International Law and International Criminal Law at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. He began advocating for incarcerated individuals in his second year of law school through the Correctional Law Project, appearing before the Parole Board of Canada, and later articled and practiced with a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto, gaining experience up to the Supreme Court of Canada. James is a member in good standing of the Law Society of Alberta and the Law Society of Ontario.

Practice areas

Criminal Defence

Education & credentials

Law school
Queen's University
Other degrees
Certificate in Public International Law, Queen's University International Study Centre (U.K.)

Listing compiled from public sources in July 2026. Confirm James Hawkins’s licence and standing in the Law Society of Alberta directory ↗