James Philip Plitz was born and raised in central New Jersey.  He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the College of New Jersey, and attained his Masters in Business Administration from Lehigh University.

For the next 10 years, James worked as a project manager for a number of fortune 100 companies.  Despite his success in this area, James felt unfulfilled and wanted a profession where he could make a difference.  This desire led him to move to Arizona to pursue a career in law.

James graduated magna cum laude and at the top of his class with his Juris Doctorate from the Phoenix School of Law, and attained the 2nd highest score on the February 2011 Arizona bar exam. During school, he also enjoyed great success and honors as part of the Phoenix Law Review – both as an editor and a contributing writer.

James worked as an intern at MHK during his time at the Phoenix School of Law. Upon his completion, he was welcomed into the firm as one of the attorneys. James is pleased to join Morris, Hall & Kinghorn in their endeavors to protect the estates of each client, providing them with the peace of mind they deserve.

James feels that everyone should have justice, and thus intends to volunteer his services for various pro bono endeavors – ensuring that justice is possible even for those who cannot afford legal services. He also volunteers his time and provides resources to support dog rescue and adoption with the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

James and his wife, Fatima, reside in Glendale and recently welcomed their first child and son, Remy.

Areas of Practice

• Estate Planning
• Business Succession Planning
• Business Planning
• Pet Trusts
• Charitable Giving
• Probate
• Trust Administration

Bar Admissions

• Arizona, 2011
• New Mexico, 2011

Education

• Phoenix School of Law, Phoenix, Arizona
  • Juris Doctor (Magna Cum Laude) – 2010
• Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
  • M.B.A. – 2004
  • Major: Finance
  • Major: Entrepreneurialism
• The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey
  • B.S. – 1996
  • Major: Accounting

Published Works

• Manage What Matters: Project Management Tools to Grow a Legal Practice, Phoenix Law Review, 2010

Honors and Awards

• Managing Editor, Phoenix Law Review Vol IV
• Strategic Operations Editor, Phoenix Law Review Vol III
• Governor Raul Castro Scholarship for Academic Excellence, 2010 – Present

Professional Associations and Memberships

• American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, 2011 – Present
• State Bar of Arizona, 2011 – Present
• Maricopa County Bar of Arizona, 2010 – Present
• American Bar Association, 2011 – Present
• Inn of Courts, Lorna Lockwood, 2009 – Present
• State Bar of New Mexico, 2011 – Present

Past Employment Positions

• Scottsdale Prosecutor’s Office
• Travelers Insurance Company
• Prudential Financial