James Klock

James Klock is a candidate for Lafayette City Court Judge, Division B. He currently serves as an Assistant District Attorney and felony supervisor at the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Office in Lafayette Parish. In addition to his work as a trial attorney, James is an educator, serving as an Adjunct Instructor of Business Law at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

 

A graduate of the LSU Law Center, James earned his Juris Doctorate and a Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law while becoming the first student in the university's history to complete a joint JD/Master's in Finance in just three years—the timeframe typically reserved for a law degree alone. During law school, James earned awards for the highest grades in Torts, Louisiana Civil Procedure, and Louisiana Constitutional Law.

 

As an undergraduate at LSU, James earned an economics degree in International Trade & Finance. During his education, he held positions as a student government president, a student member of the Louisiana Board of Regents, as well as a law clerk in the Governor's office and in a state senator's law practice.

 

James began his career as a contract public defender in Lafayette City Court while building a solo firm focused on criminal defense, family law, immigration, and general civil law. His criminal defense practice expanded to felony public defense contracts in Vermilion and Lafayette Parishes before closing his private practice to serve as a full-time Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana.

 

In 2022, James was sworn in as an Assistant District Attorney in Lafayette Parish. While he mainly prosecutes felonies in the district court, James also returns to his "home court" at Lafayette City Court to prosecute conflict cases for the State.

 

Throughout his career, James has remained active in the community, serving in both professional and civic leadership. While a current member of the Lafayette Bar Association and the American Inns of Court of Acadiana, James has served the legal profession as a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association House of Delegates and the Assistant District Attorney's Board for the Louisiana District Attorney's Association.

 

James is presently a board member for the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette and his past community service includes board membership for TownFolk Inc., a Fightinville neighborhood association, membership on the I-49 Lafayette Connector Advisory Group, and as a Community Advisor Board member for Junior League of Lafayette. James is a new member of both the Krewe of Bonaparte and the 705.