Jim Walden learned early that success comes through resilience and hard work while growing up in working-class Levittown, Pennsylvania. Despite an abusive father who abandoned the family when Jim was 14, he graduated near the top of his class while distinguishing himself in debate. His two years in the U.S. Navy’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps earned him dozens of commendations, foreshadowing a lifetime of public service.
It wasn’t easy for Jim to get to college. He spent a year working multiple jobs—from drugstore clerk to fast-food worker—sleeping on a friend’s floor while saving for his education until a friend helped him find a college where he’d earn financial aid. At Hamilton College, he excelled academically, winning awards for public speaking and campus service, and played rugby. He went to Temple University law school on an academic scholarship and graduated first in his class. He secured a coveted clerkship with a federal appellate judge in Philadelphia, Anthony Joseph Scirica.
Champion of Justice: Federal Prosecutor
As a criminal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice, Jim quickly earned a reputation for innovative strategies that made him the go-to prosecutor for FBI and DEA agents, as well as NYPD officers. Focusing on organized crime, his investigations led to more than 100 convictions—including members of all five New York crime families and one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. He helped to solve 25 cold-case homicides. His groundbreaking work was featured in National Geographic’s “Inside the American Mob.”
Fighting for New York’s Future
Jim built one of New York City’s premier litigation boutiques over a decade, while maintaining an unwavering commitment to public service law. Across his 20+ year career in private practice, his “good government” work has touched many corners of city life:
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Fought for safer schools by forcing the Department of Education to protect bullied schoolkids
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Secured $250 million for emergency repairs and better living conditions for over 400,000 NYCHA residents
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Protected public spaces by stopping illegal parkland transfers in Manhattan and Brooklyn
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Defended voting rights by successfully challenging gerrymandered district maps
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Restored vital food assistance to impoverished New Yorkers
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Protected hundreds of thousands of city retirees from healthcare cuts
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Saved emergency care in Southern Brooklyn when SUNY wanted to close a critical hospital
Beyond the Courtroom: National Impact
Jim’s influence extends far beyond New York City. He represented the whistleblower whose testimony got Russia banned from the Olympics. Then he drafted a federal law to let U.S. courts combat doping in international sports, earning him a spot on Russia’s “banned persons” list. His work exposed corruption in New Jersey’s $11b tax incentive program when he served as Special Counsel to a task force set up by Gov. Phil Murphy. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Jim drafted legislation to make New York a “sanctuary state” for reproductive care workers, building a coalition of activists and celebrities to support abortion rights.
In response to current crises, Jim has taken strong stands. He called for legislative action after George Floyd’s murder, supporting a “truth and reconciliation” commission. He drafted the “Fentanyl Victims Justice Act of 2024” to support affected families; and championed transgender rights in the workplace.
Family and Community
While building this career over 30 years and running a thriving law practice, Jim has remained devoted to family and community. He and his wife raised three children in Brooklyn, while financially supporting his sister and her four children. His commitment to public service extends to philanthropic work across numerous issues, and service on an array of not-for-profit boards, demonstrating that success means lifting others as you rise.
Jim’s story—from a challenging childhood to becoming one of New York’s most effective advocates for justice—embodies the spirit of our city: resilient, innovative, and deeply committed to helping others succeed.
