Growing up in working-class Levittown, Pennsylvania, Jim Walden learned early that success comes through resilience and hard work. Despite an abusive father who abandoned the family when Jim was fourteen, he graduated near the top of his class while distinguishing himself as a nationally ranked debater. 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.
Before attending Hamilton College, Jim spent a year working multiple jobs—from drugstore clerk to fast-food worker—sleeping on a friend’s floor while saving for his education. At Hamilton, he excelled academically, earned honors and awards for public speaking and campus service, and played rugby for three years. He went on to Temple University School of Law, where he earned an academic scholarship and graduated first in his class, securing 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 investigative strategies that made him the go-to prosecutor for FBI and DEA agents, as well as NYPD officers. Focusing on organized crime, his work led to scores of convictions—including members of all five New York crime families—and helped solve 25 cold-case homicides. His groundbreaking work was featured in National Geographic’s “Inside the American Mob.”
Fighting for New York’s Future
Over nearly 10 years, Jim has built one of New York City’s premier litigation boutiques while maintaining an unwavering commitment to public service. Across his 20+ year career in private practice, his “good government” work has touched many corners of city life:
- Fought for safer schools by taking on the Department of Education’s failure to protect bullying victims
- Secured emergency repairs and better living conditions for over 400,000 NYCHA residents
- Protected public spaces by stopping illegal parkland transfers in Manhattan and Brooklyn
- Defended voting rights by successfully challenging gerrymandered district maps
- Restored vital food assistance to impoverished New Yorkers
- Protected hundreds of thousands of city retirees from healthcare benefit cuts
- Saved healthcare 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 drafted federal legislation to combat Olympic doping fraud—now law—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 New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, he drafted legislation to make New York a “sanctuary state” for reproductive care workers, building a coalition of activists and celebrities to support the cause.
In response to current crises, Jim has taken strong stands: calling for legislative action after George Floyd’s murder, including support for a “truth and reconciliation” commission; drafting the “Fentanyl Victims Justice Act of 2024” to support families affected by the fentanyl crisis; and championing transgender rights.
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.
