Mr. Howard served in that capacity until 1995 when he returned to private practice, establishing JW Howard/Attorneys to bring his combination of major corporate transactional experience and litigation skill to other companies. Since that time he has assisted dozens of companies in creating structures that prevent claims; efficiently litigating those that cannot be avoided and negotiating protective agreements that mean disputes never arise.
At the same time as Mr. Howard was assisting corporate clients with protective transactions and litigation defense, he became nationally known as a Constitutional litigator in the trial courts, representing counties and states in disputes with the federal government and numerous plaintiffs whose First Amendment rights had been threatened. His cases in this area were profiled in Time, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, The Los Angeles Times, CNN, Fox News and many others.
Mr. Howard has been recognized as a “Preeminent Attorney” by Martindale Hubbell and has received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Who’s Who and has been listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Law for more than 25 years. He has been listed as a “Top Attorney” by Marquis Who’s Who as well as by San Diego Magazine among the “Best Attorneys in San Diego”.
“John Howard is a man of massive integrity, and there’s not many like him.”
Michel Anderson
San Diego Union-Tribune,
September 16, 2004
Mr. Howard is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, in philosophy and history. He received his law degree from California Western School of Law and completed the University of California Hastings Law School College of Advocacy. He is a member of the Enright Inn of Court of the American Inns of Court.
For twenty years, he served as an arbitrator appointed by the San Diego Superior Court and as an Administrative Law Judge for employment disputes for the City of Los Angeles in 1994-95.
Mr. Howard served as chairman of the Indigent Defense Advisory Board by appointment of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in capacity he was responsible for the creation of the first public defender office in San Diego County.
He was also appointed by the Mayor Roger Hedgecock as chairman of the Public Arts Advisory Board of the City of San Diego. His work on that board resulted in the establishment of San Diego’s first Commission for Arts and Culture.
Mr. Howard has also served on the boards of numerous charitable organizations and has been recognized both by the State Bar of California and the San Diego Volunteer Lawyers Program for exemplary service to the profession.
When he is not defending clients, John enjoys writing essays on political philosophy, Constitutional history, politics, travel, preparing haut cuisine, collecting (and tasting) fine wine, historical research, reading philosophy, collecting fine art, symphony, theatre and branding cattle in spring roundup.
