AWESOME ATTORNEYS
INDEPENDENT EDITORIAL · FIRM PROFILES · TUCSON, ARIZONA
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING NOTICE. This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys’ editorial team. It was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed prior to publication by the firm profiled. All case results, recoveries, and recognitions described below are attributed to their sources. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter. This article is for general information only and is not legal advice; reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship.
The Solo Practitioner Who Also Ran the Pima County Bar Association
James B. Penny has practiced personal injury and wrongful death law from a solo Tucson office since 1993 — while also serving as President of the Pima County Bar Association, on the State Bar of Arizona’s Board of Governors, and chairing the Bar’s Client Protection Fund.
BY THE AWESOME ATTORNEYS EDITORIAL TEAM · TUCSON, ARIZONA · JULY 2026
LAW OFFICE OF JAMES B. PENNY — AT A GLANCE
| FOUNDED BY | James B. Penny, who began practicing in Tucson in October 1993 |
| FOCUS | Plaintiff-side personal injury and wrongful death: car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, and train accidents; medical malpractice and hospital negligence; assault claims |
| OFFICE | 333 N. Wilmot Rd., Ste. 340, Tucson, Arizona |
| CERTIFICATION | State Bar of Arizona Certified Specialist in Injury and Wrongful Death, since 2008 |
| LEADERSHIP | Past President, Pima County Bar Association; former member, State Bar of Arizona Board of Governors and Arizona Trial Lawyers Association (Arizona Association for Justice) board of directors; former Chair, State Bar Client Protection Fund |
| DISTINCTIVE EDGE | A genuine one-attorney solo practice with 30+ years of continuous, injury-only casework rather than a multi-attorney firm |
Sources: jpennylaw.com (firm website), Avvo, the Tucson Metro Chamber directory. Compiled July 2026.
ORIGIN
Three Decades in One Solo Practice
James B. Penny has focused his practice on injury and wrongful death representation since arriving in Tucson, beginning in October 1993. Rather than growing into a multi-attorney firm, Penny has remained a solo practitioner for more than 30 years, building his caseload around car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, and train collisions, medical malpractice and hospital negligence, and assault-related injury claims. The State Bar of Arizona’s Board of Legal Specialization designated Penny a Certified Specialist in Injury and Wrongful Death in 2008.
Alongside his own casework, Penny has taken on substantial leadership roles within the Arizona legal profession: he has served as President of the Pima County Bar Association, on the State Bar of Arizona’s Board of Governors, on the board of directors of the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association (now the Arizona Association for Justice), and as Chair of the State Bar’s Client Protection Fund — a body that reimburses clients harmed by attorney theft or dishonesty.
PRACTICE
A Focused, Solo Injury Docket
Penny’s practice covers the standard range of Arizona personal injury matters, with his own materials specifically listing car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, and even train and plane accident claims, alongside medical malpractice, hospital negligence, nursing home negligence, and assault-related injuries. As a solo practitioner, every client’s case is handled directly by Penny rather than passed to associates — a structural trade-off common to solo practices, offering direct attorney access at the cost of the larger staffing bench a multi-attorney firm can offer.
TRACK RECORD
The Results Board
Penny’s public materials do not include an itemized settlement or verdict table. Awesome Attorneys did not locate published case results specific to his practice.
| CATEGORY | WHAT’S PUBLICLY DOCUMENTED |
|---|---|
| Case results | Not itemized publicly; no published settlement or verdict table located |
| Practice tenure | Continuous solo injury and wrongful death practice since October 1993 (32+ years) |
| Specialist certification | State Bar of Arizona Certified Specialist, Injury and Wrongful Death, since 2008 |
Sources: jpennylaw.com. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter; every case is unique.
CLIENT VOICE
What Clients Report
One reviewer, identifying themselves as a fellow attorney who referred family members to Penny, wrote that they could recommend him “without hesitation” as “an exceptional personal injury attorney.” Another client, describing an insurance-related question they raised with Penny, said he “called me personally” and “didn’t charge me to listen” even though he was unable to take on the specific issue, calling the experience “an outstanding trait.” Awesome Attorneys did not locate negative or critical reviews of Penny in its research.
COMMUNITY
Beyond the Courtroom
Penny and his wife Julie support the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson and The Sanctuary Project, a local dog rescue organization. Penny also volunteers with Southern Arizona Legal Aid and was honored as its Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney of the Month in March 2002; in 2007, he was selected as one of the state’s Top 50 Pro Bono Attorneys. He has also lectured on uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and HIPAA-related insurance issues.
RECOGNITION
Peer Standing
Penny’s State Bar of Arizona Certified Specialist designation in Injury and Wrongful Death, held since 2008, is a genuine, individually earned credential. His leadership record — Pima County Bar Association President, State Bar Board of Governors, Arizona Trial Lawyers Association board — reflects sustained standing within the broader Arizona legal profession, not just self-promotion within his own practice. Awesome Attorneys did not find a Super Lawyers or Best Lawyers listing, or an AV Preeminent Martindale rating, for Penny specifically.
THE LAW
The Arizona Backdrop, in Plain English
Readers considering a personal injury claim in Arizona should understand a few ground rules. What follows is general information, not legal advice.
The two-year clock. Arizona’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims is generally two years from the date of injury (A.R.S. § 12-542).
Suing the government is faster and stricter. Claims against Arizona public entities require a formal notice of claim within 180 days (A.R.S. § 12-821.01) and a lawsuit within one year (A.R.S. § 12-821).
Fault is shared, not all-or-nothing. Arizona follows pure comparative negligence (A.R.S. § 12-2505): an injured person’s recovery is reduced by their percentage of fault, but not eliminated even if they were mostly at fault.
Minors get more time. The limitations clock is generally paused for minors and people of unsound mind until the disability ends (A.R.S. § 12-502).
ASSESSMENT
The Awesome Attorneys View
Penny’s genuine strength is the combination of a real State Bar specialist certification with an unusually deep record of institutional leadership — Pima County Bar Association President and State Bar Board of Governors service reflect standing built over decades among his fellow attorneys generally, not just self-marketing to prospective clients. His pro bono record, including a statewide Top 50 recognition, is independently verifiable and substantial.
The honest trade-off: as a genuine one-attorney solo practice, Penny does not have the staffing depth of a multi-lawyer firm, and his public materials include no case-results page, leaving prospective clients without a documented settlement history to review before their first consultation. For a client who wants to work with one attorney personally from intake through resolution, that trade-off may be a feature rather than a limitation.
METHODOLOGY & INDEPENDENCE
This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys’ editorial team in July 2026. Primary source: the firm’s own published website, jpennylaw.com. Secondary sources: Avvo and the Tucson Metro Chamber business directory. James B. Penny did not commission, pay for, or pre-approve this article. All claims are attributed to their sources; past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. This article is general information, not legal advice.
© 2026 Awesome Attorneys. Independent editorial. Sponsored placements on Awesome Attorneys are always clearly labeled; this is not one.
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