INTERVIEWS / James Wang / INJURY, DEFENSE AND COMMUNITY
How does a lawyer earn trust when life goes wrong?
James Wang grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and worked in accounting before becoming a lawyer. In these answers, he discusses gang involvement as a teenager, his return to education and how accounting informs his work with losses and evidence. With clients facing injury or criminal accusations, he emphasizes explaining the process and its uncertainties rather than promising an outcome. This written interview was completed in October 2026.
Finding a different direction
Q:How did coming to the U.S. at ten and staying to study shape you?
I arrived in the U.S. at ten. When my parents returned to Taiwan, I remained. Responsibility was not a virtue learned in the abstract; it was part of daily survival. I learned that no institution or individual was obligated to rescue me from my circumstances. That realization made self-reliance a conviction.
Belonging was not conferred by birthplace or surname. It had to be built through diligence, education and service to the community that became my own. I wanted more than simply to live here; I wanted to earn my place in the community.
Q:What helped you leave gang life and turn toward education?
I do not speak of those years with pride, but I do not conceal them. What made the change possible was reclaiming a sense of direction. Education offered an avenue to write a different ending to my story. The streets offered an immediate sense of significance, but one that was ultimately destructive.
Young people may join gangs in search of belonging, protection or recognition. A fourteen-year-old without supervision or affection can make catastrophic choices with limited tools. The distinction between circumstance and character has informed my defense work. I know how narrow the distance can be between the life I left and the life I lead now.
From accounting to law
Q:Why move from accounting into law, and what stayed with you?
UCLA was my first choice, but I was not admitted. I began economics at UC Irvine, transferred after two years and completed business economics at UCLA. Later, at Deloitte, KPMG and PwC, I learned how value and loss are recorded. I wanted to advocate, not only audit. I completed Southwestern Law School's accelerated program in twenty months and took the bar exam in 2006.
That accounting discipline remains useful. An injury claim involves medical expenses, lost earnings and future care. I examine how those losses are calculated and what the documents support. Accounting taught me precision; law gave me a way to advocate for the person behind the numbers.
Q:What did you bring from large accounting firms into a community practice?
I carried forward meticulous preparation, documentary rigor and responsiveness. At Deloitte, KPMG and PwC, work for clients including Fortune 500 companies taught me how complex matters are organized and staffed. A client's confidence has to be earned through work, not assumed.
But I wanted a practice rooted in the community. I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, first Alhambra and then Walnut. Many immigrant families navigate an unfamiliar legal system in another language. When I opened my office in 2006, I wanted rigorous analysis and personal attention to be available together.
Records and communication after an injury
Q:What do people overlook in the first days after a crash?
People may speak before understanding the full extent of an injury, delay medical evaluation or accept a quick settlement in exchange for a release. Injuries that seem minor may become clearer later. A release can settle claims that the person does not yet fully understand.
Photograph the vehicles, scene and visible injuries. Obtain the police report and witness names. Preserve medical records, bills and communications. Keep a contemporaneous record of pain, missed work and changes to daily life. Seek advice before making decisions with lasting consequences.
Q:How do you earn trust when a client is frightened or distrustful?
Trust is accumulated through candor, especially when candor is uncomfortable. Injured plaintiffs and accused defendants can arrive frightened, angry and suspicious about whose interests a professional serves. I explain delays, uncertainties and outcomes I cannot guarantee.
I distinguish between what I can promise and what I cannot: work, preparation, accessibility and honesty, never a verdict. Returning calls, knowing the file and remembering the person's circumstances matter. Clients can forgive adversity more readily than being misled.
How a community’s expectations change
Q:How have clients’ expectations in the San Gabriel Valley changed?
When I opened in 2006, many immigrant families approached the legal system with apprehension, uncertain of their rights or unsure a lawyer would understand their language and circumstances. Today's clients arrive informed: they have researched rights, compared practitioners and spoken with friends.
They expect language access that is substantive, transparent explanations and prompt communication. Families also run businesses, hold property and face complex questions across generations. What remains important is that people feel understood, not just linguistically but in their circumstances.