James A. H. Bell

More than fifty five years ago, a second-year law student strongly suggested that James (Jim) A.H. Bell apply to law school at the University of Tennessee.  At that time, Bell was a recent graduate from East Tennessee State University, having earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Criminology.  The person making that suggestion was a future United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, James Russell Dedrick.  Bell promptly enrolled at the University of Tennessee College of Law in the spring of 1971.  He was back in his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, with no job, no income, no scholarship, nor any other means to obtain his degree.  Help came in many forms in those days, and one person who reached out to help was soon-to-be-nationally famous criminal defense attorney Robert W. Ritchie.  Bell, along with Gary Wade, the future Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, hooked up with Ritchie in a celebrated case through the law school’s legal clinic, where Ritchie taught at the time.  As a result of that case, Bell earned a job for the remainder of his time in law school as an investigator with Ritchie’s firm.  At that time, the firm consisted of Bob Ritchie and Joseph M. Tipton, a future Chief Judge of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals.  That relationship ultimately developed into a partnership in the firm Ritchie, Tipton & Bell after Bell graduated from law school, took and passed the bar exam, and was sworn in as a lawyer in 1974.  As Bob Ritchie noted three decades later when Bell was profiled in the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers publication “For the Defense,” “Jim hit the ground running when he obtained his law license …. and has never stopped once since.” To be sure, Bell hit the ground running.  Among his achievements, Bell has been named to the Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers in the Southeast, Best Lawyers in Tennessee, Best Lawyers in Knoxville, and many other such lists.  When asked about being named to these “best lawyers” lists, Jim responds that it is indeed an honor and privilege to be recognized each year by judges and his colleagues.  He goes on to say, “every new year I am inspired to continue to receive these recognitions in the future, as last year’s wins in the courtroom really don’t count in this year’s statistics. “ Bell has gained national recognition not only as a trial lawyer, but also as a presenter for national bar association groups.  His presentation evaluations put Bell in the category of one of the most highly-sought presenters on trial issues.  Jim has presented for decades for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National College for DUI Defense, the National Child Abuse Defense and Resource Center, the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, and other state and national groups.  Bell has also lectured to members of the American Association for Justice (formerly the National Trial Lawyers) and various state bar association groups throughout the United States.  He has been invited for repeat presentations in many jurisdictions after his presentations to state and local bar associations.  Additionally, Bell has been a frequent presenter/guest lecturer at virtually all of the law schools in Tennessee and has assisted many students with mock jury trial presentations. Bell has also made his presence known through his participation in state and national bar associations:  He is a past-President of the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; he served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for nearly twenty years, serving as Parliamentarian for an unprecedented three terms; and he is an invited Fellow in the prestigious American Board of Criminal Lawyers. He is the recipient of the highest award to a member of the bar from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Robert J. Heeney Award, given annually to the one criminal defense attorney who best exemplifies the goals and values of the Association and the legal profession. Likewise, he is the recipient of the highest award to a member of the bar from the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Joe B. Jones Award, given periodically to the one criminal defense attorney who best exemplifies the goals and values of the Association and the legal profession. To highlight and summarize his bar association accomplishments over nearly five decades would be a feat that is outside the scope of this article. He is an invited Fellow in the prestigious American Board of Criminal Lawyers, and an invited Member of the National Child Abuse Defense and Resource Center. And, finally, as Paul Harvey says, “now – the rest of the story . . . .” at least as far as it relates to white collar criminal defense and pharmaceutical crimes.  Mr. Bell fancies himself a trial lawyer, and is quick to point out that in his career, he has tried to verdict, litigated to judgment, or had a contested hearing in over 1,200 criminal, civil, and/or administrative cases in virtually every county in Tennessee and in states stretching from California to Puerto Rico.  In the early 1980’s, white collar prosecutions became a focus of various government agencies all across the country.  Many of those prosecutions came about because of a plethora of new congressional legislation which targeted conduct that was formerly considered in the realm of a “business decision” and standard operating procedure.  A good example is the regulation of pharmaceutical distribution and the requirement that “pedigrees,” essentially a chain of custody, be prepared and maintained.  Around 1985, Mr. Bell began to represent more and more professionals for wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering crimes.  By the end of the 1980’s, Mr. Bell had several celebrated trial victories, including some in federal court, as the result of acquittals for his white collar clients.  His reputation grew not only as a skilled trial lawyer, but also as a lawyer who is able to quickly become knowledgeable about his clients’ businesses in order to represent them to the fullest.  In sum, Bell and his legal team are able to uncover facts not known to or overlooked by the prosecutors.  On many occasions, this evidence has resulted in a case not being prosecuted.