History

J.R. Howell is a distinguished international human rights lawyer whose practice spans the United States, Canada, and Europe. As principal attorney at The Law Office of J.R. Howell, he brings a rare blend of constitutional litigation, global policy insight, and moral clarity to high-stakes matters—defending the rights of marginalized communities and advancing equity through both courtroom strategy and public advocacy.

A Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s International Human Rights Committee, J.R. is recognized for his leadership on emerging global legal issues, including reproductive freedom, privacy rights in the age of artificial intelligence, and Indigenous sovereignty. His litigation record includes multi-million dollar class actions, complex cross-border disputes, and precedent-setting victories in both trial and appellate courts.

Educated at The George Washington University, American University’s Washington College of Law (cum laude), and Université Paris Nanterre, J.R. is a transnational legal thinker whose work draws on international conventions, U.S. constitutional law, and practical experience across multiple systems of justice. His current caseload includes litigation involving unsupervised machine learning, AI-driven biometric surveillance, and IVF constitutional challenges under California’s Reproductive Privacy Act.

A frequent speaker and published author on international human rights law, J.R.’s work has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Bloomberg Law.

J.R. has practiced extensively in the federal system and is admitted to practice before the California Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Fourth Circuits. Additional admissions are available upon request.