James A. Gibbons

James A. Gibbons is a local native who was born and raised in Avoca, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Scranton Prep in 1975, Jim attended the University of Scranton and graduated in 1979 with a B.S. in Human Services. He then graduated from the Seton Hall University School of Law in 1982, and returned home to practice. He served as a law clerk to Judge Richard P. Conaboy in federal district court in Scranton from 1982-1984.  He then joined the Scranton firm of Bour, Gallagher, Foley & Cognetti, practicing civil and criminal defense work from 1984-1987.  From 1987-1993 Jim was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania during which time he prosecuted criminal and civil cases on behalf of the federal government as well as defending civil cases brought against the government, its agencies and employees.

In 1993, Jim left the government and joined the Scranton office of Michael H. Roth, PC, and continued his litigation-oriented practice on behalf of injured parties and other clients until 2000, when he started The Gibbons Law Firm, with his wife Kelly serving as his administrative assistant.  Since 2004, Jim has concentrated on Alternative Dispute Resolution of cases, i.e., mediation, arbitration, early settlement evaluation, and other techniques designed to bring about resolution of cases without the expense of litigation. In 2005, Jim was elected Magisterial District Judge in Lackawanna County, and serves 12 municipalities across the northern tier of the County in his Court.

Jim is certified as a mediator by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and is regularly appointed as a mediator and arbitrator by the Court as well as the Courts of Common Pleas in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Perhaps the greatest compliment Jim receives is that his colleagues in both the defense and Plaintiff’s bar regularly choose Jim to mediate and arbitrate cases. Over the last several years, Jim’s success rate in mediations exceeds 90%.