Jim McConkie

James W. McConkie grew up in New York City and London, England, and earned his law degree from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. After graduation, he joined the staff of U.S. Congressman Gunn McKay (D. Utah), eventually serving as Chief of Staff. In 1977, he was appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney in Utah, where he prosecuted criminal cases. He left that office in 1980 to run for Utah Attorney General before entering private practice as a founding member of Parker & McConkie. Over more than four decades, Jim has handled medical malpractice, trucking accidents, auto accidents, traumatic brain injuries, and wrongful death matters. Notable cases include a $52 million wrongful death verdict in 1992, a $10 million medical negligence verdict in 2000, a $13 million recovery for the State of Idaho against Eli Lilly in 2009 involving the drug Zyprexa, and a $13.5 million wrongful death settlement in 2020 for the family of Lauren McCluskey against the University of Utah. Jim was recognized by the Utah State Bar as Lawyer of the Year in 2020. He also taught constitutional law as an adjunct professor at Westminster College and co-founded the Refugee Justice League, a non-profit that provides pro bono legal help to refugees in Utah.