Pursuing Private Practice
With a background in prosecution that brought him into the thick of some of the most impactful human trafficking cases in Colorado, James Bornhoft now has a new vantage point in private practice as owner of Bornhoft Law in Hot Springs.
Bornhoft studied finance at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville before completing law school at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
“Both my parents were attorneys, and I always found it to be a noble profession and endeavor,” he said. “It’s one of the few jobs where you can get paid to help people, so I was naturally interested in it for those reasons.”
He got his first taste of trial law on the national trial team at Sturm.
“My coach on the team was a prosecutor, and that naturally got me interested in it because I knew I wanted to be in the courtroom,” Bornhoft said. “I knew I wanted to do trial law, and that’s kind of really where my first interest in it started.”
He went on to intern at a district attorney’s office in Boulder, Colorado, before spending five years as a district attorney himself. He was a member of a special victims unit and served as human trafficking prosecutor for his
jurisdiction.
The work put him in close contact with organizations such as the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement agencies. In addition to working on investigations, he taught classes at detectives and citizens academies. He also tried one of the first digital pimping cases in Colorado.
Emerging technology has changed both the investigation methods and the nature of such crimes, he said, but the biggest shift has been in handling of victims.
“These women are victims of people that are subjecting them to a different form of slavery,” he said. “I really think that understanding has led to people being more willing to come forward, which has led to, obviously, being able to prosecute quite a few more of these individuals.”
Bornhoft moved into private practice three years ago, after returning to Arkansas to be closer to family. At Bornhoft Law, his practice areas include criminal defense, family law, personal injury and estate planning.
He said he enjoys safeguarding the rights of his clients while practicing criminal defense. His background in prosecution helps inform that work, he added, since he has an understanding of how investigations are conducted and what prosecutors are looking for to prove a case.
“It really gives you an edge when you know what they need, what they don’t have, especially when crafting a defense for an individual,” he said. “I mean, it’s huge. It’s kind of akin to seeing behind the veil.”
The first year was tough, he said, and he had to learn quickly the aspects of running a practice attorneys are not taught in law school — everything from getting the phone and email systems up and running to developing a strategy for advertising and marketing.
He said he enjoys the freedom that comes with having his own practice, but what he likes most is getting to meet new people and help solve their problems.
“Every day, I meet somebody new. Every day, I get to know a little bit more about somebody’s story and help them out with a problem, effect some sort of positive change in their life.” he said. “For me, that’s truly
rewarding.”
Bornhoft is fast becoming a renowned attorney in Hot Springs and said he delights in opportunities to be involved in the local community. He is a member of the local Rotary Club, as well as the Garland County, Arkansas, Colorado and American bar associations.
This year, he was named a “Mid-South Rising Star” by Super Lawyers.
He said he hopes to continue growing Bornhoft Law, and additional locations are not out of the question.
“We certainly want to just keep growing our practice, growing our business and continually making ourselves bigger, leaner, more efficient,” he said. “That way, we can continue to serve the state of Arkansas and hopefully have more locations throughout the state to do the same.”
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