James W. McConkie

James W. McConkie II is a civil rights and personal injury Utah lawyer. In 2017 he and his law partner Bradley Parker created the Refugee Justice League, a non-profit organization of attorneys and other professionals offering pro-bono help to refugees who have been discriminated against on the basis of their religion, ethnicity, or national origin.

McConkie grew up in New York City and London, England. He holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the S. J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. Following his graduation, he joined the staff of U. S. Congressman Gunn McKay (D. Utah), eventually becoming Chief of Staff. In 1977 McConkie was appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney in the State of Utah and successfully prosecuted criminal cases. He left the office in 1980 to run for Utah Attorney General.

He has been an adjunct professor teaching constitutional law at Westminster College.

He has taught Church History and New Testament courses for Brigham Young University’s Division of Continuing Education for over 15 years with his wife, Judith. They coauthored Whom Say Ye That I Am: Lessons from the Jesus of Nazareth. He is the author of Looking at the Doctrine and Covenants Again for the Very First Time and has published in BYU Studies.