James W. Ewert is CNPA’s legal counsel and legislative advocate. He advocates on behalf of CNPA before California’s Legislature on issues relating to freedom of information, media access, workplace relations, advertising, workers’ compensation and the environment. Ewert has been successful in getting legislation passed prohibiting the attachment or insertion of hate literature in newspapers, and another requiring candidates for state office to electronically file campaign finance information and to report that information online.

He is currently working on two pieces of legislation: one to protect college and university publications from censorship and the other to prohibit the theft of freely distributed newspapers.

Ewert is an editor of The Reporter’s Handbook on Media Law, and a regular contributor to the CNPA Legislative Bulletin and California Publisher.

Ewert operates CNPA’s legal HelpLine, which provides general legal assistance to publishers and staff members at CNPA-member newspapers who are often confronted with a broad array of legal issues. He trains newspaper personnel and speaks to many organizations about freedom of information, fair housing, advertising, wage and hour and other issues that affect newspaper operations.

Ewert taught government and history classes and coached football and wrestling at Alhambra High School in Southern California for 10 years before becoming an attorney. He also is a former high school newspaper adviser. Prior to joining the staff at CNPA, Ewert worked as a litigation attorney specializing in construction defect law, insurance defense and worker’s compensation for the law firm of Nouskajian & Cranert in South Pasadena.

Ewert is married and has two daughters.