James R. Mason, Esq.

Since joining HSLDA to lead the litigation team in 2001, Jim has represented homeschooling families in a wide range of challenging situations and has set precedents that have expanded freedom for the homeschool community. Under Jim’s leadership, HSLDA’s 4th Amendment litigation work has changed the way three states (North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico) approach social services investigations. In Wilson v Russo, HSLDA won a $700,000 settlement for our client, a single parent whose children were wrongfully seized by a rogue child protective services investigator.

Jim was instrumental in litigating the 2008 California case Jonathan L., in which a state appellate court reversed its previous ruling that homeschooling was illegal. This put an end to years of controversy over the legal status of homeschooling in California and set a precedent that affects other states as well.

Jim became the president of HSLDA in 2022 after serving as vice president of litigation and development for seven years. In addition to penning many of the most popular articles in HSLDA’s Home School Court Report magazine, Jim has written columns for National Review, Newsmax, the Sacramento Bee, and the Press-Enterprise (Riverside, California). Jim also serves as the president of HSLDA Action and board chairman of ParentalRights.org and ParentalRightsFoundation.org.

Before coming to HSLDA, Jim represented numerous right-to-life groups in campaign finance cases and clerked for an appellate court judge in Oregon. He graduated with highest honors from Regent University School of Law in 1996. Jim is a veteran of the US Navy and served on active duty in Operation Desert Storm.

Jim and his wife Debbie live in Stephenson, Virginia. They have seven children and six grandchildren. The Masons homeschooled all of their children through high school. In his spare time, Jim is an avid bird watcher.