James W. Ewert is Legal Counsel and Legislative Advocate for the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA), a trade association whose members include approximately 700 daily and weekly newspapers in California. He operates a legal helpline for CNPA members, including campus newspapers, seeking legal assistance on a broad array of newspaper related issues.

Ewert also advocates on behalf of CNPA before California's legislature on issues relating to freedom of information, media access, workplace relations, advertising, worker's compensation and the environment.

Ewert has been successful in getting legislation passed and signed into law which protects college and university newspapers from censorship, prohibits the theft of freely distributed newspapers, prohibits the attachment or insertion of hate literature in newspapers, allows public access to summary criminal history information and requires state and local agencies to disclose information regarding a child who dies as a result of abuse or neglect.

He is currently working on legislation that would guard against journalism advisers being disciplined for protecting student speech, prohibit public agencies from entering into confidentiality agreements that block public access to government information and require the State Fund, a quasi-public agency, to comply with state open meeting and open record laws.

Prior to his present position, Ewert represented clients in construction defect, insurance defense and worker's compensation matters for the law firm, Nouskajian & Cranert in South Pasadena.