Attorneys at Law
Doing what we can do well at affordable prices
Goul Owens Law Group
Barbara and Jim are retired Los Angeles County Counsel attorneys. In their retirement, they opened the Goul Owens Law Group in 2014. They take only the work they believe that they can do well and like to do. Jim's brother Andrew W. Owens, who is a retired Assistant County Counsel, and their close friend and Jim's law school classmate Joseph Vladimir Sliskovich, are "of Counsel". Together, they have over 150 years of legal experience.
About Us
Barbara Y. Goul, Goul Owens Law Group
Barbara was admitted to the California State Bar in December 1983, after JD from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and her BA from Loyola Marymount University where she graduated cum laude. She also has been admitted to the United States District Court, Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of California.
Barbara worked for the Office of the Los Angeles County Counsel from 1985 until retiring in February 2014. Her legal expertise includes contract drafting and advice, legislation, and training and advice on the Political Reform Act, Government Code section 1090 et seq., AB 1234 ethics, the Brown Act, and Robert's Rules of Order.
Prior to joining the County Counsel's Office, Barbara worked as a law clerk and Associate Attorney for Lanak and Hanna, a Law Corporation, representing material suppliers in all aspects of civil litigation.
Barbara served as elected Board member and President of the ABC Unified School District Governing Board from 1985-1989.
Barbara was raised in Cerritos and lives in Long Beach with her husband James Owens, who is also a retired County Counsel, and their two children.
bygoul@golawgroup.net
James M. Owens, Goul Owens Law Group
James received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California in 1975, where he graduated cum laude and his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in 1978. He joined the Los Angeles County Counsel in April of 1979. His first assignment was in the Dependency Division representing the Child Protection agency and abused and neglected children in dependency and adoption hearings and appeals.
in 1986, James transferred to General Litigation where he represented the County of Los Angeles in a wide variety of civil cases in both state and federal courts, including the defense work in the civil cases brought by the McMartin defendants against the District Attorney and the Sheriff. For twelve years, he was the Legal Advisor to the Sheriff Sherman Block handling a myriad of issues relating to jail operations.
In 1999, James transferred to the Dependency Division as a supervising attorney developing a training program for attorneys and social workers. In 2004, he became an Assistant County Counsel managing the day to day operations of the Dependency Division, which grew to 118 attorneys and 45 support staff. He retired from County Counsel in 2014.
James was raised in San Pedro and lives in Long Beach with his wife and partner Barbara Goul, who is also a retired County Counsel, and their two children.