Best Lawyers® Recognizes Seven Jordan Ramis Attorneys for 2025 Edition
August 15, 2024
Jordan Ramis PC is thrilled to have seven of our attorneys recognized in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers in America®.
James D. Howsley
Shareholder
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OVERVIEW
Land use law is not only Jamie Howsley’s career, but his passion. Jamie had the great fortune of growing up around land use and eventually following in the footsteps of his father, who was a respected planner and land use attorney. This unique upbringing provided a basis to understanding the evolution of the regulatory environment surrounding land development.
A land use attorney is an integral part of any development team and Jamie prides himself on being a dedicated professional who knows how to navigate the myriad of complex rules and relationships encountered in land development. He is known for finding creative, cost-effective solutions to challenges that could hamper a project.
Jamie represents companies, developers, and builders throughout the Pacific Northwest. He is widely recognized for the depth and breadth of his knowledge of the law around real estate development. He has successfully represented clients in a range of complex land use/development projects, including advocacy for large scale master planned developments throughout Washington and Oregon, getting new land into urban growth areas, and working with local governments on complex and creative financing tools to build necessary infrastructure.
Jamie believes the private sector and local governments should work collaboratively to turn a community’s vision for growth into reality.
Jamie loves the chance to get out whitewater rafting, skiing, and exploring the Northwest with his family. Jamie is also passionate about music. He has a huge collection of music and frequently spends his evenings going to concerts or traveling for festivals.
Education
- B.A., History and Political Science, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, 1996
- M.A., Political Science, American University, Washington, DC, 1997
- J.D., Willamette University College of Law, Salem, OR, 2001
Admissions
- State of Oregon
- State of Washington
- US District Court, Western Washington and Oregon districts
Membership and Activities
- City of Camas Transportation System Plan Project Advisory Committee (2022–Present)
- Clark County Buildable Land Advisory Group (2019–2021)
- Metro Portland Home Builders Association, Board Director and Past Chair of the Government Relations Committee (2018–2022)
- City of Vancouver Strategic Plan Oversight Committee, Member (2017–2022)
- Clark County Project Delivery Stakeholder Group, Member (2017–2022)
- Washington State Bar Association Real Property and Probate Trust Section, Real Property Council Director (2017–2019)
- Oregon Home Builders Association, Board Director (2017–2019, 2021–Present)
- Columbia River Mental Health Services, Board of Trustees (2009–Present), President (2015–2016)
- Building Industry Association of Washington, Legal Committee
- Building Industry Association of Clark County, Board Member and State Director to BIAW
- Clark County Development Engineering Advisory Board (DEAB 2009–Present)
- Multnomah Athletic Club, Land Use Committee (2022-Present)
- Clark County Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Southwest Washington Contractors Association
- CREDC, Lands for Jobs Committee
- Greater Vancouver Chamber
- Rotary Club of Vancouver
Awards and Honors
- “Top 10 Most Influential Oregon Real Estate & Land Use Lawyers in 2023,”Business Today
- “2022 Industry Advocate of the Year,” Building Industry Association of Clark County
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Real Estate Law, 2021-2025
- Chambers & Partners, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 (First Tier)
- “Associate Appreciation Award,” Building Industry Association of Washington, 2020
- “Protection of Industry” Award, Building Industry Association, 2014
- Portland Business Journal 40 Under 40 award winner, 2014
- Washington Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2011–2014
- “Industry Advocate of the Year” Award, Building Industry Association, 2013
- “Protection of Industry” Award, Building Industry Association, 2013
- Daily Journal of Commerce Leadership in the Law Finalist, 2012
- Martindale Hubbell® AV Preeminent® Attorney
Presentations
- “Resolving Boundary Disputes,” Oregon Boundaries, Easements and Rights-of-Way Seminar, Half Moon Education Inc., March 22, 2024
- Co-Chair, 27th Oregon Land Use CLE, The Seminar Group, Portland, OR, December 7-8, 2023
- “Reimaging the Built Environment: Where Development May Be Headed in the Coming Decades,” Oregon Land Use CLE, The Seminar Group, Portland, OR, December 7, 2023
- “Practicing Before the Washington Growth Management Hearings Board” (with Nathan Smith, Kutak Rock), BIAW Legal Committee, Cle Elum, WA, November 7, 2023
- “New Construction Symposium: New land use legislation and potential impacts on new construction” First American Title Company, Vancouver, WA, September 12, 2023
- “The Tale of Two States: A perspective of a developers attorney practicing in Washington and Oregon” (with Jordan Ramis Attorney Jeff Kapp), Washington State Real Property Mid-Year, Walla Walla, WA, June 3, 2023
- “Hearings in a Hybrid and Virtual World: Stories from the Trenches and Tips,” Oregon Land Use CLE, The Seminar Group, Portland, OR, December 1, 2022
- Co-Chair, 26th Oregon Land Use CLE, The Seminar Group, Portland, OR, December 1-2, 2022
- “Project Development in Rural Areas,” Law Seminars International International Growth Management Act Conference, September 22, 2022 (held virtually)
- “Senate Bill 5042 on Vesting and GMA Update Implications Building Industry,” Association of Washington Legal Committee Stevenson, WA, June 2022
- “Remotely Relevant: Legal Issues on Remote Hearings for State Legislatures,” Building Industry Association of Washington Legal Committee, Seattle, WA, November 2021
- Moderator HBA Build Right Conference Session on Portland Residential Infill Project presented by Morgan Tracy, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
- “2020 GMA and Land Use Case Law Update,” Law Seminars International, November 2020
- “Hearings in the Time of COVID: An Applicant Attorney’s Aspect,” Hearing Examiners Association of Washington’s 2020 Annual Conference, October 2020
- Co-Moderator, HBA, PMAR, NAIOP, BOMA, and PBA Virtual Member Meet and Greet with Mayor Ted Wheeler, September 2020
- “Housing and Real Estate Post Closure,” Chicago Title Fidelity National Title New Construction Webinar Series, May 2020
- “Growth Management Cases and Annexation,” Building Industry Association of Washington Legal Committee Spokane, WA, November 2019
- “New Case Law Developments: Land Use and GMA Case Law Update” Law Seminars International Growth Management Act Seattle, WA, November 2019
- Panelist, “Land Supply Panel,” Association of Washington Business 2019 Housing Forum, July 2019
- Moderator, BIA of Clark County Legislative Lunch Review, June 2019
- “Land Use in Washington State,” Lower Columbia Associations of Realtors, June 2019
- “Entitlements and Title: The Intersection of Land Use Issues in Real Estate Transactions, How to Identify and Resolve,” Washington State Bar Association 2019 Real Property, Probate and Trust Section Midyear Meeting and Conference, June 2019
- “Resolving Boundary Disputes,” Boundaries and Easements Halfmoon Seminar, April 2019
- “Land Use Case Law Update,” Washington State Bar Association Environmental and Land Use Law Section Midyear Meeting and Conference, May 2018
- Moderator of Building Industry Group of Clark County and Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Legislative Lunch with Senators and Representatives from 17th, 18th, and 49th Legislative Districts, Vancouver, WA, May 2018
- “The Developer Perspective on Housing,” The Seminar Group Oregon and Southwest Washington’s Housing Crisis, Presenter and Chair, February 2018
- “Hot Topics in Land Use and Growth Management,” Washington State Bar Association Real Property Fall Seminar, December 2017
- “Challenges to Clark County’s GMA Updates,” Building Industry Association of Washington, November 2017
- “The Big Picture and Development Game: Land Use Primer,” Thurston County Realtors Association, October 2017
- Moderator of Building Industry Group of Clark County and Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Legislative Lunch with Senators and Representatives from 17th, 18th, and 49th Legislative Districts, Vancouver, WA, July 2017
- “Development Agreements: Will the 21st Century be About Negotiated Zoning,” Building Industry Association of Washington Legal Committee
- Moderator of Building Industry Association of Clark County and Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Legislative Lunch with Senators and Representatives from 17th, 18th, 20th and 49th Legislative Districts, Vancouver, WA, April 2016
- “The State of Vesting: Recent Developments in Washington’s Unique Vesting Rules,” Washington State Bar Association, December 2015
- “Oregon v. Washington: Whose Land Use System Wins?” The Seminar Group, Oregon Land Use Law Seminar, December 2015
- “Land Use Law in Washington State,” Chicago Title & Fidelity School of Real Estate, October 2015
- “Attorney Survivor,” Chicago Title & Fidelity School of Real Estate, October 2015
- Moderator of Building Industry Association of Clark County and Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Legislative Lunch with Senators and Representatives from 17th, 18th, 20th and 49th Legislative Districts, Vancouver, WA, July 2015
- “The Development Game: Securing Land Use Permits for Real Estate Development Deals and Sales,” 2015 Real Property, Probate, and Trust Mid-Year Meeting, Washington State Bar, June 2015
- Oregon City Attorneys Association, Attorneys Spring CLE Seminar “The Oregon Municipal NPDES System – What to Expect Based on Washington’s Experience,” May 2015
- “The Other Green Building: Marijuana and Real Estate in Oregon,” Urban Land Institute Northwest, April 2015
- Cleanwater and Stormwater Conference Panel, Seattle, WA, April 2015
- Washington State Bar Real Property, Probate, and Trust Section, CLE “The Development Game: Land Use Process, Tricks, and Traps for The Unwary Real Estate Attorney.”
- The Seminar Group, Stormwater Law & Regulation in Washington State CLE, “2013–2018 Phase I NPDES Permit: What is in the permit, what were all of those appeals about, what happened with the appeals and what is next?” Seattle, WA, June 25, 2014
- Building Industry Association of Washington, Legal Trust Committee CLE “Phase I Permit Appeals,” Seattle, WA, April 24, 2014
- Moderator of Building Industry Association of Clark County and Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Legislative Lunch with Senators and Representatives from 17th, 18th, 20th and 49th Legislative Districts, Vancouver, WA, April 16, 2014
- Clark County Association of Realtors Growing Clark County, “Where We Have Been and Where We Headed,” Vancouver, WA, January 16, 2014
- Building Industry Association of Washington Legal Trust Committee CLE, “2013–2018 Phase I Stormwater Permit: What it Does and Why the Appeals?” Semiahmoo Resort Blaine, WA, November 8, 2012
- Building Industry Association of Clark County and Southwest Washington Contractors Association Lands for Jobs Forum, “The Development Game: Timeframes and Other Considerations for Development,” Vancouver, WA, October 3, 2012
- Law Seminars International, “Statutory Takings in Washington and Oregon-Taking the Initiative: Would Washington Benefit from New Statutory Takings Law Given Oregon’s Experience?” Seattle, WA, May 30, 2012
- Washington Department of Commerce (formerly CTED), “Processing the Process: The Legal Basis of Planning in Washington State,” Washington Short Course on Planning Locations for Washington Department of Commerce, August 11, 2010
- Miller Nash In-House CLE, “Greenhouse Gases: Climate Change, the Law and You,” Portland, OR, February 24, 2009
- Washington Department of Commerce (formerly CTED), “Processing the Process: The Legal Basis of Planning in Washington State,” Washington Short Course on Planning Locations for Washington Department of Commerce, November 5, 2008
- Sterling Educational Services, Fundamentals of Real Estate Development CLE, “Navigating the Public Approval Process,” Vancouver, WA, September 21, 2006
- Sterling Education Services, Fundamentals of Real Estate Development CLE, “Fundamentals of Real Estate Development CLE,” Vancouver, WA, September 13, 2005
RESOURCES
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