James O’Shea, who is running for district attorney in Essex County, has many years of experience in the legal expression.
O’Shea, who just turned 50, passed the bar exam and took his oath of office in December, 1997. He started practicing law in 1998 and is now a partner in the Moris & O’Shea LLC firm. O’Shea has 24 years of experience in criminal defense and civil litigation, while his law partner, Halim Moris, is an immigration law expert.
O’Shea’s slogan for his campaign for district attorney is “Experience Over Politics.”
A graduate of Providence College and Suffolk Law School, O’Shea, who grew up in Lynn, has launched his campaign for the seat currently held by Essex County DA Jonathan Blodgett.
A Lynn Youth Hockey star
James O’Shea was once a Lynn Youth Hockey standout and he credits his experience as a player and a coach in the program for setting a strong foundation for his future endeavors in education, sports, and the legal profession.
“I played in Lynn Youth Hockey from the age of 3 because my older brothers (Billy played hockey at St. Mary’s; Steven played hockey at Lynn Classical) were out there and I couldn’t wait to get out on the ice,” recalled O’Shea. “I played Youth Hockey right up until high school.”
While a student in law school, O’Shea returned to Lynn Youth Hockey and coached in the program.
“I picked it back up and I coached Lynn Youth Hockey while I was in Suffolk Law,” said O’Shea. “I was coaching with a friend of mine, Terry Ward, and his brother, Jimmy Ward, and we coached their children. Coaching Lynn Youth Hockey was the best thing I ever did. I had an awful lot of fun.”
Working at
Gannon Golf Course
O’Shea earned a spot on the St. John’s Prep freshman ice hockey team.
“We had over 70 kids try out,” recalled O’Shea, who decided to not continue in the hockey program. “I ended up making the varsity golf team as a senior. That was the lone varsity experience for me at the Prep. John Gilmartin was our No. 1 golfer. When I was at the Prep, the best athlete hands down was Matt Cushing, a kid from Lynn. He was the captain of the football and hockey teams and is now a successful lawyer.”
Interestingly, O’Shea started at St. John’s as a 5-foot-6-inch freshman, but by the time his senior year rolled around, he was 6 feet, 3 inches tall.
“I used to go to Dan Driscoll’s hockey camp every summer in Peabody and he couldn’t believe how much I had grown,” said O’Shea. “The summer of junior year, I grew six inches and some of my classmates didn’t even know who I was when I came back as a senior.”
During high school, both O’Shea and Gilmartin worked at Gannon Golf Course under the leadership of head professional Mike Foster.
“Mike is one of my favorites all time,” said O’Shea. “I worked for Mike from the time I was 13 years old up until I went to college. I was a Valley rat kid. I was in the pro shop and parked golf carts.”
Family has been a
great influence
James is the son of Beverly (Gagner) O’Shea of Lynn and the late William O’Shea. His father, “Bill,” graduated in 1951 from St. Mary’s High School where he was an outstanding hockey and baseball player. Mr. O’Shea later played semi-professional baseball and graduated from Holy Cross in 1955. During his two years of service in the U.S. Navy, Mr. O’Shea played in the Naval Baseball League. He went on to earn his law degree and served with distinction in the profession for more than 50 years.
Mr. O’Shea served as a Lynn Youth Hockey coach and encouraged his children to participate in sports. He was a great role model.
“My father was a very good left-handed pitcher,” said James. “He always said he could throw the baseball through a brick wall, but the control was tough.”
James O’Shea and his wife, Tara O’Shea, have two daughters, Isabella, a senior at Boston University enrolled in the pre-medical program, and Jamison, a freshman at Northeastern University.
Participation in sports
was a positive experience
Looking back at his participation in Lynn Youth Hockey and other sports, James O’Shea said it was not only fun, but impactful.
“You derive a lot of great things from sports,” said O’Shea. “You derive your competitive instincts and your ability to be a team player. There’s just so many rewarding things that you can take from your experiences in any sport that you play. But hockey is my No. 1 love.”
James O’Shea will now take his competitiveness, leadership, and many years of experience in law into his exciting campaign for district attorney.