John Allman – Investigator
Many of the investigators at the James Hoyer Law Firm have strong backgrounds as investigative journalists. That’s because every case has facts that need to be uncovered and a story that must be told, and investigative journalists have a unique ability to do both in a powerful way. James Hoyer investigator John Allman recently shared his experience of making the transition from Investigative Reporter to Law Firm Investigator with two classes at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg.
John was asked to talk to students in the Cultural Studies in the Popular Arts class at USF’s St. Pete campus. This fall, the students studied fictional detectives throughout history, and their adjunct professor, Curtis Ross, a longtime former colleague of John’s from The Tampa Tribune, said he wanted them to hear what working life was like for a private investigator employed by a law firm.
John joined the James Hoyer law firm in July 2010 after spending 17 years working as an investigative journalist for newspapers in five states. He became a licensed private investigator in June 2010.
John discussed the differences between being a reporter and an investigator, and answered questions about the types of cases that he has been involved with, and also about the different techniques and technology that he uses to do his job.
Several students expressed an interest in pursuing a Florida private investigator’s license of their own after hearing John speak.
