J. Brian Watkins

About J. Brian Watkins

Accounting Program Lead Professor at Brigham Young University Hawaii with nine years of teaching experience preceded by a litigation career in Southern California. My specialization is teaching financial accounting with incorporation of as much information technology as possible, including advanced Excel and VBA. Both my M.Acc and J.D. were from Brigham Young University-Provo where I completed a joint degree program in 1993. My academic research is focused on the efficacy of software tools to provide individually-tailored problem sets to accounting students as I believe the instant feedback of a system that can detect where a student lacks understanding will make homework and study more meaningful and helpful to undergraduate-level students. Recently took and passed CPA exam and am now a licensed CPA-5825 in the State of Hawaii and remain active as a member of the California State Bar,#166048. My CPA work is done in my own name under license in Hawaii FPTP-1233. My litigation experience specialized in construction and real estate litigation, including related issues such as regulatory compliance, prevailing-wage claims, ADA defense and both debtor and creditor representation in Chapter 7, 11 and 13 bankruptcies in the Central District of California. My wife and I have five daughters and four sons. As of June 2020, we have six grandsons, two granddaughters and another grandchild on the way.

Experience

1. Accounting Program Lead Professor

   Brigham Young University–Hawaii

   Aug 2018 — Present · Laie, HI, US

   Licensed as CPA in the State of Hawaii since August 2019. Active member of California State Bar, CSB 166048.

Education

• J. Willard Marriott School of Management, Brigham Young University

  B.S. & M.Acc, Accounting with specialization in Tax

  1993

• J. Reuben Clark School of Law, Brigham Young University

  J.D., Law

  1990 — 1993