Attorneys

JAMES E. BUTLER, JR.   A.B. Journalism, 1972, University of Georgia; J.D. cum laude 1977, University of Georgia .  Member, Georgia Law Review; Best Oralist, Southern Moot Court Competition; Winner, Richard B. Russell First Year Moot Court Competition; Winner, Herman E. Talmadge Second Year Moot Court Competition; Member, National Moot Court Team; Woodruff Merit Scholar (full scholarship).  Author, Hospital Liability for Physician Negligence in Georgia: A Realistic Approach, 37 Mercer L. Rev. 701 (1986); Jones v. State Farm: Effectuating Legislative Intention, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (1981); Jones v. State Farm, The Insured's Perspective, Georgia State Bar Journal (August 1982).  Co-Author, What's A Human Life Really Worth: Recovering Damages For Decedents' Non-Economic Loss In Georgia Wrongful Death Actions, 7 Ga. St. L. Rev. 439 (1991); The Bench As A Battleground: The Discovery System Is Broke and Only Judges Can Fix It, The Verdict (May/June 1992); The Boundaries of Zealous Advocacy: Properly Representing Consumers Against Corporations and Their Tactics, 31 Tort & Insurance Law Journal 977 (1996).  Member of the Georgia Board of Natural Resources, 1998-present; Chairman, Environmental Protection Committee, 2000; Chairman, Wildlife Resources Committee, 2001.  During and since his term on the Board of Natural Resources, Jim has been active regarding conservation issues, particularly water, speaking and writing for publication frequently.  President, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, 1988-89, Vice-President, 1983-86; Member, Amicus Curiae Committee, 1981-83, Chairman, Special Jones Committee, 1982-83; President, Columbus Trial Lawyers Association, 1986.  Member, Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Public Faith & Confidence in the Judiciary; Member, State Bar of Georgia Disciplinary Board Review Panel, 1993-96; Member, Board of Directors, Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, 2002-2006; Member, Board of Trustees, Twin Cedars Youth Services Foundation, 1997-2005; Member, Board of Directors Roosevelt Warm Springs Rehabilitation Development Fund, 2002-2006; Member, Alabama Trial Lawyers Association; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Trial Lawyers for Public Justice; The Order of Barristers; Certified Civil Trial Advocate; National Board of Trial Advocacy.  Former Member, Chattahoochee Valley Land Trust.  Recipient, State Bar of Georgia Tradition of Excellence Award, 2002; American Board of Trial Advocates Civil Justice Award, 1993.  Admitted to practice in Georgia and Alabama .  Jim worked as a newspaper reporter from the age of 15 until graduation from college, was active in politics, and then owned a construction company in Cumming, Georgia before starting law school.  Jim served as plaintiff's counsel in the original Jones v. State Farm case and as Amicus Curiae representative for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association in the argument of several successor cases before the Georgia Court of Appeals and Georgia Supreme Court.  Jim started his career handling business tort cases, some of which resulted in important decisions by the Georgia appellate courts dealing with tortious interference with contract, conversion, and wrongful deprivation of the use of property.  He has tried over 150 civil cases to verdict, and has won numerous verdicts over $100 million, over $10 million, and over $1 million in several states.  He has set the record for verdicts in Georgia on four separate occasions.  He has handled a variety of cases.  In fact, the Georgia record verdicts involved a medical malpractice case, a tractor trailer/negligent entrustment case, a products liability case, and a business tort case.