Jim has been practicing since 1968, concentrating in all areas of family law, criminal defense and personal injury. He graduated from Middlebury College (AB 1965) and Boston University (LLB 1968). In addition to routinely serving as an Acting Judge in the Chittenden District Court, he has served on the Bar Commission for the Unified Court and on the Chittenden County Family Court Advisory Committee. He also served as Chairman of the Vermont Bar Association's Family and Criminal Law Committees. He is an active member of the Vermont Bar Association, the Vermont Trial Lawyers Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and is past President of the Vermont Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He lectures frequently on family and criminal law matters and provides divorce mediation in selective cases.

Education

Middlebury College, AB 1965
Boston University, LLB 1968
Certified Early Neutral Evaluator, U. S. District Court 1999

Bar Admissions

Supreme Court of the State of Vermont, 1968
United States District Court, District of Vermont, 1968
United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 1976
United States Supreme Court, 1972

Affiliations

Chittenden County and Vermont Bar Associations
Vermont Trial Lawyers Association
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Vermont Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Past President);
County Court and Family Court Advisory Committee
Parker Commission for Unified Courts of Vermont
Selected by peers to be included in the 2003-2010 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® in the specialties of Family Law and Criminal Law
Selected by Law & Politics and his peers to be included in the 2007-2008 editions of "New England Super Lawyers and Rising Stars" in the specialty of Family Law
Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers

Practice Areas

Family Law
Notable Cases:

Zalot v. Bianchi, custody relocation, Vermont Supreme Court Docket No: 2005-411 (2006)

DeLozier v. DeLozier, permanent alimony entitlement - 161 Vt. 377, 640 A.2d 55 Vt. (1994)

Victor v. Victor, first Vermont case involving pensions - 142 Vt. 126 453 A.2d 1115, Vt. (1982)

Justis v. Rist, termination of alimony - 159 Vt. 240, 617 A.2d 148, Vt. (1992)

Estabrook v. Estabrook, trust estate as a marital asset - Vermont Supreme Court Docket No: 97-538 (1999)

Criminal Defense (State & Federal)
Notable Cases:

State v. Lawton, sexual assault and prosecutorial misconduct - 164 Vt. 179, 667 A.2d 50, Vt. (1995)

State v. Patnaude, Constitutional challenge to Rape Shield Law - 140 Vt. 361, 438 A.2d 402, Vt. (1981)

State v. Reardon, possession of ecstasy - Vermont Supreme Court Docket No: 03-541 (2004)

State v. Chenette, medicaid fraud - 151 Vt. 237, 560 A.2d 365, Vt. (1989)

Plaintiff’s Personal Injury