James Brandenburg has litigated injury cases since 2008. He focuses on medical negligence, nursing home abuse and neglect, automobile accidents, police misconduct, unsafe premises, and workplace injuries, and his practice also includes divorce and child custody proceedings.
James spent ten years practicing in Chicago before returning to his roots in Carlinville, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. That combination, big-city litigation experience and a hometown practice, is what clients across Central Illinois get when they hire him: cases prepared as if they are going to trial, explained in plain language, by someone they will see at the grocery store.
The firm's largest published recovery, $1,705,000 in a medical negligence case, and its $700,000 slip and fall recovery reflect that preparation. James is admitted to practice in the federal courts for both the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois, where he has pursued civil rights claims against law enforcement under Section 1983.
Outside the office, James values time with his family and can be found supporting his daughters at basketball, volleyball, and soccer.
Awards & recognition
- America's Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys, 2024
Invitation-only honor limited to 100 personal injury attorneys per state. Selection weighs litigation experience, major verdicts and settlements, peer reputation, and community impact, and requires that a majority of the attorney's practice be devoted to injury work.
- Illinois Super Lawyers, 2021–2025
Chosen five consecutive years. No more than five percent of Illinois attorneys receive this Thomson Reuters recognition each year, based on statewide surveys, independent research, and peer review by practice area.
- Illinois Rising Stars, 2016–2018
Named three consecutive years. Awarded to no more than 2.5 percent of Illinois lawyers annually.
Admissions
- Illinois, 2008
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
Education
- Chicago-Kent College of Law, Juris Doctor
- Illinois State University, Bachelor of Science