Jim Fitzgerald

Jim Fitzgerald

Founding Partner

Jim Fitzgerald started his law practice in 1975 and founded The Fitzgerald Law Firm in 1982 with the cornerstone belief of finding truth and justice. By focusing exclusively on working with severely injured clients and families who have lost loved ones, Jim has developed a national reputation for delivering extraordinary results, holding the record for the highest number of verdicts ever upheld on appeal in the Wyoming Supreme Court for personal injuries and wrongful death.

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With decades of experience, Jim Fitzgerald represents people in complex damages cases in the areas of Products Liability resulting in catastrophic injuries and death, Workplace Liability, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, and Wrongful Death.

His trial record includes numerous multi-million-dollar jury awards and several records for jury verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. Jim has been trial counsel in nearly half of the million-dollar verdicts in the history of Wyoming. He holds the record for both the largest injury verdict and the largest wrongful death verdict ever upheld on appeal in Wyoming.

Getting large verdicts is one thing. Upholding them on appeal is another, requiring meticulous preparation, finding evidence and presenting it at trial, and a sense of what needs to be in the record of the trial. Jim has devoted much time and energy to building cases that withstand appeal.

After working his way through the University of Wyoming, Jim attended Army Officer Candidate School, ranking in the top ten percent of his class, served in Vietnam, and was awarded two Bronze Stars, the Army Commendation Medal, and a Letter of Commendation. After that, he graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law.

Jim became interested in trial practice while in law school and worked with a trial lawyer in Denver, gaining his first insights into product liability cases. Jim’s passion for helping injured people go to trial against large corporations grew from that experience.

Jim started his law practice in 1975 and founded The Fitzgerald Law Firm in 1982 with the cornerstone belief of finding truth and justice. By focusing exclusively on working with severely injured clients and families who have lost loved ones, Jim has developed a national reputation for delivering extraordinary results.

In 2020, Jim was invited to be a part of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®, a distinctive invitation-only membership given to lawyers who have litigated cases with at least $2,000,000 at stake.

Jim is a member of several other exclusive trial lawyer organizations including the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers, and the Inner Circle of Advocates, an organization limited to 100 of the top plaintiff lawyers in the country. In order for a lawyer to be admitted into any of these groups, they must be nominated anonymously – without their knowledge – by peers and recommended by judges.

Jim has made more than 100 presentations on various trial topics to members of the trial bar throughout the United States and has been an instructor at the Gerry Spence Method since 2000. Jim is one of a distinguished group of attorneys who have been listed in Best Lawyers in America® for twenty years or longer.

Over the decades, Jim has adapted to the times to continue to provide top-tier legal services to clients from all over the U.S. and abroad. In 2015 he was joined in practice by his son, Michael, who has brought a new depth of knowledge and ability to the firm.


Admitted

  • 1975, Wyoming and U.S. District Court, District of Wyoming
  • 1976, U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • 1979, U.S. Supreme Court
  • 1993, Colorado State Bar
  • 2001, U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

Member

  • America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®
  • National Trial Lawyers: Top 100
  • The National Trial Lawyers Association: Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyers in Wyoming
  • American Association for Justice
  • Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association
  • Inner Circle of Advocates (President, 2000 to 2001)
  • Colorado Trial Lawyers Association
  • American Board of Trial Advocates
  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • American College of Trial Lawyers
  • International Society of Barristers
  • National Board of Trial Advocacy
  • The American College of Board Certified Attorneys
  • Wyoming State Bar

Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers in America©, 1987 – Present
  • Mountain States Super Lawyers®, 2007 – Present
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Lawyers in America
  • Lawdragon Hall of Fame, 2022
  • Irish Legal 100
  • Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent Top Peer Review Rating
  • Wyoming State Bar 2019 Pro Bono Award for Legal Service for Indigent Clients

Inner Circle of Advocates

American Board of Trial Advocates

Trucking Trial Lawyers Top 10

Lawdragon Hall of Fame

International Academy of Trial Lawyers

National Board of Trial Advocacy

Martindale Hubbell

The National Top Trial Lawyers Top 100

American Institutes 10-Best Attorney Badge

Americas Top 100 High Stakes Litigators

Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum

Super Lawyers Top 10

Best Lawyers Jim Fitzgerald 2024