As a trial lawyer, Jim’s philosophy on litigation is based on integrity and hard work for his clients. Jim strives to fight for justice on behalf of those people harmed and always acts with a sense of urgency to hold wrongdoers accountable.
During his time at Clifford Law Offices, Jim has worked on a vast variety of complex and catastrophic cases for those whose lives have been forever impacted. He has worked on matters which include toxic tort injuries, roadway injuries involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles, premises liability injuries, sexual abuse claims, civil rights violations, and wrongful death matters. Jim recently tried a seven-week case where his team obtained a verdict of $5.6 million for a union worker who died from mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure.
Over the past several years, Jim has proudly worked to achieve just compensation for his clients, including securing numerous multi-million-dollar settlements. For example, Jim secured a $5 million settlement for a truck driver who suffered severe injuries when he was hit by a concrete truck. Jim achieved a $6 million settlement for the family of a jail detainee who died from an untreated sinus infection. Jim also obtained a $7.25 million settlement for the family of a disabled adult who died in an assisted living facility. To see his results in greater detail, please see James C. Pullos case results.
As a lifelong resident of Chicago, Jim prides himself on hard work and standing up for what is right. After law school, Jim served fourteen years in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office where he proved to be an accomplished litigator in all aspects of trial work in the Illinois and federal trial courts and appellate courts. During this time, he routinely worked on complex matters, including wrongful death, highway negligence, civil rights, labor and employment, medical deliberate indifference/medical negligence, class-action, criminal and other significant tort matters.
Jim’s hard-work, judgment, and successful results earned him recognition and trust by his colleagues, his bosses, as well as the Cook County State’s Attorney culminating with his promotion to lead two of the most complex and busiest litigation practice groups in the Civil Actions Bureau as Supervisor of the Torts and Civil Rights Division and Supervisor of the Labor and Employment Division.
As a supervisor for six years, Jim actively litigated high-profile matters across a broad spectrum of legal issues as well as trained and mentored a staff of attorneys appearing on hundreds of state and federal lawsuits involving tort, civil rights, and labor and employment law. Prior to joining Clifford Law Offices, Jim most recently worked as a managing trial attorney for a national insurance company.
Jim has tried more than 50 cases to verdict and hundreds of bench trials and hearings in federal and state courts. In addition to his broad trial work, Jim also proved himself to be a successful legal writer and appellate advocate where he has prepared numerous state and federal appellate briefs and presented oral arguments before the Seventh Circuit Court Appeals.
Throughout his career, Jim has distinguished himself with tireless investigation and persistence in an effort to earn his clients the most just case resolution. He brings passion on behalf of those he serves and shares empathy with those victims of tragedy at all times.
Jim currently resides in the Beverly-Morgan Park neighborhood on Chicago’s Southside with his wife and three children.
- Supreme Court of Illinois
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana
- DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
- Juris Doctor – 2001
- Honors: Dean’s List
- Honors: CALI State Constitutional Law
- Honors: Certificate in Taxation
- Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- B.A., Bachelor of Arts – 1997
- Major: History
- Minor: Business Administration
- The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Chicago, Illinois
- Master of Business Administration – 2007
- Major: Economics and General Management
- American Bar Association
- Chicago Bar Association
- Illinois State Bar Association
- American Association for Justice
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
- CNA Financial Corporation, Chicago, Illinois, Assistant Managing Trial Attorney, Staff Counsel 2015 – 2017
- Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Chicago, Illinois, 2001 – 2015
- Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Chicago, Illinois, Supervisor, State and Federal Torts and Civil Rights Division
- Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Chicago, Illinois, Supervisor, Labor and Employment Division
- Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Chicago, Illinois, Torts and Civil Rights Division
- Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Chicago, Illinois, Criminal Prosecutions Bureau
- Named to the “2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” list
- Selected to Illinois Super Lawyers® list, 2023 – Present
- Best Lawyers® in America, 2020 – Present
- Leading Lawyer, Law Bulletin Media, 2020