Millennium Magazine_2ndEd

260 MILLENNIUM-SECOND EDITION W ith a background in criminal and civil rights cases and experience in both state and federal courts, James D. Montgomery has maintained prominence in the legal field. Throughout his career, Mr. Montgomery has appeared in many trials across the United States. His dedication to right the wrongs of the world and defend civil rights inspired him to establish James D. Montgomery & Associates, a firm that manages high-profile and complex civil litigation in both federal and state courts. He had the opportunity to serve on the case of Hanrahan v. Hampton following the murder of Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton and Black Panther leader Mark Clark during a Chicago police raid. He also successfully challenged de-facto school segregation and compensation differences between African- American and other full-time substitute teachers in the Chicago public school system. Before becoming the successful lawyer he is today, Mr. Montgomery earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois. He began his legal career in 1956 at Rogers, Rogers, Strayhorn & Harth and two years later was granted the opportunity to serve as an assistant U.S. attorney for the northern district of Illinois. After his entrance into private practice, he became a partner in the firms of Montgomery, Holt and Bolden; Newman, Kipnis and Montgomery; and the Law Offices of Montgomery and Holland. In 1983 he made history as the first and only African-American to hold the position of corporation counsel for the city of Chicago under Mayor Harold Washington. Mr. Montgomery has shared his expertise as a lecturer on trial and litigation techniques with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, DePaul University, the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Harvard Law School, and the University of Chicago. His biography, titled “Full Circle Race, Law and Justice, Inside My Life,” became available in 2018. JAMES D. MONTGOMERY PRESIDENT James D. Montgomery & Associates, Ltd. Chicago, IL