James R. LaytonJim Layton will join University of Missouri Professor Carl Esbeck on Thursday, July 12, in speaking about a religion case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 4, 2018: Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The program is a sequel to one presented last year by Jim and Professor Esbeck regarding Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comey, which Jim argued in the U.S. Supreme Court. During his tenure as Missouri’s Solicitor General, Jim represented the Missouri Human Rights Commission””the Missouri counterpart to the Colorado Commission whose action was challenged in Masterpiece Cakeshop. This year’s event is subtitled “Questions Answered and Unanswered” because of the narrow scope of the Supreme Court’s recent decision. The program will be held in the en banc courtroom of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. It is sponsored by St. Louis Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, and co-sponsored by the Bar Associations of Metropolitan St. Louis and of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
James Layton leads the firm’s Appellate practice group and is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Labor, and Education groups. He assists clients with analysis and presentation of complex legal issues in Missouri and federal courts, both trial and appellate. In addition to handling cases himself and with other attorneys at Tueth Keeney, Jim consults with clients on appellate strategy and assists other counsel in high-stakes, complex appeals.
Jim has briefed and argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and before all Missouri appellate courts””including more than 90 cases before the Missouri Supreme Court. He has represented clients in U.S. district courts and in Missouri circuit courts from Jackson County to the City of St. Louis. He has extensive experience with government-related litigation and state taxation disputes. Jim is a fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, a past president of the Bar Association of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and a past chair of the American Bar Association’s Council of Appellate Lawyers. He is a frequent speaker in the areas of appellate practice and constitutional law, both state and federal.
Appellate Practice – Tueth Keeney lawyers have briefed and argued hundreds of appeals, including appeals in all Missouri and Illinois state and federal appellate courts and in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Appellate Practice Group represents clients on a wide range of issues impacting businesses, individuals, government entities, and educational institutions. Tueth Keeney attorneys are also available to contribute their considerable experience (including more than 90 arguments before the Missouri Supreme Court) to appeals handled by others””strategizing, assisting with briefs, and preparing for oral argument.