James R. LaytonOn July 13, Jim Layton of Tueth Keeney will join University of Missouri Law School Professor Emeritus Carl Esbeck speaking about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer. The event at the United States Courthouse is sponsored by the Federal Bar Association, the Federalist Society, and the Federal Practice Committee of the U.S. District Court. Jim, formerly Missouri’s Solicitor General, argued the case for respondent Comer in the Supreme Court in April. Professor Esbeck has devoted much of his career to legal issues involving religion. See announcement.
James Layton leads the firm’s Appellate practice group and is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Employment & 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.