James Fitzsimmons

Jim is the youngest of five competitive kids raised by great parents on a small family farm in Western Iowa. On the family farm, Jim learned the value of faith, family, hard work, and working as a team. Jim’s dad and mom taught him that almost any obstacle can be thought through and overcome.

Jim and his wife Shelley were married in 1994. They have four sons Michael (23), Matthew, John, and Andrew. Michael graduated from Benedictine College, Atchison, KS, in 2020 and works in Kansas City. Matthew studies business at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. John is a 2020 graduate of Newman Catholic in Mason City. John attends NIACC this year and plans on starting at Benedictine College next year. Andrew is a freshman at Newman Catholic. Andrew intends to play Division I baseball and go on to play in the MLB.

Jim loves his time on his farm with his family under the big skies, day or night. Jim especially enjoys hunting, shooting, and splitting wood with his sons; then spending time with them talking about it around the wood-burning stove in the Corn Crib.

Practice Areas

Trial Lawyer: Personal Injury; Workers’ Compensation; Insurance Company- Bad Faith

 Admitted

• 1992, Iowa and Nebraska
• 1993, U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa
• 1998, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit

 Law School

Creighton University, J.D. 1992. Vice-President, Student Bar Association. President, Moot Court Board.

 Trial College

Keenan Trial Institute, Graduate 2019, Faculty, 2020﹣Present

 Member

• Cerro Gordo County Bar Association (Secretary, 1994﹣1995) (President, 2017﹣2019, two terms)
• Iowa State and Nebraska State Bar Associations (Member, Workers’ Compensation Section Rules Committee, 1997﹣1998)
• Iowa Association of Justice (Member, 1992﹣Present, Board of Governors, 1996﹣2007; CLE Committee, 1997﹣2009; CLE Chairperson, 2000﹣2004)
• The American Association of Justice (Member, Premises and Motor Vehicle Liability Section) 1992﹣Present
• Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers (Member, Rules Committee, 2003﹣2006, Rules Committee Chair, 2006)
• Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group, 1999﹣Present

 Biography

• Appointed Attorney, Grievance Commission, Iowa Supreme Court, 2004﹣2010
• Iowa District 2A Judicial Nominating Commission, 2008﹣2013
• Cerro Gordo County Magistrate Appointing Commission 2015﹣2020
• St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Liturgy Committee, 2004﹣2010
• Epiphany Parish, St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Lector, 1993﹣Present
• Newman Catholic Schools, Mason City, School Board 2014﹣2020, Board President 2015﹣2020
• National Trial Lawyers, Top 100, 2015-Present
• Iowa State Bar Association Jury Instruction Committee 2017-Present
• Iowa Board of Examiners of Shorthand Reporter 2018-Present

 Published Works

The Iowa chapter of Negligence Policy, Elements, and Evidence: The Role of Foreseeability in the Law of Each State, Vicki Lawrence MacDougall, Oklahoma City University Law School, Editor Balloon Press (2018).

Born

Vail, Iowa

September 20, 1966