About James P. Feely
James P. Feely Jr. built his legal foundation at the University of Missouri system. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 1990 and a J.D. from the University of Missouri–Columbia in 1993. Those years set the stage for a career that has moved between public defense and private practice.
He began his work as a practicing lawyer in 1993, following law school. Early stints in private practice alternated with public defender work. He served as an assistant state public defender beginning in 1994, returned to private practice in 1997, and again joined the Missouri State Public Defender in 1998. These roles put him in courtrooms across the state and gave him steady exposure to criminal cases at different stages of the system.
Feely spent a year at Seibel & Eckenrode in 2004 before striking out on his own. In 2005 he established his firm, the Law Office of James P. Feely, Jr., LLC. As owner and founder, he has managed the practice while handling a range of matters that grow out of his public defender background. Running a small firm has required both casework and the administrative oversight that comes with operating a legal business.
Through his career he has maintained ties to professional organizations. He is an active member of the Missouri State Bar and belongs to the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL). Those memberships reflect long-standing involvement with the state's legal community and an ongoing connection to peers who practice criminal defense.
Peers and clients have seen Feely in trial and in negotiations. The record of roles he has held — repeated service in the State Public Defender's office and years of private practice — suggests steady courtroom experience. He handles arraignments, pretrial motions, plea discussions and trials, and he represents clients at all stages of criminal proceedings. His background in psychology also informs his interactions with clients and his approach to case assessment.
Colleagues describe him as practical and straightforward in courtroom settings. He prepares clients for the realities of litigation and often focuses on procedural protections and mitigation strategies. He has worked on cases in Missouri courts for more than two decades and remains based in the state.
He currently practices at the Law Office of James P. Feely, Jr., LLC, representing individuals in criminal defense matters in Missouri.
