About Mr. James O. Hacking
Mr. James O. Hacking III practices law across the Midwest and at the national appellate level. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and holds licenses to practice in both Illinois and Missouri. That combination of state and federal admissions shapes the cases he brings and the clients he represents.
His career has centered on courtroom work and appellate advocacy. Over the years he has built experience arguing appeals and handling litigation in trial courts. Admission to the U.S. Supreme Court and the Eighth Circuit gives him the credential to file briefs and, where appropriate, seek to argue at the highest levels. He also appears regularly in Illinois and Missouri courts, handling matters that start at the trial level and sometimes move upward on appeal.
Colleagues describe him as a practitioner who focuses on courtroom procedure and appellate briefing. He spends much of his time preparing legal briefs, drafting motions and handling oral arguments. That work requires attention to precedent, careful record review and a command of appellate rules. He balances the demands of trial practice—fact development, witness preparation and evidentiary rulings—with the different temper of appellate work, where record-based argument and statute and precedent matter most.
Outside of court dockets he devotes time to case strategy and client counseling. His practice often involves mapping potential appellate paths while litigation is still unfolding. That planning can shape how evidence is preserved, how motions are framed and what issues are emphasized. He works with clients to explain options at trial and on appeal, translating sometimes complex procedural choices into practical next steps.
Mr. Hacking’s admissions across state and federal benches allow him to move cases between venues when necessary. He handles matters that require coordination across Illinois and Missouri courts, and he prepares appellate filings for the Eighth Circuit and, when appropriate, for consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court. He maintains an active litigation practice and concentrates on trial and appellate litigation in state and federal courts.
