JAMES L. CONNER II

James L. Conner II, Of Counsel, Litigation

James L. Conner II ("Jim") is of counsel at Ragsdale Liggett PLLC.  His practice emphasizes environmental law, administrative law, mediation, and commercial litigation.  He is admitted to practice in the N.C. Supreme Court since 1984, Federal District Courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit.  Jim is a certified mediator for all N.C. courts (since 1992) as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of North Carolina, and has served as a certified arbitrator for the Mecklenburg County courts.

Judge Conner advises and assists clients in:
* Environmental law:
o Evaluating and resolving environmental impacts and liabilities arising in connection with business and real estate transactions. 
o Obtaining environmental permits for and challenging environmental penalties for business enterprises.
o Litigating in the Office of Administrative Hearings, the Superior Courts, and the federal courts questions of environmental liability, permitting decisions, and other matters.
o Representing individuals and groups opposing illegal impacts upon the environment, zoning violations, and property impacts.
* Health care law:  Advising clients and advocating for them before agencies and courts regarding health care matters, including Medicaid eligibility and provider certification and reimbursement issues.
* Litigation:  Defending and prosecuting litigation in the state and federal courts involving real estate transactions and other business and commercial matters.
* Administrative law:  In addition to the above, representing clients before the Office of Administrative Hearings on a wide variety of challenges to government action.

He performs these duties by employing his extensive knowledge and background in litigation and in legislative and regulatory matters, including 25 years of litigation and government relations experience.

Judge Conner is also a very active and successful mediator.  He concentrates n the mediation and resolution of complex matters.

Prior to joining Ragsdale Liggett, Jim worked as a judge, a large firm lawyer, and in his own boutique practice.  Jim spent eight years as an attorney and mediator with J. Conner & Associates of Durham, N.C. and served  as Administrative Law Judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings in Raleigh from 2000 to 2006,.  He previously served as the lead attorney for the Environmental Practice Group at Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman in Charlotte, N.C. and an environmental and litigation attorney for Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey and Leonard in Greensboro, N.C.  During the 1980s his positions included partner at Abernathy, Roberson and Conner in Graham, N.C., recycling coordinator for Alamance County (N.C.), associate editor of the national Environmental Law Reporter at the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C., and visiting instructor of law at the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign, Ill.

He received his Juris Doctor with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in Chapel Hill, N.C. after earning a bachelor's degree cum laude in Botany from Duke University in Durham in 1978.

A member of the N.C. Bar Association, Jim is now serving his third term as a council member for the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section of the N.C. Bar Association and was program co-planner for its annual meeting in 1994 and 2003.  Jim is a frequent speaker at N.C. Bar Association CLEs and other professional events.

Jim's community activities include serving on the Durham City/County Environmental Affairs Board, where he served as chair and vice chair.  He was a member of the boards of directors of the Piedmont Land Conservancy, Durham Community Shelter for Hope, and North State Legal Services.  He has received the Chapter Service Award from the N.C. Sierra Club and the Pyne Historic Preservation Award for the renovation of his historic office building in Durham.  In law school, he was founder and chair of the N.C. chapter of the Equal Justice Foundation, was a member of the N.C. Law Review, and earned the American Jurisprudence Awards in Torts and Contracts.  Jim is an elder in the Presbyterian Church and has acted as a facilitator for the Durham Public Education Network Achievement Gap Initiative. He ran as a candidate for the Durham City Council in 1999.

Born in Roanoke, Va. and raised in Silver Spring, Md., Jim resides in Durham with his wife, Kathryn Summers, and two sons.  He also has two grown sons, both of whom live in Asheville, N.C.  He is an avid SCUBA diver, holder of the professional certification 'Divemaster', and former owner of Cape Fear Divers LLC and the SCUBA charter boat M/V Hawksbill.