Attorney James P. McKay, Jr. (Of Counsel)

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After 30 years of representing victims in criminal cases, Jim McKay now represents victims in civil cases. Jim recently joined TKK as Of Counsel bringing with him over three decades of trial experience, including 150 felony jury trials and 1000+ bench trials. His civil practice with TKK focuses on the representation of individuals in personal injury, medical malpractice, premises liability and nursing home neglect cases.

As an Assistant State’s Attorney for Cook County, Illinois, Jim’s trial experience spanned over 30 years. During that time, he was promoted by all of the different administrations that he served. Most recently Jim was the Chief of the Complex Prosecutions Unit, overseeing all aspects of the County’s most complicated cases. His duties ranged from investigation to verdict, including but not limited to maintaining extensive discovery, depositions of witnesses in capital cases, litigating substantive pre-trial motions, jury selection, presentation of evidence including forensic evidence, cross-examination of expert witnesses and other defense witnesses, meeting unusual defenses, drafting jury instructions and delivering closing arguments. Prior to that, Jim served as the Chief of the Narcotics Prosecutions Bureau, Chief of the Felony Trial Division, and several other supervisory positions.

Jim was Lead Counsel for some of the highest profiled criminal cases in the last three decades, including the murders of Jennifer Hudson’s family; the murders of four separate Chicago Police Officers: Daniel Doffyn, Michael Ceriale, Eric Lee and Nathaniel Taylor; the murder of community activist Arnold Mireles, and serial killers like Andrew Urdiales and Andre Crawford, just to name a few.

In addition to his extensive trial experience, Jim has significant appellate experience too, having argued several cases before the Illinois Appellate Court, 1st District and the Illinois Supreme Court in People v. Ortega, 209 Ill. 2d 354 (2004).

Jim was named one of the “30 Toughest Lawyers” by Chicago Magazine and he has received numerous awards over the years from organizations like Justice for Homicide Victims, The Emerald Society, Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, National College of District Attorneys, Winnebago County, Cook County Crime Stoppers and the Chicago Crime Commission.

Among his many honors, Jim was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to sit on two different committees: Illinois Pattern Instructions, Criminal Committee, and the Illinois Capital Litigation Trial Bar Screening Committee.

Jim’s vast teaching experience includes lecturing all over the country on all aspects of trial practice for the National College of District Attorneys and the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor’s Office. He currently teaches trial advocacy at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Jim is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

Jim is a lifelong resident of Chicago who received his undergraduate degree from DePaul University and his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law.

James P. McKay, Jr.
Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC
161 North Clark Street, Suite 3050
Chicago, IL 60601
T: 312-605-8800
F: 312-605-8808
jim@tkklaw.com