James Steward Davis (October 11, 1890 – disappeared on April 15, 1929)[1] was an American lawyer and political activist in Baltimore, Maryland.

[2] During the 1920s, Davis worked as a highly respected trial lawyer as well as a campaign organizer for W. Ashbie Hawkins, Al Smith, Herbert O'Conor and the Democratic Party in Maryland.

[3] He began practicing on his own, although he would later partner with such notable Baltimore attorneys as W. Norman Bishop, Warner T. McGuinn, and George W. Evans.

At six feet tall, and with a polished air and winning smile, Davis had an impressive presence which sometimes drew crowds to the courtroom.

[4] Though his legal career put him in the limelight, Davis did not run for political office and instead worked behind the scenes as a campaign organizer.

[6] As Attorney General, O'Conor would argue against the admission of Donald Gaines Murray to the University of Maryland law school in 1935.

There were many theories about his disappearance, but one persistent rumor was that Davis had misapplied money in an administration case, and fled to avoid sanction.