James A. Rutkowski (born April 6, 1942) is a retired American attorney and Democratic politician.

He served 27 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1971–1997) representing southwest Milwaukee County.

[1] He graduated from Bay View High School and Marquette University.

After initially serving in the United States Army Security Agency, he transferred to the Judge Advocate General's Corps in 1969.

He was reelected to the Assembly 13 times and resigned in December 1997 to accept an appointment to the state Labor and Industry Review Commission.