James Bryan Whitfield (November 8, 1860 – August 20, 1948) was an American attorney and politician who served as a long-time justice of the Florida Supreme Court.

[4][5] Whitfield served as State Treasurer until March 1903, when he was appointed Florida Attorney General following the election of the incumbent, William Bailey Lamar, to the U.S. House of Representatives.

[6][7] In February 1904, Whitfield was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor William Sherman Jennings.

[1][8] Additionally, Whitfield was elected Chief Justice by the court three times, serving in that role from January 1905 until June 1905, 1909 until 1913, and 1935 until 1937.

[9] Whitfield's tenure on the court was marked by a period of great uncertainty regarding the rights of African Americans in Florida.