James Girard Butler (September 26, 1920 – May 26, 2005) was an American trial lawyer, known for winning many large verdicts for plaintiffs in civil litigation, including the first in a thalidomide case.
[1] In 1943, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, and served in the Pacific Theater of World War II as a fighter plane pilot.
[1] Butler received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, three Gold Stars[clarification needed] and five citations for bravery.
[1] During World War II, Butler became ill with malaria and was treated by a Marine nurse, Master Sergeant Eugenia Louise Jefferson.
In 1971, he won a $2.75 million jury verdict against Richardson-Merrell, the company that tested thalidomide, which caused birth defects.
[1] Butler remained involved with the Compton NAACP until 1958, when moved to the Hancock Park neighborhood, to a home originally built for Bernard Baruch.
[1] His law offices on Wilshire Boulevard featured eight Andy Warhol lithographs of Marilyn Monroe and other significant works.