James Jeremiah Shea (born April 13, 1966)[1] is an American lawyer who serves as an associate justice of the Montana Supreme Court.
[3] Shea graduated from the University of Montana School of Law in 1991 and started out as a law clerk for Chief Judge Paul G. Hatfield of the United States District Court for the District of Montana.
Shea then worked as a trial attorney with the Metropolitan Public Defender in Portland, Oregon, before returning to Montana to practice mostly civil law.
Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was in private practice, most recently as a partner at the Missoula law firm of Paoli & Shea.
[2] In 2014, Governor Steve Bullock appointed Shea to serve on the Montana Supreme Court.