James E. Carmichael joined Niedner Law in 1997 as a partner after 18 years of practicing law in St. Charles County, the previous nine years as a partner with another St. Charles law firm. He earned his B.A. from Northeast Missouri State University, now known as Truman State University, in 1976 and his J.D. from Washington University Law School in St. Louis in 1979.  

Jim has experience in multiple areas of the law but now practices primarily in the areas of criminal defense, personal injury and civil litigation. His criminal defense practice involves representing individuals who have been charged with serious crimes, including drug possession and sales, assaults, armed robbery, murder as well as property crimes such as stealing and embezzlement, among others. Jim’s personal injury practice focuses on representing individuals who have been damaged as a result of the negligence of others, including motor vehicle collisions. He has successfully tried dozens of jury trials for injured individuals, wrongful death claims and felony criminal charges. Jim has handled thousands of criminal cases involving violations of the law related to alcohol and drugs over his long career as an attorney. He prides himself on his well-deserved reputation as an aggressive advocate for his clients and the favorable results he obtains for them. Highly regarded in the legal profession, he has received an AV rating, the highest rating awarded for attorneys by the prestigious national attorney rating firm of Martindale-Hubbell. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Missouri association of Trial Attorneys, as President of the St. Charles County Bar Association and has received a service award from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. Jim and his wife have three children and several grandchildren and live in St. Charles.