James G. Thomeczek

Of Counsel

Areas of Practice:

Jim has more than thirty years of experience representing public school districts and private schools. He is a graduate of St. Louis University School of Law, from which he was graduated cum laude. Jim was admitted into the Order of the Woolsack for his “high scholastic achievement in the study of Law.”
Prior to entering law school, Jim was a teacher in the Pattonville School District in St. Louis County. There, he taught English at both the high school and middle school level. Jim holds a Master of Arts degree in Secondary School Administration from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University), and a B.A. in English from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Jim is a nationally known authority on special education law. He has made presentations at conferences, such as the National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys and the National Institute on Legal Issues of Educating Children with Disabilities, as well as at the Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire.
Missouri, Jim regularly presents at the annual meetings of the Missouri Council of School Attorneys and the Missouri Council of Administrators of Special Education. Jim is on the adjunct faculty at Lindenwood University.
Jim is recognized by his peers as a leader. He recently stepped down from the Board of Directors of NSBA’s Council of School Attorneys. He has served as the chair of the School Law Committee of the Bar Association of Metropolitan School District, the chair of the Missouri Council of School Attorneys, and a two-term chair of the Solo and Small Firm Section of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.
Jim has represented school districts in administrative and judicial proceedings. He has argued before the Missouri Supreme Court and has filed memoranda with the United States Supreme Court. He has argued numerous cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and has presented arguments in all three divisions of the Missouri Court of Appeals.
Since 2011, Jim has been recognized as a Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America (St. Louis) and was named the 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024 Lawyer of the Year, Education, St. Louis.

Education

  • Northeast Missouri State, Master of Arts
  • University of Missouri-St. Louis, Bachelor of Arts
  • St. Louis University School of Law, J.D.
    • Cum Laude

Bar & Court Admissions

  • Missouri Bar
  • Eastern District of Missouri
  • Western District of Missouri

Professional Affiliations

  • Missouri Bar Association
  • NSBA/COSA
  • CEC
  • MO-CASE
  • BAMSL

Charitable & Civic Activities

Honors

Featured Resources

News & Articles

Mickes O’Toole Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers In St. Louis For 2025

Best Lawyers recognizes outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional ...

Client Alert: Biden’s New Title IX Regulations Are Enjoined by Federal Court

On July 24, 2024, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri temporarily enjoined the ...

Client Alert: More School District Employees Eligible for Overtime Pay Under New Federal Rule

New Overtime Regulations On April 23, 2024, the United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) published final rules ...

Thomeczek Joins Mickes O’Toole

Mickes O'Toole is proud to announce that we have strengthened our Education Group with the addition of Bo and Jim ...

Our team of professionals welcomes the opportunity to serve your needs.