About James Conner II

Jim is one of North Carolina’s most experienced environmental lawyers. He also routinely represents clients in high-stakes business litigation, land use disputes, and healthcare matters, all while maintaining a robust mediation practice. Prior to joining Calhoun, Bhella & Sechrest, Jim served as an Administrative Law Judge. He was certified as a Superior Court mediator in 1994. Jim’s effectiveness and success as a mediator has been recognized by his election to the North Carolina Academy of Superior Court Mediators and the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

In his first year of practice, Jim filed Wilson v. McLeod, one of the seminal and most frequently cited environmental cases in North Carolina. Since then he has counseled clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to small businesses, individuals, environmental groups, and state and local governments in matters involving environmental law. Jim handles nearly all facets of environmental law concerns, including litigation, permitting issues, compliance and regulatory counseling, and transactional matters.

Jim routinely speaks on environmental issues before legal, business, academic, and government agency audiences. He has authored numerous works on environmental issues, which have been published in not only business and law journals, but have been reprinted as university graduate-level course materials. At the Environmental Law Institute, a national non-partisan environmental think tank in Washington, D.C., Jim was an editor of a national environmental law reference. He has also served as a visiting instructor of law at the University of Illinois College of Law. Jim has been recognized as a North Carolina Super Lawyer 2016-2021.