James Buikema

Biography James has focused his career on criminal law for more than seven years. As a prosecutor in Indianapolis, he gained valuable experience regularly conducting bench trials and jury trials. This litigation experience shaped him into a well-versed and proactive defense attorney. James can anticipate the arguments a prosecutor will make against his clients — because hes made those arguments himself. Since joining the firm in early 2024, James has successfully tried multiple McHenry County cases to not guilty verdicts. James is licensed to practice in both Illinois and Indiana and has secured numerous not-guilty verdicts for clients in both states. Areas of Practice Domestic Battery Including Non Probationable Strangulation Cases Orders of Protection Traffic Misdemeanors DUI Bar Admissions Indiana, 2017 Illinois, 2023 Education Northern Illinois College of Law, DeKalb, Illinois J. D. - 2016 Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois B. S. - 2012 Major: Political Science, Public Law Minor: Philosophy Professional Associations & Memberships Illinois State Bar Association Winnebago County Bar Association McHenry County Bar Association Honors & Awards Excellence in Leadership, 2012 Past Employment Positions Attorney - Hirsch Law Group, 2023-2024 Attorney - Keffer Hirschauer LLP, 2020-2023 Deputy Prosecuting Attorney - Marion County, 2017-2020 Case Wins Jury Trial, June 2024: Not guilty of domestic battery June 2024: Domestic battery dismissed on merits Jury Trial, May 2024: Not guilty of domestic battery Jury Trial, November 2023: Not guilty of strangulation Jury Trial, May 2023: Not guilty of strangulation Jury Trial, August 2022: Not guilty of strangulation and domestic battery Several favorable outcomes in orders of protection cases, both as petitioner and respondent