With over 30 years of experience as both a prosecutor and defense lawyer, he possesses the skills and knowledge needed to provide you with the best legal representation available.
Since 1983 James M. Ventura, has been practicing criminal law in the State of Minnesota. With over 30 years of experience as both a prosecutor and defense lawyer, he possesses the skills and knowledge needed to provide you with the best legal representation available. He has been hired by many of the Twin Cities finest police officers and enjoys referrals from clients, other attorneys, opponents and judges.With our small law office, the attorney you hire will be the person who represents you. We personally handle every case with a professional and zealous attitude. This attitude has allowed us to present a case before the United States Supreme Court and present many lectures to attorneys and police.James M. Ventura is a member of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Minnesota Association for Justice and is the immediate past President of the Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice.
This award is granted to attorneys who have received at least 10 client reviews, and have an average review score of 4.5 or higher.
AV Preeminent Peer Rated
This elite award is granted to attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for their very high ethical standards, with an average peer review score of 4.5 or higher.
About Awards
Client Champion Awards
Client Champion awards recognize those attorneys who excel at service as affirmed by their clients. The awards, based on the quantity
and quality of an attorney’s Martindale-Hubbell client reviews, demonstrate an ongoing commitment to delivering excellent client service.
Award recipients stand out from their peers with a platinum, gold or silver icon.
At least three reviews and a score of 4.0 or higher.
At least six reviews and a score of 4.2 or higher.
At least ten reviews and a score of 4.5 or higher.
James M. Ventura Attorney at Law got this award in 2021
Martindale Peer Awards
A lawyer who receives a minimum threshold of qualifying responses from fellow attorneys can qualify for one of three prestigious
Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings:
AV Preeminent®: The highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies a large number of the lawyer’s peers rank him
or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.
James M. Ventura Attorney at Law got this award in 2021
Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely
respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.
Avvo Awards
Avvo Top Contributor: The Avvo Top Contributor Award is granted to attorneys who have earned significant contribution points in a given year on our sister site, Avvo.com. Contribution points are earned by answering questions in Q&A,
publishing Legal Guides, and other useful contributions to the Avvo community.
Avvo Client’s Choice: The Avvo Client's Choice Award Badge is granted to attorneys with a significant number of 4+ star reviews in a given year.
I highly recommend Mr. Ventura for anyone needing solid representation. He really went above and beyond fighting my fleeing charge & other charges and even got my car back, which was amazing. Beyond just handling my case, he pushed me to get my life on track and set myself up for success. He’s straight up, doesn't sugarcoat things and gave me advice I needed to hear, almost like a parent would. Honestly, I appreciate how real and supportive he was through the entire process. If you want someone who genuinely cares and gets results, he’s your guy.
James Ventura is amazing at his job! James has great communication and follows up regularly, answered all my questions with a clear up front message. After the final court date awaiting the decision. Jim and I got to know each other on a personal level, family, friends and life in general. It’s like the saying, “Work hard Play hard”. Hands down James Ventura is a great person, let him do his job!!! Thank you again!!! Jim Ventura
It is clear to me that Mr. Ventura was the right attorney to represent me after my DWI arrest. During our initial conversation he was very thorough and provided me with excellent information on how to proceed. There was absolutely no pressure put on me to select him as my attorney, just thoughtful listening, and advice. In representing me, Mr. Ventura demonstrated a vast understanding of the DWI laws in Minnesota. His 30 plus years of experience as a lawyer and his involvement in shaping legal decisions concerning Minnesota DWI law allowed for the sound management of my case. His counsel minimized the consequences of my arrest and allowed me to make educated decisions that shaped the timelines of when and how my case proceeded. I am extremely grateful for his counsel.
Mr. Ventura is a very good lawyer. He is very knowledgeable about the law and the court process. He is an excellent communicator so one knows the status of their case at all times. Mr. Ventura is also a warm, compassionate and kind person so the legal process seems doable and more humane.
If you're looking for serious criminal defense, look no further than Jim Ventura. I met Jim after I was arrested and charged with illegal possession of firearms and illegal distribution of explosives. Since I had prior federal convictions for both of those things, I was looking at dying in federal prison. The gun charges were the most serious as they would have mandated a prison sentence of 10 years. Somehow, Mr. Ventura got the gun charges dropped. This is simply unheard of. I was found in possession of numerous guns (again), including an assault rifle, (again), and almost 10,000 rounds of ammunition (again). Given these facts and my criminal history, Harry Houdini could not have made those gun charges disappear but somehow Mr. Ventura did the impossible. Not only did he clear me of significant mandatory prison time for the guns, he got the prosecutor to recommend a greatly reduced sentence for the explosives charges! Mr. Ventura SAVED MY LIFE and I will be forever grateful to him.
Hiring James Ventura was the best decision I made and worth every dime. Not only was he informative with a wealth of experience but had so much understanding and compassion for my case. He was recommended to me by a friend and I would recommend him to anyone in need of legal support. His kind demeanor made me feel confident and calm in the stressful situation of potential charges. I am beyond grateful for the outcome of my case and have James Ventura to thank!!
Working with Jim was a good experience. He was positive and very good at explaining the situation and the possible outcomes. He would tell some relatable stories that helps a person feel better, and also reminds you in a good way to make better decisions and the more severe consequences if what happened, were to happen again. I would highly recommend Jim because of his character and attitude and the wealth of knowledge he has.
Had to hire Mr. Ventura remotely as my case was in Minnesota and I reside in California. We communicated via phone, email, text and Zoom. He was very knowledgable, compassionate, organized and good at explaining his approach to my case. We appeared via Zoom in the hearing and we won. I highly reccommend Mr. Ventura and am very glad I selected him to represent me.
Thank God I had James to take me through the process. He did a great job and I doubt anybody else could do better than James. There are many lawyers out there, fortunately I had someone on my side that is in the know, and James showed up on a list of 3. Yes, three. So he must be doing something right. And his assistant Chelsey was great at answering questions when James wasn't available. My advice? Stay out of court and keep your nose clean, but, if you do make a mistake, James is the man you want on your side.
Martindale-Hubbell® Client Review Ratings™ display reviews submitted by individuals who have either hired or consulted the lawyers or law firms.
The Client Review Rating score is determined through the aggregation of validated responses. People who submit reviews are either individuals who consulted with the lawyer/law firm or who hired the lawyer/law firm and want to share their experience of that lawyer or law firm with other potential clients. Reviewers can be anyone who consults or hires a lawyer including in-house counsel, corporate executives, small business owners, and private individuals.
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Martindale Peer Reviews
Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ are the gold standard in attorney ratings, and have been for more than a century. These ratings indicate attorneys who are widely respected by their peers for their ethical standards and legal expertise in a specific area of practice.
The Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings process is the gold standard due to its objectivity and comprehensiveness. Lawyers solicited for peer reviews include both those selected by the attorney being reviewed and lawyers independently selected by Martindale-Hubbell. All reviewers are verified as attorneys through Martindale-Hubbell’s extensive attorney database. Only attorneys practicing at least three years and receiving a sufficient number of reviews from non-affiliated attorneys are eligible to receive a Rating.
What are the different Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings?*
• AV Preeminent®: The highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies that a large number of the lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.
• Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
• Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.
Lawyers who have received peer reviews after 2009 will display more detailed information, including practice areas, summary ratings, detailed numeric ratings and written feedback (if available). Details for individual reviews received before 2009 are not displayed.
Attorneys that receive reviews from their peers, but not a sufficient number to establish a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating, will have those reviews display on our websites.
Ratings and reviews are feedback from people who have either consulted an attorney about an issue (but may not have hired the attorney) or people who hired an attorney as a current or former client and provided their feedback to our sister site, Avvo.com.