James G. Monteleone

As a former award-winning journalist covering government and politics, James has a knack for tracking down facts and distilling complex information into clear, concise prose. Today, he applies those skills in his litigation practice, where has quickly established his reputation as an aggressive, skilled advocate throughout the course of his work for the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting. While lead attorney, he represented the Committee for Ranked Choice voting in primary arguments, dealing with both statutory and constitutional challenges, prevailing in court every time. Most recently, he successfully defended the Maine Secretary of State’s decision invalidating the “People’s Veto” of the 2019 law that established ranked choice voting for Presidential Elections in Maine.

Prior to joining Bernstein Shur, James was a law clerk for Keleher & McCleod, an Albuquerque litigation firm versed in matters like wrongful termination liability, construction contracting disputes, municipal defense, and appellate practice. During law school—and in part while working full-time as a newspaper reporter—James served as Editor-in-Chief of the New Mexico Law Review. He also worked as a clinical law student prosecuting drunken driving and domestic violence offenses on behalf of the District Attorney’s Office, and representing low-income clients in immigration, family law and unpaid wage cases.

James is also very experienced in:

• Drafting legal motions, including motions for summary judgment and motions to dismiss
• Managing discovery with scrutiny and tough questioning
• Legal research and evidentiary analysis