Judge James M. Shake served as Jefferson Circuit Court Judge for 24 years beginning March 1993. He was elected to three terms as Chief Circuit Judge in Jefferson County and Chief Regional Judge for the Metro Region, named Judge of the Year in 2003 by the Louisville Bar Association, Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law in 2007, and the Henry V. Pennington Outstanding Trial Judge by the Kentucky Justice Association in 2009. He is past President of the Kentucky Circuit Judges Association and a Life Fellow of the Kentucky Bar Foundation. Throughout his career, he has been actively involved in judicial education. Judge Shake looks forward to offering his services and experience, enabling litigants to resolve disputes that might otherwise go before the Court or a jury.

• 1977 – 1980 University of Louisville School of Law, Louisville, KY Juris Doctorate,Graduated with Honors
• 1976 – 1977 University of Louisville, Louisville, KY Bachelor of Science: Justice Administration 
• 1974 – 1975 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 
• 1973 – 1974 Mississippi Delta Community College, MS
• 1973 Iroquois High School, Louisville, KY, Graduate
• 2016 Making Mediators: A Strategies and Skills Workshop for Neutrals, Frankfort, KY
• 2015 American Arbitration Association, Essential Mediation Skills for the New Mediator, New York, NY
• 1992 Just Solutions Mediation Training Program
  
  
  
  

MEMBERSHIPS

• Kentucky Bar Association, Frankfort, KY
• Louisville Bar Association, Louisville, KY

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

• Louisville Forum, Board Member
• Circuit Judges Association, President
• Circuit Judges Education Committee, Member
• Jefferson Circuit Court, Chief Judge - Three 2-year Terms
• Jefferson County Crime Commission, Member
• Kentucky Bar Foundation, Board of Directors
• Kentucky Personnel Board, Chairman
• Louisville Bar Association, Board of Directors
• Planning and Coordinating Council, Member

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Brandeis School of Law, Distinguished Alumnus
• Circuit Judges Association, Service Recognition Award
• Jefferson Circuit Court, General Term Appreciation Award
• Kentucky Bar Association, Board of Directors Service Award
• Kentucky Bar Foundation, Life Fellow

$350 hourly for mediation - two-hour minimum for half day; four-hour minimum for all day

$400 hourly for arbitration - two-hour minimum for half day; four-hour minimum for all day

Cancellation charge of $200 if mediation is cancelled less than 7 days in advance.