One of the things that makes Shelnutt &Varner unique is the diversified experiences of our founding Attorney, James Shelnutt. Prior to pursuing a law degree, James had a successful and distinguished career in law enforcement that involved working in the uniform patrol division as a field training officer, serving as a police instructor, serving as a special operations detective investigating major case crimes, and as a SWAT team entry member.


After earning a law degree, James also assisted as a municipal prosecutor for several years. James later was voted into 2 consecutive terms as a municipal judge where he served in that position for nearly 7 years and was responsible for presiding of a variety of criminal offenses, issuing arrest warrants and issuing search warrants. During his time as a municipal judge, over 10,000 cases came across the court docket. He has also maintained a successful practice since graduating from law school in 2002 and has represented thousands of clients. James also served as an “on air” legal commentator on one of the highest-rated radio shows in the State of Alabama and has authored numerous legal articles. James’ well-rounded understanding of the law gives him an insight that he would not have otherwise and there aren’t many legal situations that our team hasn’t experienced.