James Cummings

Mr. Cummings is a Florida Certified Circuit Court Mediator, and a Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator.  He mediates state and federal cases in all jurisdictions throughout Florida and beyond, including personal injury/wrongful death, professional liability/malpractice, products liability, premises liability, insurance-related litigation (including coverage disputes, extra-contractual liability and bad faith), complex commercial litigation, construction litigation, real estate disputes, special assets and financial litigation, foreclosure actions, receivership cases, trust and probate litigation, FDCPA and FCRA actions, eminent domain, appellate...virtually every type of civil case.

Mr. Cummings has successfully litigated cases through the trial court and appellate levels, and his published decisions include Morey v. EverBank, 93 So. 3d 482 (Fla. 1st DCA 2012), Fort Plantation Inv. v. Ironstone Bank, 85 So. 3d 1169 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012), and Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. v. AAR Aircraft Services, Inc. and Mankiewicz Coatings, LLC, 167 F.Supp.3d 1311 (S.D. Fla. 2016), which have helped shape Florida’s legal landscape in areas including contract law, insurance law, and trust and estate law.

Mr. Cummings received his B.S. degree in Business from Virginia Tech in 2002. He earned his J.D. degree, summa cum laude, from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2006, where he was a Staff Editor of the Law Review. In 2005, Mr. Cummings’ case note, “You’re Telling Me? Federalism and the Assisted Suicide Debate: Gonzales v. Oregon,” was published by the Florida Coastal Law Journal. Additionally, Mr. Cummings was a Governor’s Scholar, a Dean’s Scholar and recipient of several book awards. In 2006, The Florida Bar’s Environmental and Land Use Law Section awarded Mr. Cummings an award in The 2006 Dean Frank E. Maloney Memorial Writing Contest for his article entitled “Barefoot in the Dark: Is the Sunshine State Sleeping on Public Rights to Beach Access?” Mr. Cummings was named a Florida Rising Star in 2012 through 2019 and a Barrister of the Chester Bedell Inn of Court in 2013 through 2016.

Mr. Cummings is tirelessly devoted to pro bono service, and was instrumental in pioneering the  Landlord Tenant Pro Bono Initiative to represent indigent clients, in collaboration with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. He serves on the Pro Bono Roundtable for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit and also serves as Co-Chair of the Jacksonville Bar Association’s Trial Advocacy Seminar.  

Mr. Cummings is a member of The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN), The Florida Bar, the United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, United States Bankruptcy Court – Middle District of Florida, United States Bankruptcy Court – Southern District of Florida, Florida First District Court of Appeal, Florida Third District Court of Appeal, Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal, Jacksonville Bar Association (Co-Chair, Trial Advocacy Seminar and Past Co-Chair, Commercial Litigation Committee), and the Jacksonville Beaches Bar Association (Treasurer/Board Member).  Mr. Cummings is also recognized as a Certified Mediator with the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida. 

• Virginia Tech, Pamplin College of Business
• Florida Coastal School of Law, Summa Cum Laude

• Jacksonville Bar Association Trial Advocacy Seminar, Co-Chair
• Jacksonville Bar Association, Past Co-Chair, Commercial Litigation Committee
• Jacksonville Beaches Bar Association, Treasurer/Board Member
• Surfrider Foundation
• St. Johns Riverkeeper

$450/hour