American Bar Association Deputy Executive Director Will Be Missed by Association Community

James Dimos, deputy executive director and general counsel for the American Bar Association (ABA), passed away in early August. He was intensely dedicated to the legal profession and the ABA.

As the deputy executive director, Dimos served as “second in charge” of the association’s staff, and through the years he was directly responsible for several functional areas, including membership, the professional services division, legal education and admission to the Bar, the Center on Public Interest Law, strategy development and the operations of the Chicago and Washington, D.C., offices. He was the guiding force of the development and deployment of the ABA’s member value proposition in 2018. He also served on the Board of Governors and on the Executive and Finance committees, chairing the Finance Committee in 2012–2013.

Dimos served in private practice for about 30 years. He focused on the litigation needs of the business community in the areas of intellectual property, competition and media law. He represented a significant number of Fortune 100 companies, especially those in the technology and media industries. Dimos was recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America^® in “bet-the-company” litigation, and he was named Indianapolis Intellectual Property Litigator of the Year in 2015. In addition, he served as president of both the Indiana State Bar Association and Indianapolis Bar Association, and as a member of the Indiana Supreme Court’s Pro Bono Commission.

Dimos was a tremendous, loving family man. He was very proud of his wife, Kathy, and their three children, Stephanie, Jennifer and Jonathan. His family always brought a smile to his face and to his heart.