Rate My Professor Jim Dimitri

James D. Dimitri is a Clinical Professor of Law at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. He earned a B.S. from Indiana University in 1990 and a J.D. summa cum laude from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1993. Prior to joining the faculty in 1998, Dimitri worked in private practice and government service, including three years as a deputy attorney general for the Indiana Attorney General’s Office. In that role, he litigated civil and criminal appeals, post-conviction relief proceedings, federal habeas corpus cases, and cases arising under the Indiana Tort Claims Act.

Professor Dimitri teaches legal analysis, research, and communication, intramural moot court competition, and advanced persuasive writing and oral advocacy. He advised IU McKinney's Moot Court Society for two decades, including administering the Honorable Robert H. Staton Intramural Moot Court Competition and coaching championship-winning teams in the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition. He co-authored The Moot Court Advisor’s Handbook (2d ed. 2023, Carolina Academic Press). Dimitri is a founding member and past co-chair of the Legal Writing Institute’s Moot Court Committee. His publications include “Writing Engaging, Realistic, and Balanced Appellate Advocacy Problems” (16 Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing 93, 2008), “Stepping Up to the Podium with Confidence: A Primer for Law Students on Preparing and Delivering an Appellate Oral Argument” (38 Stetson Law Review 75, 2008), “Brutal Choices in Curricular Design: Reusing Writing Assignments” (12 Perspectives 27, 2003), and “Recent Developments in Indiana Criminal Law and Procedure” (29 Indiana Law Review 855, 1996). He has contributed to Res Gestae on topics such as writing for screen readers and best practices in document design. Dimitri has presented widely on legal writing and advocacy, including on neuroscience and editing, document design, AI applications, hybrid teaching, and e-filing at conferences like the Legal Writing Institute Biennial Conference, Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Conference, and Central States Legal Writing Conference. He is a two-time recipient of the Indiana University Trustees’ Teaching Award, received the American Association of Law Schools’ Teacher of the Year Award, and was named a Dean's Fellow for 2024–25.