James Girard Butler (September 26, 1920 – May 26, 2005) was an American trial lawyer. He was known for winning many large verdicts for plaintiffs in civil litigation, including the first in a thalidomide case. Butler was also known as a civil rights leader and an art collector. "Known for his colorful and charismatic courtroom presence, Butler once told a jury in a pharmaceuticals case, 'If you do justice, you'll sock it to 'em.'"