James H. Hall, Jr.

James H. Hall, Jr. transitioned from this life on January 1, 2024, in Milwaukee, WI.

He had a life that was committed to ensuring & defending the rights of all.

He was born on January 14, 1954 in Suffolk, Virginia and started in a segregated school system that was later integrated. In first grade, he attended Trinity Elementary, a segregated black school. In the 9th Grade, which was the 1969-70 school year, Virginia consolidated its public schools and eliminated schools separated by race. From that point forward, James along with other African American students in the county attended Smithfield High School. Later, in 1976, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Hampton Institute (now known as Hampton University). He is, also, a 1979 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree.

In June 1979 he joined the law firm of Charne, Clancy & Taitelman, S.C. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he worked on school desegregation matters and later became a partner until the firm’s dissolution in 1991. He and others then established the law firm of Hall, Burce & Olson, S.C., where he continued in practice until his retirement in October 2022.

With his unique experience in combating inequality in the community, he leveraged that knowledge to, again, ensure the rights of all. His significant legal experience included representing and settling cases for individuals, groups of employees, not-for-profit organizations and small businesses particularly in the area of litigation, employment, housing and civil rights matters. He was also co-lead counsel in a class action involving insurance redlining discrimination. Other lawsuits included a class action settlement on behalf of African American Firefighters. He has provided legal counsel to a wide range of clients including Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Area Technical College, City of Milwaukee Ethics Board, City of Milwaukee Pension Board, and the Community Relations - Social Development Commission of Milwaukee County.

His extensive experience also included legal work in Minnesota. He was retained by the City of St. Paul, Minnesota to conduct audits to determine its compliance with equal opportunity requirements as well as Federal and State statutes. He had also provided counsel to the City of Minneapolis regarding the legal parameters relating to targeting programs and initiatives to benefit American Descendants of Slaves (ADOS).

He was a founding member of 100 Black Men of Milwaukee, former president of both the NAACP Milwaukee Branch and the Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers (WAAL); a past member of the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Wisconsin, the National ACLU, and the National Board of Directors of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. He was also dedicated to raising funds for his causes and served as a board member of the Tanzanian Economic Development Initiative, the Haggerty Museum of Art and the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Fine Arts Society.

His desire to further the education of others led him to become an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has taught several courses including Race and Public Policy in Urban America, Community Policy Analysis, Foundations of Community-Based Organizations, Community Problems, Urban Institutions and Minority Youth, and The Rise and Fall of the Civil Rights Movement in the South.

Finally, he also was an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi.

Preceding him in death is his father, James H. Hall, Sr. and his mother, Elsie B. Hall. He is survived by his spouse, Pauline Hall, and his brother, Warren Hall, and numerous cousins and other relatives.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate any donations to the SDC Foundation, NAACP Milwaukee, or the ACLU of Wisconsin.

A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 11AM at Mt. Zion Baptist Church 2207 N. 2nd St., Milwaukee, WI 53212 (414)372-6174. The family will Gather at 10AM at the CHURCH until time of services.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 12 Noon at Emmanuel Baptist Church 1150 Emmanuel Church Rd., Smithfield, VA 23430 (757)357-5805. Viewing and family visitation will take place Saturday 10am-12pm at the church.

 Please Keep the Hall family in your thoughts and prayers.