James M. Ideman (born 1931) is a former United States federal judge.
Born in Rockford, Illinois, Ideman received a B.A. from The Citadel in 1953 and a J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School in 1963. He was a Lieutenant in the United States Army from 1953 to 1956. He was a Deputy district attorney of Los Angeles County, California from 1964 to 1979, and a judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court, California from 1979 to 1984.
On May 24, 1984, Ideman was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California vacated by Lawrence T. Lydick. Ideman was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 15, 1984, and received his commission the same day. He assumed senior status on April 2, 1998, retiring fully on September 11, 1998.