A straightforward synthesis of 2-methyl-3-trifluoromethyl-aniline has been developed from inexpensive 3-trifluoromethylaniline. Details of the synthetic steps are as follows: (1) conversion of 3-trifluoromethylaniline to pivalylamino-3-trifluoromethylbenzene, (2) conversion of pivalylamino-3-trifluoromethylbenzene to pivalylamino-2-methyl-3-trifluoromethylbenzene, (3) conversion of pivalylamino-2-methyl-3-trifluoromethylbenzene to 2- methyl-3 -trifluoromethylaniline. In attempting a one-step sythesis of 2-(2-methyl-3- trifluoromethylanilino)nicotinic acid from 2-methyl-3-trifluoromethylaniline and 2-chloronicotinic acid, we unexpectedly obtained N-(2- methyl-3-trifluoromethyl)phenyl-2-hydroxynicotinamide. A feasible bench-scale synthetic route to 2-(2-methyl-3- trifluoromethylanilino)nicotinic acid, involving reaction of the methyl ester of 2-chloronicotinic acid with 2-methyl-3-trifluoromethylaniline, has been successfully developed.