Jim James has been practicing criminal law for over 25 years. As a former First Assistant District Attorney in Galveston County, Mr. James prosecuted a number of the highest profile cases on the Texas Gulf Coast. Those cases ranged from prosecution of violent crimes such as capital murder and aggravated sexual assault, to white collar crimes and crimes of public corruption, never losing a jury trial as a prosecutor in Galveston County.

Mr. James has worked as a research assistant in Texas' highest appellate criminal court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin, drafting proposed opinions for Judge Mike McCormick.

Mr. James has also served as First Assistant District Attorney in Brazos County as well as a special prosecutor throughout Texas.

Mr. James returned to Bryan and has been representing persons accused of crimes since 1986. His practice includes both federal and state litigation. In federal court Mr. James has tried jury trials of a wide variety of types from importation of marijuana to bank fraud in locations as diverse as Miami, Florida and Midland, Texas. He is licensed in all federal districts in Texas and has conducted arguments before the 5^th Circuit. He is a board certified specialist in criminal law by the Texas State Bar and is a life time fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

Similarly, his state practice is varied. Mr. James has, as defense counsel, tried numerous cases ranging from murder and sexual assault to DWI. In fact, over the last decade, Mr. James has represented almost 1000 persons accused of DWI.

A magna cum laude graduate of Texas A & M ('76) and honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Mr. James served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Houston Law School. He has lectured nationally on criminal law topics and has taught at Texas A & M in the Political Science Department. Mr. James is board certified by the Texas State Bar as a specialist in criminal law. He was named a Texas Monthly "Super Lawyer" in 2003-2004.  Mr. James has obtained the highest rating attainable from Martindale-Hubbell.

Active in the community, Mr. James is a past president of the Brazos County Bar Association and has been on the board of numerous charities and civic organizations in the Brazos Valley.

Areas of Practice

• Criminal Law

Litigation Percentage

• 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Certification/Specialties

• Criminal Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Bar Admissions

• Texas, 1979
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court Western District of Texas
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1981
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1991
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1991

Education

• The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, 1978
  J.D.
  Honors: With Honors
  
  
• Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas, 1976
  B.A.
  Honors: Magna Cum Laude
  Major: Political Science
  
  

Representative Cases

• McVickers v. State, 838 S.W.2d 651 (Court of Appeals 1992)
• McVickers v. State, 874 S.W.2d 662 (Texas Criminal Court of Appeals 1993)
• U.S v. Cooper, 966 F.2d 936 (5th Circuit 1992)
• Knox v. State, 744 S.W.2d 53 (Texas Court of Criminal Appeals)
• Billings v. State, 725 S.W.2d 757 (Court of Appeals 1987)
• Cain v. State, 855 S.W.2d 714 (Texas Court of Criminal Appeals 1993)
• Nance v. State, 807 S.W.2d 855 (Court of Appeals 1991)
• Horowitz v. State, 1996 WL 112223 (Court of Appeals 1996)
• McGee v. State, 689 S.W.2d 915 (Court of Appeals 1985)
• Penry v. State, 903 S.W.2d 715 (Texas Court of Criminal Appeals)

Classes/Seminars Taught

• Adjunct Professor, University of Houston, 1984 - 1985
• Teacher, Political Science, Texas A & M

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Brazos Valley Arts Council, 1989 - 1993
  Board Member
  
  
• New Horizon Scholarship, 1995 - Present
  Board Member
  
  
• Bryan College Station Sister City Committee, 1991 - 1994
  Board Member
  
  
• Health For All, 1992 - 1994
  Board Member
  
  
• OPAS, 2001 - Present
  Board Member
  
  

Past Employment Positions

• Brazos County Bar Association, President, 1996 - 1997
• Brazos Valley Defense Lawyers Association, President, 1988 - 1989
• Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow, 1993 - Present
• Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Member
• Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Member
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin, Hon. Mike McCormick, Research Assistant
• Galveston County, First Assistant District Attorney
• Brazos County, First Assistant District Attorney and Special Prosecutor

Birth Information

• 1954, Bryan, Texas, United States of America