These are the most recent of many outstanding lawyer and leadership awards which he has received.

EDUCATION: Jim received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Austin College in 1979, where he graduated in the top 10% of his class and was elected to a National Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi), and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Denver in 1982 where he graduated in the top 1/3 of his class. [Note, neither of these colleges or universities grants degree titles such as cum laude or magna cum laude and specific numerical class rankings are not given to graduates.]

BAR ADMISSIONS: Jim is admitted to practice before all courts in the states of New York, Colorado and Indiana, and has been specially admitted to practice in courts in California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Arizona, and New Mexico. Jim is admitted in various federal courts, including the Western District of New York, District of Colorado, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana, and the Northern and Southern Districts of California.

PUBLICATIONS: Jim has been published in the areas of Joint Liability of Surgeons, Surgical Malpractice, and Physician Malpractice.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: Jim is a member of the Colorado and Indiana Trial Lawyers Associations, the Association for Public Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America), the Colorado and Indiana Bar Associations. He is listed in Who's Who in American Law, Super Lawyers (2006, 2007), and The National Registry of Who's Who.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Prior to establishing his own firm in 1989, Jim was an associate at the trial firms of Hansen & Breit, P.C. (defunct) and Madden & Strate, P.C. (defunct), where he practiced with noted trial lawyers Bob Hansen, John Breit (deceased), Bill Madden (retired) and George Strate (retired).

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: Jim has been on numerous mission trips with The Sudan Project (which he founded and lead in mid-90's), GOAL (Non-Governmental Humanitarian Aid Organization based in Ireland, affiliated with War Child International) , and The Persecuted Christians Task Force. Jim supports predominately African-American and African focused aid organizations, particularly those assisting war ravaged communities and children of war.