Jim was born in Lafayette, Louisiana. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Louisiana State University Law School in 1976 and earned an LL.M from Georgetown University Law School in 1977. He is admitted to practice in all federal and state courts in Louisiana, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. A past president of the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association, he is listed in Woodward White's The best Lawyers in America in the fields of maritime law and personal injury litigation. This book has been described as the "most respected referral list of attorneys in practice." He has been inducted as a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. The National Law Journal named him Litigator of the Month in August, 2001, as a result of a $43 million jury verdict he obtained for a double amputee. He also was co-counsel in a $32 million jury verdict in Lafayette Federal Court in April 2007. He has also been awarded the highest possible peer-reviewed rating by Martindale-Hubbell™ Law Directory, for professional excellence and integrity. A Member of the LSU Board of Supervisors from 2005-2010,he served as its Chairman (2008-2009), and is a member of the LSU Law School Alumni Board of Trustees.
- The Best Lawyers in America (Since 1999)
- Louisiana Super Lawyers (Featured as a Top 50 Attorney since 2008)
- Lexis Nexis Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Rated (Highest Rating in Legal Ability & Ethical Standards)
