He is board certified nationally in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and by the State of Texas in both Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law. He was named as a Texas Super Lawyer each year from the origination of the designation in 2003 through 2007, when he was recruited to the Baylor Law School faculty as a professor teaching trial procedure and advocacy. Although he now teaches on a full-time basis, he continues to represent a limited number of clients in courts across the nation. Jim has served as a national president (2009-2011) of the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He has also served as chapter president of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).