Jim was admitted to the Bar of the State of New Mexico in 1963, after having served as Assistant Attorney General for the State of New Mexico, a patent advisor to the United States Department of Navy and to NASA, and a patent examiner for the United States Patent Office in Washington, D.C. He entered private practice in 1964, and he is a founding member of The Jones Firm, where he has practiced general law for more than 40 years. Jim represents a wide variety of businesses and individuals in general commercial matters. His practice includes business, insurance, intellectual property (including patent, trademark and copyright issues broadly), estate planning, probate, real estate, and administrative law.  He also completed the certification course for mediation with the Institute of Conflict Resolution.

EDUCATION: B.S.E.E., University of New Mexico 1959; J.D., The George Washington University 1963 (with honors). While attending The George Washington University Law School, he was patent editor for The George Washington University Law Review. He is a member of the Order of the Coif.

BAR ADMISSIONS: State Bar of New Mexico, United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and Patent Bar for the United States Patent Office, Department of Commerce.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Jim describes himself as a “general practitioner” in the truest sense. He represents businesses, large and small, and individuals in commercial, real estate, estate planning, probate and intellectual property matters. He did the legal work to form and obtain financing for a successful insurance company in New Mexico and serves as General Counsel for the company. He has lectured on art and the law with particular emphasis on intellectual property protection, business formation and marketing of intellectual property.

CIVIC INTERESTS: Jim has been Chairman of the Board of the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board, Chairman of the Board of Regents of the Museum of New Mexico and Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education. He is a Paul Harris fellow of the Santa Fe Rotary Club, Secretary of the Santa Fe Rotary Foundation, and Vice Chairman and Board member of the School of American Research. He has served on the board and as legal counsel for a number of non-profit corporations, and lectures on the duties and responsibilities of directors of non-profit corporations.

REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS: New Mexico Mutual Casualty Company, Southwest Casualty Company, Foundation Reserve Insurance Company, Alltel Communications, Hensley Galleries, Sakiestewa Textiles, LLC and many individuals and small businesses.