James Jay is a native of Fort Worth and graduated from Texas Christian University. After completing law school at Texas Tech University School of Law, James returned to Fort Worth and has continued in private practice while being actively involved in the local and state legal community. James is a past president of the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, a former director of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and has served on various committees for the Tarrant County Bar Association. James has served on the Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline and has been a chairman of the Committee to Improve the Public Image of Lawyers.
James’ practice is generally dedicated to the litigation of complex commercial, family lawand probate matters. James was board certified in commercial real estate law by the Texas Board of Texas Legal Specialization in 1996. James has been recognized by Fort Worth, TX Magazine as a Top Attorney in Tarrant County related to his practice in the areas of real estate law and family law, and he regularly speaks at the Advanced Family Law CLE Seminar on the treatment of real property in complex divorce matters. James is a life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and has been awarded a rating of AV Preeminent, the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards by his legal peers in Martindale-Hubbell.
Representative Published Works
- Speaker and Author - Drafting Basic Real Estate Documents to Finalize a Divorce - Advanced Family Law Drafting Seminar (2021)
Past Employment Positions
- Bourland, Kirkman, Jay & Michel, LLP, Attorney/Partner (1997 - 2005)
- Hooper, Evans, Kobs & Lattimore, LLP, Attorney (1988 - 1996)
Bar Admissions
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Texas, 1988
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U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 1988
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U.S. District Court Western District of Texas, 1988
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U.S. Supreme Court
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U.S District Court Eastern District of Texas, 2020
Education
- Texas Tech University School of Law, Lubbock, Texas
- J.D. - 1988
- Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas
- B.S. - 1985
- Major: Political Science
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Texas State Bar Association, Member
- American Bar Association, Member (Litigation, Real Property, Probate Trust & Law Sections)
- Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, Director (1990 - 1991)
- Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, Treasurer (1992 - Present)
- Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, Vice President/President-Elect (1993 - Present)
- Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, President (1993 - 1994)
- Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association, Member
- Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association, Member
- Texas Young Lawyers Association, Director (1994 - 1998)
- Commission for Lawyer Discipline, Member, Liaison for Texas Young Lawyer Association
- Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Committee to Improve the Public Image of Lawyers, Chairman
- Tarrant County Bar Association - Bench Bar Conference, Co-Chair (1996 - 1997)
- College of the State Bar of Texas
Honors and Awards
- Texas Young Lawyers Association – President’s Award of Merit (1995-1996)
- Tarrant County Bar Association – President’s Certificate of Outstanding Achievement
- AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, a LexisNexis company (2003 - Current)
- Designated as a Top Attorney in the Family category in Tarrant County by Fort Worth Magazine, a publication of Fort Worth, Texas the City’s Magazine, 2014 - 2018; and in the Real Estate category in 2007 and 2010
- Designated as a Top Attorney in 360 West Magazine, a publication of Fort Worth, Texas (2019-2022)
