Tim James
Tim James served two terms as the elected District Attorney for the 145th Judicial District of Texas before deciding to return to the private practice of law where he now specializes in Criminal Defense practice.
Mr. James received his BA degree from Texas Christian University in 1963 and attended George Washington University School of Law in Washington D.C. before completing his Juris Doctorate degree at the University of Houston.
Upon graduation from law school in 1967, Mr. James joined the Texas Attorney General's Office as a trial lawyer. In 1968, Mr. James left the Attorney General's Office and joined the Houston Police Department as a patrolman. During the next several years, Mr. James was practicing law and serving as a Houston Police Officer. He was selected as the Houston Police Department's "Rookie of the Year" during his first year on the force.
In 1973, Mr. James was appointed as the Staff Legal Assistant to the Attorney General of Texas and, as such, functioned on the Administrative Staff for the Attorney General with the primary responsibility of heading the Organized Crime Division for the State of Texas.
In 1982, Mr. James was appointed as Administrative General Counsel for the Houston Police Department where he concentrated on the development of Police Policy and Procedure consistent with the standards of Title 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (the Civil Rights Act). Mr. James was the on-scene representative of the Chief's Office for major threat situations such as SWAT calls, bomb threats, labor disputes, and other unusual situations involving demands for police service.
Mr. James' memberships have included the State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police where he was elected to the General Chairmanship of the Legal Officers Section in 1984-1985. He is a member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National College for DUI Defense and has been an instructor or guest lecturer for many institutions and seminars.
Tim James' career has been highlighted by his selection as Texas Delegate to the National Conference on Organized Crime in Washington, D.C. and as Texas Representative to the International Conference on Narcotics Smuggling sponsored by the Attorney General of Mexico.
In 2000 Tim James was selected by the U.S. State Department and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to travel to Kosovo and assist in the Law Enforcement, Prosecution and Judicial Institution-building effort in that Yugoslavian Province.
Mr. James was the graduation speaker for the 109th Session of the FBI National Academy which he attended and from which he graduated in 1977. He is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Mr. James holds the highest TCLEOSE Certification, that of "Master Peace Officer". He is a certified breath test operator and standardized field sobriety test practitioner.
