JIM DUNNAM

Jim Dunnam is a Board Certified Specialist in both Civil Trial Law and Family Law.  Jim was born and has spent his entire life in Waco.  He graduated from Baylor University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and earned his law degree from Baylor Law School in 1987.

Since being licensed to practice law in 1988, Jim has worked as a member of Dunnam & Dunnam, where he is a partner. A considerable portion of Jim’s time outside the office is spent working with his Labrador Retrievers, Daisy and Willow – who are weekly fixtures in Jim’s office. Jim has been married to his wife, Michelle, for more than 35 years, and they have two grandchildren and three children, including Mason, who is an attorney with the firm.

Jim represents both plaintiffs and defendants. And although he has obtained dismissals, summary judgments, and take-nothing verdicts in high-stakes cases as a defense lawyer, a few examples of his results for plaintiffs include the following.

• $27.5 million settlement in matter involving the close head injury of a two-week-old child. Read about this case as reported by the Waco Tribune Herald, KCEN-TV, Meat & Poultry Magazine and Topverdict.com.
• $25 million recovery in wrongful death and survivorship claims resulting from a trucking accident.
• A reported $15 million settlement in a matter involving the death and injuries of ATF agents in the Branch Davidian raid. Read about this case on Justia.com.
• $3.6 million verdict for intellectual property and breach of contract matter. Read about this case as reported by the Waco Tribune Herald.
• $1.6 million verdict in malicious prosecution case. Read about this case on Justia.com.
• $1.5 million verdict in wrongful termination case.
• $1.5 million settlement reported for the injuries caused by a straw purchase of a gun at a pawn shop. Read about this case as reported by the Waco Tribune Herald, and MoreLaw.com.

Most recently, Jim concluded 7-years of litigation against Baylor University on behalf of 15 sexual assault survivors spanning a range of over a decade.  The favorable rulings in this case are now a foundation for standard Title IX training at colleges and universities across the nation.  The ruling have already been cited hundreds of times as precedent in similar cases nationally.  Aside from a confidential settlement for his clients, these results, including sustained national reporting of the progress in the lawsuit, have all created stronger protections of sexual assault survivors and their rights.

Jim was named Young Lawyer of the Year by Baylor University in 2001. Voters have named Jim one of Waco’s Best Trial Lawyers and Best Business Lawyers in Wacoan Magazine on multiple occasions. He is AV Rated Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and regularly selected as Super Lawyer. Among other positions, Jim has served on the Texas Supreme Court Rules Advisory Committee and the Texas Sunset Advisory Committee. During that time, he oversaw the full evaluation and re-authorization of the State Bar of Texas and the State Board of Law Examiners.  Jim is a member of numerous organizations, including the Masonic Lodge, York and Scottish Rites and the Karem Shrine.  He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and, among numerous other recognitions, been named a Super Lawyer.

In addition to being licensed to appear before the Texas Supreme Court and all other Texas Courts, he is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas.  He has also practiced pro hac in the District of South Dakota and the Middle District of Louisiana.  He has also been licensed to practice law in the State of Colorado. 

Jim is a Public Policy Fellow through the University of Texas School of Law Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution, served as a Credentialed Mediator in the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association, and a member of the Waco-McLennan County Bar Association.

Jim Dunnam has been certified as a specialist by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the practice of Civil Trial Law since 1994 and Family Law since 1995.  Only about 1 percent of lawyers are board certified in these specialties. In addition to those two specialties, he engages in the practice of Appellate Law, Business Law, Commercial Law, Consumer Law, Criminal Law, Intellectual Property Law, Patent Law, and Personal Injury Law.

During his 14 years as a Texas State Representative, Jim served on the House Select Committee on Judicial Interpretation of the Law and the House committee responsible for oversight of Family Law and the Texas Family Code.  Jim has received numerous awards and recognitions, including: