Jim's practice is focused on municipal law and finance with emphasis on serving as bond counsel to Washington school districts and other Washington municipalities. In addition, he has substantial experience in the practice of defending municipalities against challenges to the exercise of municipal authority.

Jim has more than 30 years of experience as a bond attorney for Washington school districts. Since 2007, Jim has acted as bond attorney to Washington school districts on 403 issues with more than $6.85 billion in bonds. He has served as a bond attorney on a variety of financings for Washington school districts, including voted and non-voted bonds (both tax-exempt and taxable), short-term notes, lines of credit, certificates of participation, leases and conditional sales contracts. Additionally, Jim has served as special counsel in the preparation of levy election resolutions. He also has drafted legislation enacted by the Washington Legislature affecting school districts and frequently speaks at WASA, WASBO and WSSDA conferences on school finance related subjects.

He currently serves as bond attorney for more than 150 school districts, including, among many others, Aberdeen, Arlington, Battle Ground, Bethel, Camas, Cashmere, Cheney, Clover Park, Davenport, Deer Park, Dieringer, Eastmont, East Valley (Spokane), East Valley (Yakima), Ellensburg, Ephrata, Franklin Pierce, Freeman, Grand Coulee Dam, Granite Falls, Highline, Hockinson, Hoquiam, Kalama, Kelso, Kennewick, La Center, Lake Stevens, Medical Lake, Methow Valley, Moses Lake, Nine Mile Falls, North Franklin, Omak, Othello, Pasco, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Prosser, Puyallup, Quillayute Valley, Quincy, Renton, Richland, Royal, Selah, Sequim, Shelton, Shoreline, Snohomish, Snoqualmie Valley, Spokane, Sumner, Tonasket, Tukwila, Wapato, Washougal, Wenatchee, White Pass, Yakima, Yelm and Zillah.

Professional Activities

• Christian Legal Society, Member, 1990-present
• National Association of Bond Lawyers, Member, 1991-present
• Spokane County Bar Association, Member
  • Former Member: Judicial Evaluation Committee, Professionalism Committee, CLE Committee, Pro Bono Panel
• Washington Council of School Attorneys, Member, 1995-present
• Washington State Bar Association
  • Judicial Recommendation Committee, Co-chair, 1991-1995

Experience

Representative Work: Bond Counsel Transactions

• Represented numerous school districts in Unlimited Tax General Obligation Bonds in 2023 including:
  • Renton School District No. 403 for $299,345,000 (2023)
• Represented numerous school districts in Limited General Obligation Bonds in 2023 including:
  • Riverside School District No. 416-62 for $1,280,000 (2023)
• Represented numerous school districts in Unlimited Tax General Obligation Bonds in 2020, 2021 and 2022 including:
  • Bethel School District No. 403 for $44,830,000 (2020) and for $147,925,000 (2022)
  • Bridgeport School District No. 75 for $4,034,919.80 (2022)
  • Clover Park School District No. 400 for $14,955,000 (2021) and for $35,645,000 (2022)
  • Colville School District No.115 for $510,000 (2020)
  • Eastmont School District No. 206 for $4,260,000 (2020)
  • Ellensburg School District No. 401 for $8,820,000 (2020)
  • Entiat School District No.127 for $5,085,000 (2020)
  • Highline School District No. 401 for $33,920,000 and for $40,540,000 (2022)
  • Kennewick School District No.17 for $37,010,000 (2021)
  • Kittitas School District No. 403 for $9,285,000 (Tax-Exempt) and for $3,745,000 (Taxable) (2020)
  • La Center School District No.101 for $3,021,295.93 (2020)
  • Moses Lake School District No.161 for $32,630,000 (2021)
  • Oakville School District No. 400 for $4,870,000 (2020)
  • Pomeroy School District No.110 for $2,293,263.50 (2020)
  • Puyallup School District No. 3 for $32,175,000 and for $42,135,000 (2022)
  • Renton School District No. 403 for $100,500,000 (2020) and for $51,135,000 (2022)
  • Selah School District No.119 for $21,290,000 (2022)
  • Shoreline School District No. 412 for $58,800,000 (Tax-Exempt) and for $55,985,000 (Taxable) (2021)
  • Snohomish School District No. 201 for $83,360,000 (2020) and for $15,548,519.75 (Taxable) (2021)
  • Spokane School District No. 81 for $230,785,000 (2021) and for $91,150,000 (2022)
  • Wapato School District No. 207 for $14,934,433.66 (Taxable) (2020)
  • Yakima School District No. 7 for $8,325,000 (2021) and for $4,887,909.38 (2021) and $15,390,000 (2022)
  • Yelm Community Schools for $7,725,000 (2020)
• Represented numerous school districts in Limited General Obligation Bonds in 2020, 2021 and 2022 including:
  • Arlington School District No.16 for $15,575,000 (2020)
  • Darrington School District No. 330 for 800,000 (2020)
  • East Valley School District No. 361 For $4,540,000 (2020)
  • Highland School District No. 203 for $2,540,000 (2022)
  • Kelso School District No. 458 for $5,000,000 (2022)
  • LaCrosse School District No.126 for $500,000 (2022)
  • Manson School District No.19 for $550,000 (2020)
  • Orondo School District No.13 for $1,800,000 (2021)
  • Sultan School District No. 311 for $1,200,000 (2020) and for $1,150,000 (2022)
  • Tonasket School District No. 404 for $1,771,785.58 (2021)
  • West Valley School District No. 363 for $4,000,000 (2022)
• Represented numerous school districts in Unlimited Tax General Obligation Bonds in 2018 and 2019, including:
  • Bethel School District No. 403 for $124,330,000 (2019)
  • Cashmere School District No. 222 for $3,720,000 (2018)
  • Colfax School District No. 300 for $17,100,000 (2018)
  • Ellensburg School District No. 401 for $43,610,000 (2019)
  • Ephrata School District No.165 for $24,340,000 (2019)
  • Highline School District No. 401 for $59,375,000 (2018)
  • Hoquiam School District No. 28 for $6,355,000 (2018)
  • Kalama School District No. 402 for $56,840,000 (2018)
  • Kelso School District No. 458 for $60,125,000 (2018) and for $28,835,000 (2019)
  • Kennewick School District No.17 for $75,975,000 (2019)
  • La Center School District No.101 for $42,340,000 (2018)
  • Moses Lake School District No. 161 for $44,585,000 (2018)
  • Pasco School District No.1 for $88,650,000 (2018)
  • Royal School District No.160 for $14,440,000 (2019)
  • Selah School District No.119 for $40,955,000 (2018)
  • Shoreline School District No. 412 for $208,390,000 (2018)
  • Snoqualmie Valley School District No. 410 for $22,370,000 (2019)
  • South Bend School District No. 118 for $4,760,000 (2018)
  • Spokane School District No. 81 for $127,910,000 (2019)
  • Tukwila School District No. 406 for $31,190,000 (2018)
  • White Salmon Valley School District for $6,465,000 (2019)
  • Yelm Community Schools for $88,400,000 (2019)
• Represented numerous school districts in Limited General Obligation Bonds in 2018 and 2019, including:
• • Aberdeen School District No. 5 for $2,500,000 (2019)
  • Arlington School District No. 16 for $1,212,250 (2018)
  • Bridgeport School District No. 75 for $515,000 (2019)
  • Camas School District No. 117 for $5,270,000 (2019)
  • Colville School District No. 115 for $872,500 (2019)
  • East Valley School District No. 361 for $5,500,000 (2018)
  • Eastmont School District No. 206 for $2,286,280 (2018) and for $13,345,000 (2019)
  • Freeman School District No. 358 for $1,000,000 (2018)
  • Grand Coulee Dam School District No. 301J for $1,000,000 (2019)
  • Kettle Falls School District No. 212 for $625,000 (2019)
  • Kittitas School District No. 403 for $200,000 (2018)
  • Loon Lake School District No. 183 for $767,500 (2019)
  • Methow Valley School District No. 350 for $450,000 (2019)
  • Nine Mile Falls School District No. 325 for $3,445,000 (2018)
  • Orondo School District No. 13 for $75,000 (2019)
  • Paterson School District No. 50 for $142,595 (2018)
  • Prosser Consolidated School District No. 116 for $266,600 (2018), $387,000 (2018) and $231,000 (2019)
  • Sequim School District No. 323 for $2,295,000 (2018)
  • St. John School District No. 322 for $480,000 (2019)
  • Tonasket School District No. 404 for $1,780,000 (2019)
• Represented numerous school districts in Unlimited Tax General Obligation Refunding Bonds in 2017, 2018 and 2019, including:
  • Arlington School District No. 16 for $6,640,000 (2017)
  • Ellensburg School District No. 401 for $12,985,000 (2017)
  • Highline School District No. 401 for $26,185,000 (2019)
  • Kelso School District No. 458 for $6,075,000 (2017)
  • Methow Valley School District No. 350 for $1,351,705 (2019)
  • Renton School District No. 403 for $44,005,000 (2017)
• Represented numerous school districts in Unlimited Tax General Obligation Improvement and Refunding Bonds in 2017 and 2018, including:
  • Shelton School District No. 309 for $65,885,000 (2017)
  • Shoreline School District No. 412 for $60,675,000 (2017)
  • Snoqualmie Valley School District No. 410 for $112,860,000 (2017)
  • Sumner School District No. 320 for $92,775,000 (2017)

Representative Work: Significant Cases & Matters 

• Fell V. STA, 128 Wn.2d 618 (1996) (defended STA in a class action lawsuit challenging STA's determination of paratransit services)
• Marquis v. City of Spokane, 130 Wn.2d 97 (1996) (defended City of Spokane in sex discrimination lawsuit brought by former golf professional)
• Smith v. Spokane County, 89 Wn. App. 340 (1998) (defended Spokane County against a claim that aquifer protection fees were an unconstitutional tax)
• Mt. Spokane Skiing Corporation v. Mt. Spokane Public Development Authority, 86 Wn. App. 165 (1997) (defended Mt. Spokane PDA in a lawsuit by private operator against Spokane County formation of PDA to acquire state concession)
• Inland Foundry v. SCAPCA, 82 Wn.App. 67 (1996) (defended SCAPCA in a challenge to SCAPCA's classification of air contaminant sources)
• SRDF v. STA, ___ Wn.App. ___ (1992) (unpublished) (defended STA's acquisition of real property for a downtown transit center)
• IBS v. IBM (U.S. Dist. Ct. for E.D. Wash.) (1995) (unpublished) (defended IBM in a claim for damages arising from a personal services contract)
• Spokane Transit Authority (advice to STA regarding litigation, general counsel matters and labor; drafted Rules of Conduct for The Plaza pertaining to free speech)
• The Baseball Club of Seattle (advice to Seattle Mariners regarding stadium legislation, financing and litigation)