Jim E. Cowles is a shareholder in the Commercial Litigation and Tort and Insurance Litigation Sections of Cowles & Thompson. His experience of more than 500 jury trials has rendered him the senior trial attorney in the firm, with a practice consisting of representation of a wide variety of clients in the areas of commercial litigation, medical malpractice, aviation, professional liability and products liability.
Jim E. Cowles is a shareholder in the Commercial Litigation and Tort and Insurance Litigation Sections of Cowles & Thompson. His experience of more than 500 jury trials has rendered him the senior trial attorney in the firm, with a practice consisting of representation of a wide variety of clients in the areas of commercial litigation, medical malpractice, aviation, professional liability and products liability.
Mr. Cowles is a member of the State Bar of Texas, American Bar Association, Dallas Bar Association, Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Dallas Association of Defense Counsel, International Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, American Board of Trial Advocates, College of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation and a Master of The Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court.
Mr. Cowles received his B.B.A. degree in 1958 and his LL.B. degree in 1961 from the University of Texas. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1961 and is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas, United States Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Special Honors
- In June 2010, Texas Lawyer magazine honors Jim Cowles as one of the 25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter Century
- In 2010, named one of Lawdragon's 3000 Leading Lawyers in America.
- In 2010, selected by the Texas Bar CLE and the Insurance Law Section of the State Bar of Texas as a True Texas Legend in Insurance Law (April 8, 2010)
- In 2010, named DBA Tort and Insurance Practice Section’s Local Trial Lawyers Legend
- In 2010, named as one of the Texas Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition, Super Lawyer in Business Litigation
- In 2009, named as one of the Business Litigation Super Lawyers in the Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition.
- In 2008, named as one of the Business Litigation Super Lawyers in the Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition.
- In 2008, named as one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas in D-Magazine CEO Edition.
- In 2007, selected for the Texas Lawyer Go-To Guide.
- In 2006, named as One of the Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers In America.
- From 2004 to the present, listed in Who’s Who in American Law.
- From 2000 to the present, listed in Who’s Who In America.
- From 1993 to the present, named as One of the Best Lawyers in America.
- In 2005, selected as One of the Top 15 Business-Defense Lawyers in Dallas/Ft. Worth by the Dallas Business Journal.
- Selected as Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2005 at the Bench Bar Conference by the Dallas Bar Association.
- In 2005, named by Texas Monthly Magazine as One of the Top 10 Super Lawyers in Texas.
- From 2003 to 2009, honored by Texas Monthly Magazine as One of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Texas.
- In 2002, named by Texas Lawyer Weekly as One of 7 “Go-To” Lawyers in Texas for legal malpractice defense.
- From 1997 thru 2009, named by D-Magazine as One of the Best Lawyer’s in Dallas.
- Named by D-Magazine as One of the Top 12 Lawyers in Dallas in 1997.
- Received the President’s Award from the Texas Association of Defense Counsel in 1993.
- Received Citizens Certificate of Merit awarded by the Dallas Police Department and named as Honorary Dallas Police Officer in 1971.
Publications and Speaking Engagements
- “Revenge of the Carrier” When Lawyers Become the Target of Legal Malpractice in Cases Involving Insurance (State Bar of Texas, 3rd Annual Advanced Insurance Law Course, (March 30 31, 2006)
- “Apples & Oranges or Apples & Apples (Ethics)”(TADC 2004 Spring Meeting, April 14-18, 2004)
- Speaker at the Legends of The Law Seminar (September 2000)
- “30 Minute Voir Dire” (Collin County Bench and Bar Conference, June 1999)
- “Putting it All Together” (Defense Research Institute, March 1998)
- “Closing Argument” (Texas Association of Defense Counsel Young Lawyers Seminar, June 1997)
- “Winning in the Beginning - Defense Techniques for Voir Dire and Opening Statement” (Defense Research Institute, April 1997)
- “Checklist for Avoiding Legal Malpractice” (Southern Methodist University School of Law, February 1997)
- “The Biggest Developments in Insurance Law” (Texas Lawyer, December 16, 1996)
- “Alternative Fee Proposals” (Texas Association of Defense Counsel Seminar, August 1996)
- “Developments in Insurance” (Texas Lawyer, December 18, 1995)
- “Child Molestation Damage Claims” (Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Spring Seminar, 1995)
- “Choosing and Courting a Jury” (State Bar of Texas Seminar, April 1995)
- “Responsibilities of Senior and Junior Attorneys” (Texas Bar Foundation and The Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism; Texas Wesleyan and SMU Law Schools, 1994)
- “Professionalism” (Texas Tech, 1993)
- “Jury Verdicts: A Sign of the Times or a Disaster” (Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Fall Seminar, 1993)
- “Anatomy of a Trial Lawyer” (Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Rookie Seminar, 1993)
- “Voir Dire and Jury Selection in a Medical Malpractice Case” (Southern Methodist University: Litigating the Medical Malpractice Case, 1993)
- “Effective Pretrial Strategy” (Dallas Bar Association, Learning from the Masters Seminar, 1992)
- “Trial Demonstration” (Southwestern Legal Foundation: Academy of American and International Law, 1991)
- “Medical Malpractice” (University of Texas Medical School, 1991)
- “Medicine for Lawyers” (State Bar of Texas, 1991)
- “Current Issues in Medical Malpractice Cases” (Tarrant County Civil Trial Lawyers Association, 1991)
- “Firm Economics” (Texas Association of Defense Counsel, 1991)
- “Cross-Examining Economic Experts” (Texas Association of Defense Counsel, 1991)
Education:
- L.L.B., University of Texas at Austin School of Law, 1961
- B.B.A., University of Texas at Austin, 1958
Admissions:
- State Bar of Texas, 1961
- United States Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Mississippi
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
- Texas Supreme Court
- All State Courts
Memberships & Affiliations:
- Member, State Bar of Texas
- Member, Dallas Association of Defense Counsel
- Member, Texas Bar Foundation
- Member, Defense Research Institute
- Member, International Association of Defense Counsel
- Member, Texas Association of Defense Counsel
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Dallas Bar Association
- Former Member, American Board of Trial Advocates
- Former Member, College of the State Bar of Texas
- Committee for a Qualified Judiciary (1992-2009)
- Master Emeritus Patrick E. Higgenbotham American Inn of Court
- Life Fellow Texas Bar Foundation
