Jim Echols joined the Saunders Law Firm immediately upon his graduation from Baylor Law School. Jim has been licensed to practice law in the State of Texas since 1976. He is also licensed to practice in the Federal Courts for the Eastern District of Texas. Jim grew up in Tyler, Texas and was educated in the public school system of the Tyler Independent School District. Upon graduation from high school, Jim attended Tyler Junior College on a baseball scholarship. Jim graduated from Baylor University with a Business Administration Degree, and earned a Juris Doctor Degree from Baylor University School of Law. Jim has taught courses in Business Law and The Legal Environment of Business at the University of Texas at Tyler. He has also been a guest speaker at seminars concerning various issues of bankruptcy law. Jim is a past President and is a current member of the Smith County Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas. Jim has been involved in numerous community and civic organizations. He has served on the boards of Children’s Village, Christian Women’s Job Corp of Tyler, Smith County Crimestoppers, Tyler Health Care Facilities, Ed and Mary Heath Foundation and Camp Tyler Foundation. He is an active member of the South Tyler Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow. Jim is also active in his local church, where he serves on the deacon body and has served on various church committees. Jim has also been involved professionally, and as an equity interest owner, in various residential and commercial real estate developments in East Texas.