Jim Bannerot, Attorney and Community Activist.
In
addition to handling business and family legal transactions, Jim Bannerot
has successfully tried many cases before judges and juries involving
a wide range of legal issues, including personal injury, consumer law,
and patent infringement.
As a supplement to his law practice representing individuals,
corporations, and associations in a variety of legal matters, Jim has
taught basic law courses at Austin Community College and has developed
and taught a "Psychology and the Law" course to undergraduates
at the University of Texas at Austin.
Jim's interest in psychology began as an undergraduate
at the University of Texas, and had its academic conclusion in his third
year of law school, with a comment published in the Texas Law Review
entitled: Civil Commitment of Alcoholics in Texas.
In the 1970's he led neighborhood groups in projects that
limited high-density growth adjacent to Barton Creek and that revegetated
large areas of the creek bed that had been damaged by urban development.
Moving to the Westlake community in 1980, Jim coached youth soccer,
softball, and basketball, as his children, Alison and Alex, grew up.
As an active, charter member of the Westlake Rotary Club,
Jim also has participated in fundraising and community enrichment activities
for more than 20 years. He has coached high school mock trial teams
and helped design and coordinate, and serve as judge for, the Westlake
High School Teen Court program.
Jim has assisted disadvantaged children by tutoring students
at Popham Elementary School for the past six years, and by sponsoring
other community projects. The most recent project sent 350 third, fourth,
and fifth grade students from the Del Valle Independent School District
to participate in challenge courses at McKinney Roughs Nature Park,
an experience designed to teach important life skills in problem-solving
and conflict resolution.
Over the years, Jim has consistently preformed pro bono
work for Volunteer Legal Services. He also volunteers as a mediator
at the Travis County Dispute Resolution Center. Jim enjoys acting in
community theater. In portraying characters such as Polonius in Hamlet,
Duncan in Macbeth, and Caesar in Julius Caesar,
he has developed a special talent for being murdered on stage. Jim's
work with the Westlake Community Library is described on another page
of this web site.
