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.