James is a photographer. He uses black-and-white film rather than digital photography. “There’s something exciting and unique about using film,” James says. He especially enjoys street photography and photographing individuals. “You meet a lot of fascinating people when you take their pictures on the street,” James says.
James is training to become a racecar driver. “Driving a racecar is a rush. There is nothing like the thrill of driving a racecar.”
James was born and raised in Texas. His father was the legendary high-school football coach, Gordon Wood. James is often asked about the secret to his father’s success, and he always replies, “Do your job!” Gordon Wood insisted that every person who was on the team and involved with the team complete their assigned jobs.
If anyone couldn’t do the job currently, James’s father would replace them with someone who could. As James puts it, “My father did not believe in the ‘old college try’ and ‘doing your best.’ He believed in getting the job done period, with no exceptions; otherwise, you would be replaced.”
Many of the lessons James uses in the courtroom he learned on the gridiron. For example, football taught James the five P’s: Proper Prevention Prevents Poor Performance. Through his experiences as a football player, James learned about hard work, dedication, and taking responsibility for one’s actions. During James’s senior year in high school, he broke his hand in the first play of a game but refused to let it impact his performance.
He played the entire game with a broken hand. As James explains, “My dad had no knowledge of my broken hand, but I finished the game because in my mind I was expected to do my job, period.” He applies this same mindset to his work as a trial lawyer. Rather than being a gifted orator or a brilliant legal mind, it’s James’s tenacity as a workhorse that gets the job done.
On the other hand, James’s compassion for the underdog comes in large part from his mother’s example. James’s mother volunteered in a soup kitchen, worked in an after-school program for needy and underprivileged children, and taught Sunday School. My mother was a saint,” James says.
James's son, Ty, graduated from the University of New Mexico Law School. Ty is a trial lawyer at his father's law firm. "I'm thrilled working with Ty. He is fast becoming an outstanding trial lawyer.
James's daughter recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and was an honor student. James could not be more proud of his children and grandchildren.
As a Double Board Certified Trial Lawyer (in the State of Texas and Nationally), James Wood represents individuals, children, and families against corporations, insurance companies, hospitals, doctors, and others that caused harm through neglect, indifference, malice, or greed.
Education
Awards and Recognition
Less than 5% of attorneys are Super Lawyers. Less than 5% are double board certified.
Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations.
James is admitted to practice law in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. He is Board Certified as a Civil Law Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
He is also a Board Certified Civil Pretrial Practice Advocate by the National Board of Legal Specialization.
James graduated from Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College. The Trial Lawyers College is dedicated to preserving the right to trial by jury and to improving the skills of attorneys who fight for and protect the rights of ordinary people. James believes in the work of the Trial Lawyers College.
Successful Case Results
James believes the right to trial by jury--a right guaranteed by the Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution--is a cornerstone of our democracy and of a free society. He believes that a jury trial is the only place where every person--rich or poor, male or female, black or white--can stand on equal footing with the largest, richest, and most powerful corporations.
James says: "The jury system is under constant attack from wealthy special interests who seek to avoid accountability to the public and to those they have injured. We must preserve this fundamental right."
One of James’s proudest moments was representing an airman in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Because of poor judgment and medical error, the airman suffered from short gut syndrome. The jury entered a verdict for the airman in the amount of $23.8 million.
James believes in "breaking bread" with clients on a regular basis. "To successfully tell a client's story to the jury requires me to walk in my client's shoes," James says.
James works hard to develop a close, personal relationship with clients. He personally participates in each client's case. "Because we work so closely together, my clients become my friends," James says.
He knows that, when a client comes to him, the client has suffered a serious loss. He often spends time outside the office with clients getting to know them and their families. James provides his clients with his cell phone number. Fighting for justice is only part of his job. Listening and compassion are equally important.
