Norton Rose Fulbright supports Texas Access to Justice Foundation in Memory of Jim Sales for Kerr County flood victims

Our firm is proud to share that a donation of more than US$30,000 has been made to the Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF) in honor of longtime firm partner and friend, James B. Sales, who passed away in 2023 and would have turned 91 on August 24. The funds will be used to assist victims of the tragic flooding in Kerr County that took place in July.

The donation was initiated after partner Brett Govett settled a recent pro bono case. The pro bono clients donated a portion of their recovery to the TAJF in memory of Jim, which spurred additional donations from firm partners to commemorate his upcoming birthday.

Jim joined Fulbright, Crooker, Freeman and Jaworski in 1960, where he was trained under legendary trial lawyers Leon Jaworski and Kraft Eidman. Jim became a partner at Fulbright & Jaworski in 1971 and he was head of the firm’s litigation department from 1982 until 2000. He served as of counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright for the next 22 years of his life.

He spent the latter part of his career at the TAJF’s partner organization – the Texas Access to Justice Commission – after the Texas Supreme Court appointed Jim as the chair of the commission in 2003. Jim worked tirelessly in this role to design and implement new statewide programs that expanded access to justice for all Texans and are still relied upon today.

Jim is recognized as one of the preeminent trial lawyers in the country, trying more than 100 cases to verdict during his career. His product liability wins set the contours of that type of litigation in Texas and nationally. Jim worked on many groundbreaking cases for GM and also contributed to the landmark appeal of the Pennzoil v. Texaco case. The State Bar of Texas named him as one of the One Hundred Legal Legends in Texas and he was recognized as a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Created by the Texas Supreme Court in 1984, the TAJF is a nonprofit organization that provides free civil legal aid to low-income Texans for matters relating to domestic violence, maintaining public benefits and protection from consumer scams.