Jim Mountain's practice emphasizes appellate law, administrative and regulatory law, civil litigation, and government relations. Jim serves the firm’s clients in the Supreme Courts and Courts of Appeals of the United States, the State of Oregon, and the State of Washington. He represents our clients’ business and personal interests before the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of federal, state, and local public bodies.

Jim formerly served as the State of Oregon’s chief appellate lawyer, its Solicitor General. He also held the number two job in the Oregon Department of Justice as the Deputy Attorney General. With more than 30 years of experience, Jim has briefed and argued hundreds of cases before state and federal appellate courts. Jim also is intimately familiar with the legislative, judicial and executive branches of Oregon's government.

Jim handles appeals arising out of the firm’s business and litigation practices and its government law practice. He defends businesses and individuals against government regulation, sanctions, and assessments. Jim recently persuaded the Oregon appellate courts to require a state agency to reimburse a client for the attorney fees the client incurred in successfully defending against an administrative tax assessment. On the business litigation front, he won for our client appellate court recognition of binding contractual obligations in an otherwise preliminary transactional document.

He was elected to the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers in 2007. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice. Jim was chosen as one of the top appellate lawyers in Portland, a list of which appeared in Portland Monthly Magazine's June 2006 and 2007 issues. Jim also was selected as a Super Lawyer in Oregon Super Lawyers magazine in November 2006 and 2007. He has received an AV® rating by the Martindale-Hubbell National Law Directory.

Memberships/Affiliations

Jim is a member of the Oregon State Bar (Appellate Practice and Litigation Sections), the Washington State Bar, the American Bar Association (Administrative and Regulatory Law and Litigation Sections) and the Multnomah Bar Association. Jim is a past president of the Marion County Bar Association, where he is still an active member. He is also a firm representative for the State Capital Global Law Firm Group.

Jim has been an active participant in many professional associations. He has served on the board of directors for the Marion County Bar Association, the Judicial Administration and the Continuing Legal Education Committees of the Oregon State Bar as well as the OSB Board of Bar Examiners, and as a member of the National Trends Scanning Board of the Council of State Planning Agencies. In June of 1988, he received the President’s Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Attorneys General. Jim is also a member of the Oregon City Attorney's Association, the Portland Business Alliance, the Willamette Valley American Inn of Court, the Breast Cancer Legal Advocacy Project of Oregon 2008 and the Oregon Trial Court Judicial Resources Committee. 

Education

Jim received his JD from Lewis & Clark College, Northwestern School of Law in 1975. He also has a BA in History from the University of Oregon. He received the American Jurisprudence Award in Labor Law from the Lewis & Clark College, Northwestern School of Law (1974) and served as Associate Editor of the Environmental Law Review (Lewis & Clark College, Northwestern School of Law). He is currently serving as President of the Board of Directors of the Oregon Law Institute (OLI).

Presentations

“A Day with the Court of Appeals,” Program Planner, Oregon Law Institute (March 2008)

“Dealing Successfully with State and Local Governments,” Program Planner and Panel Moderator, Oregon Law Institute (October 2007)

"Attorney Fee Awards on Judicial Review of State Agency Actions: Two Tests, Not One," Advanced Administrative Law, Oregon Law Institute (December 2005)

"The Attorney's Role in Upholding Constitutions," Government Law Spotlight: Upholding Constitutions and Tribal Sovereign Immunity, Oregon State Bar Continuing Legal Education (November 5, 2004)

“Judgment Day for Litigators,” Program Planner and Presenter, Oregon Law Institute (December 2003)

“Practicing Law in the Oregon Court of Appeals, Writing an Appellate Brief,” Oregon Law Institute (2003)

“Appellate Practice, Practical Consideration – Knowing Your Courts,” Oregon State Bar Continuing Legal Education (1995)

“Appellate Practice” Program Planner, Oregon State Bar Continuing Legal Education (1987)

Publications

"Let's Keep Politics Out of the Courts," 67 - OCTOBER Or. St. Bull. 70 (© 2006) Click here for pdf version.

“Governing Law, Federal Civil Litigation in Oregon ,” Oregon State Bar Continuing Legal Education, chapter supplement author (1998)

“The Office of Attorney General: Powers and Duties,” National Association of Attorneys General, Editorial Committee Member and Contributing Author (1988); author and co-author of chapters entitled “Common Law Powers of the Attorney General”; “Origin and Development of the Office”; “State Administrative Law”; “Institutional Litigation”; and “Open Meetings and Public Records”

“Post-Conviction Procedures,” Criminal Law, Oregon State Bar Continuing Legal Education, co-author with Paul DeMuniz (1986)

“Attorney Fees Under Administrative Procedures Act,” Administrative Law, Oregon State Bar Continuing Legal Education, co-author with Richard Wasserman (1985)

Criminal Law Newsletter, Editor and Publisher (1979 – 1980)