Jim was born and raised in Providence, Utah and received his Bachelor of Arts from Utah State University in 1993. Jim graduated from law school at Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark School of Law in 1997 and later earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Environmental and Natural Resource Law from the University of Utah in 2001. Jim is a member of the Salt Lake Estate Planning Council, the Utah Bar's Estate Planning Section and its Elder Law Section.

Jim has served as the President of the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer's Association Utah Chapter, where he also assists as that organization's legal counsel. The mission of the Alzheimer's Association is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. In April 2011, Jim was appointed to the State Alzheimer's Task Force by Governor Gary Herbert to assist in the creation of a state Alzheimer's Plan aimed at minimizing the skyrocketing impacts of this debilitating disease on people, their caregivers, and our medical systems. In 2015, Jim was asked to serve on the recently created State Alzheimer’s Plan Coordination Council to ensure that the plan created in 2011 is ultimately implemented.

From 2011 to 2015, Jim served on the Board of Directors of the Kostopulos Dream Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities through the medium of recreation leisure education.