LAW PORTAL
- About
About USC Gould
USC Gould is a top-ranked law school with a 115-year history and reputation for academic excellence. We are located on the beautiful 228-acre USC University Park Campus, just south of downtown Los Angeles.
- Academics
Academics
Learn about our rigorous and interdisciplinary curriculum, our invaluable experiential learning opportunities, and the breadth and depth of our specialized areas of concentration and certificate offerings.
- Admissions
Admissions
USC Gould helps prepare you for a stellar legal career. You can pursue a JD degree, one of our numerous graduate and international offerings, or an online degree or certificate.
- Student Life
Student Life
Participate in an unparalleled learning experience with diversity of people and thought. Get involved in the law school community and participate in activities that enhance your studies.
- Careers
Careers
We work closely with students, graduates and employers to support successful career goals and outcomes. Our overall placement rate is consistently strong, with 94 percent of our JD class employed within 10 months after graduation.
- Faculty
Faculty
Our faculty is distinguished for its scholarship, as well as for its commitment to teaching. Our 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio creates an intimate and collegial learning environment.
- Alumni and Giving
Alumni and Giving
The global Trojan network of more than 10,000 law alumni and donors include recognized leaders in numerous fields who are deeply committed to supporting student and law school success.
Lecturers in Law
- FACULTY DIRECTORY
- LECTURERS IN LAW DIRECTORY
- EXPERTS DIRECTORY
- FACULTY IN THE NEWS
- SCHOLARSHIP AND PUBLICATIONS
- DISTINCTIONS AND AWARDS
- + CENTERS
- CENTER FOR LAW AND PHILOSOPHY (CLP)
- CENTER FOR LAW AND SOCIAL SCIENCE (CLASS)
- CENTER FOR LAW, HISTORY AND CULTURE (CLHC)
- CENTER FOR TRANSNATIONAL LAW AND BUSINESS (CTLB)
- INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM INSTITUTE (IRI)
- PACIFIC CENTER FOR HEALTH POLICY AND ETHICS
- SAKS INSTITUTE FOR MENTAL HEALTH LAW, POLICY, AND ETHICS
- WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES
James Curtis
Lecturer in Law
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Telephone: (213) 972-0675Direct Line: (213) 972-0675
699 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90089-0074 USA
James B. Curtis (Jim) is Senior Vice President and Senior Counsel at Bank of the West. He advises clients regarding contracts and retail banking operations, including UCC Articles 3 and 4. Curtis teaches Contracts, Contract Drafting & Negotiation, and Commercial Paper. He has taught at USC Gould School of Law since 1993.
In 2015, Curtis was awarded the California banking attorney of the year award, the Almon McCallum Award, by the California Bankers Association (“CBA”). In 2006, CBA presented Curtis with the Compliance Professional Award. CBA is the largest banking trade association in the United States. Curtis is one of seven persons in CBA’s history to earn both of CBA’s top awards. Curtis also teaches Contracts for the UCLA Extension Paralegal Training Program. In 2012, UCLA presented Curtis with the Distinguished Instructor Award. The award, presented annually to the top 1% of UCLA Extension instructors, recognizes exemplary teaching, professional knowledge and outstanding commitment to students.
Curtis earned his BA degree with High Honors from Eastern Illinois University and his JD degree from USC Gould, where he served as Vice Chair of the Hale Moot Court Honors Program. In 2011, he established the James B. Curtis Endowed Scholarship at USC Law. His 2016 gift named the Hale Moot Court Honors Board office at USC Law.
FACULTY IN THE NEWS
The Undefeated
April 19, 2018
Re: USC Gould School of Law
Thomas Lenz was quoted on how the NFL's refusal to hire quarterback Colin Kaepernick, as well as safety Eric Reid may bolster Kaepernick's case against the NFL for conspiring to keep him out of the league because of his political views. “To the extent that someone else has some parallel activity, some similar involvement, it certainly cast suspicion [on what’s occurring in the NFL]," said Lenz. “It’s the sort of thing that, as the facts bear out, you have to wonder if there’s some sort of pattern going on. … It definitely warrants some inquiry.”
RECENT SCHOLARSHIP
Robert K. Rasmussen
January, 2018
"Puerto Rico and the Netherworld of Sovereign Debt Restructuring," Workshop, Duke Law School, Durham, NC.
Edward Kleinbard
January, 2018
"The Right Tax at the Right Time," Florida Tax Review 21 (2017): 208.
Edward Kleinbard
January, 2018
“The Perversion of the Tax Policy Process,” Keynote Address at the USC Tax Institute, Los Angeles, CA.
