A frequent lecturer, Jim is passionate about the education of those in the legal profession. He has served on the faculty of the Intensive Advocacy Program of the University of San Francisco Law School, the Advocacy Skills Workshop at Stanford University Law School, and as a lecturer at Boalt Hall, University of California (Berkeley Law). As part of the Executive Committee of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL), Jim served as Secretary of International Relations. In addition, after serving as IATL’s China Program Vice-Chair, McManis chaired the China Program from 2010 through 2017. He was a keynote speaker at the Stanford University China Law and Policy Conference. In addition, Jim has taught at the California Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER). He has also served on the Board of Trustees for the University of California Berkeley Foundation.
Jim served as Special Master for the Santa Clara County Superior Court, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in the Technical Equities cases, described as involving the largest securities fraud in California history. He also has served as a Judge Pro Tem for the Santa Clara County Superior Court and a Special Examiner for the State Bar of California. Jim also was a member of the California State Bar’s Task Force on Admissions Regulation Reform.