James B. Curtis
Visiting Professor of Law
B.A., Political Science, 1979, Eastern Illinois University, High Honors graduate
J.D., 1982, University of Southern California
Member, California State Bar
Jim Curtis brings many years of experience as a law professor and practicing attorney to the classroom.
Professor Curtis teaches Contracts I, Contracts II, and Drafting Business Contracts. Curtis also teaches Contracts at the USC Gould School of Law, and at the UCLA School of Law. His teaching further includes the course in Contracts for the UCLA Extension Paralegal Training Program. Curtis mixes his experience teaching the substantive law of Contracts with his experience as a practicing attorney to help students gain a broad perspective of the topic.
“I try to inform students in an organized way about the major topics in Contracts law, while exposing students to the intersection where practicing attorneys use these concepts in law practice.”
Professor Curtis was formerly Senior Vice President and Senior Counsel at Bank of the West (now part of BMO Harris Bank), where he served as the bank’s primary Contracts attorney for 22 years.
In 2015, Curtis was awarded the California in-house banking attorney of the year award, the Almon McCallum Award, by the California Bankers Association, a division of the Western Bankers Association. In 2012, UCLA presented Curtis with the Distinguished Instructor Award. The award, presented annually to the top 1 percent of UCLA Extension instructors, recognizes “exemplary teaching, professional knowledge and outstanding commitment to students.”