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Jim Mather
December 2006
By Stacy Rupprecht
Butler
James Mather has
been selected as
the Outstanding
Pro Bono Attorney
of the Month for
December. The VLP
has been fortunate
to count Jim as a
volunteer since
1997. In addition to
being a lawyer,
Jim is also a CPA.
His expertise in
this area has made
him an invaluable
resource for the VLP. Over the years Jim has assisted many
VLP clients with
issues that involve the IRS. Jim also assists VLP clients with
wills, probate and
guardianship issues. Most importantly, VLP clients are
comfortable with
Jim. The client feedback received by the program about Jim
is always
favorable with clients commenting on his patience and skill. The
VLP's monthly
award is a distinct honor: of the 1220 attorneys who volunteer
their time with
VLP, only 12 receive the VLP's Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney
award each year.
Where are you
from?
I grew up in
Manhattan Beach, California. Needless to say surfing was my real
life for many
years. I made two trips around the world surfing. Found some
great spots to
surf in countries that were not even suppose to have surfing spots.
Where did you
go to college?
I received an A.A.
degree from El Camino College in Gardena, California; a B.A.
from Chapman
University in Orange, California: a Masters of Accounting and J.D.
from the
University of Arizona.
How long have
you lived in Tucson?
My wife and I
moved to Tucson 36 years ago so that I could attend law school.
What is the
history of your practice of law?
I started out my
law career working for Chandler, Tullar, Udall, and Richmond. I
then practiced on
my own until I became the General Counsel for Pima Savings
and later
AlphaGraphics.
What are your
current practice areas?
In addition to
being a lawyer I am a Certified Public Accountant. The majority of
my practice now is
the preparation of individual income tax returns and
representing
individuals before the Internal Revenue Service.
Life-lesson
learned from your experiences with VLP?
After my
experience with VLP I looked for other volunteer work to do. Last
July
I spent the month
in Wuhan, China teaching college students verbal English
skills. Getting a
chance to meet the Chinese students and exchange ideas
with them was a
great experience. I would recommend it to anyone. The
students thought
that everyone in the US lived like "Friends" on TV. And
of course we are
all millionaires.
Things you do
when not working or volunteering your legal services?
I enjoy
woodworking in my spare time. I built a large workshop several
years
ago to hold all my
toys. I like to refinish antiques and repair wooden items.
But what I am
really best at is making sawdust.
Best vacation
destination?
My wife and I
enjoy traveling. I think we have been in about 60 foreign
countries.
We just returned
from a 2 week walking vacation in Sothern France. We also
enjoy our home at
the beach in Cardiff By The Sea, California during the
summer. By doing
income tax preparation I work very had during the first
quarter of the
year and have a lot of time off during the remainder of the year.
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Past Pima
County Monthly Award Winners
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