James A. Willett

Partner

621 Capitol Mall
18th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

Areas of Law:

Trusts and Estates, Estate and Gift Taxes

Admitted to Practice in:

California

Jim Willett is Downey Brand's senior partner, having joined the firm in 1961. His practice emphasizes estate planning, estate taxes, trusts and probate law for individuals and family groups. He is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; a Past Chair of the California State Bar Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section, Executive Committee; a Certified Estate Planning, Trusts & Probate Law Specialist, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization; a Past Chair of the California Board of Legal Specialization, Estate Planning, Trust Law and Probate Advisory Commission; and a Past President of the Sacramento Estate Planning Council. Jim is also heavily involved in community activities. He is a Past Chair of the UC Davis Foundation Board of Trustees, Sutter Davis Hospital Board of Trustees, KVIE Channel 6 Board of Directors, Cal Aggie Boosters, and City of Davis Planning Commission. He has been a frequent speaker with the California Continuing Education of the Bar.

EXPERIENCE

Jim handles all levels of estate planning and trust administration, and regularly deals with the Internal Revenue Service in audits of estate and gift tax returns.

MEMBERSHIPS

Davis Rotary, Member

California Board of Legal Specialization, Estate Planning, Trust Law and Probate Advisory Commission, Former Chairman

Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section, Executive Committee, Former Committee Member and Past Chairman

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Fellow; California Membership Committee, Member

Sacramento County Bar Association, Member

International Academy of Estate and Trust Law, Former Member

Sacramento Estate Planning Council, Member and Past President

EDUCATION

University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall) (L.L.B., 1960)
University of California, Berkeley (A.B., 1955)

PRESENTATIONS

Presentations to Continuing Education of the Bar of the State of California on various subjects including recent legislation, probate administration, estate planning, conservatorships, and various taxation issues.

•  Recent Developments, 1984-2002, Lecturer

•  Fundamentals of Estate Administration, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1996 and 2004, Lecturer

•  Fundamentals of Decedent Estate Practice, 1995, Lecturer

Society of California Accounts presentation, “Probate Administration – What Accountants Should Know and Do,” Sacramento, 1999, Co-Speaker

CHARITABLE

UC Davis Foundation, Board of Trustees, Past Chair and Former Member (named Distinguished Honoree, National Philanthropy Day, 1993)

Sutter Davis Hospital, Board of Trustees, Former Member and Past Chairman

KVIE Channel 6 (public television), Board of Directors; Former Member and Past Chairman

Grandfathers Club of America, Sacramento, Board of Directors, Member

University Covenant Church, Davis, Stewardship Board, Past Chairman; New Church fund-raising campaign, Past Chairman

Cal-Aggie Boosters, Board of Directors, Past President and Former Member

Sacramento Ballet Association, Board of Directors, Former Vice Chair and Member

City of Davis, Planning Commission, Former Member and Past Chairman