James McConnell

For more than 30 years, Jim McConnell has represented local government agencies from Orange County, California in Washington, DC. His work includes authorization and appropriations activities on Capitol Hill, and work with the Administration and federal agencies.

During his career, Jim has worked with the Congress and Administration to secure federal authorization and appropriations support for construction of the $2.1 billion Santa Ana River Mainstem flood control project—the largest flood control project west of the Mississippi River; $2 billion widening and reconstruction of the I-5 freeway through Orange County—the largest public works project in the history of Orange County; authorization and appropriations for planning and construction highway and transit projects in Orange County; and the first federal lines of credit for local government toll road construction in the United States, allowing the Transportation Corridor Agencies of Orange County access to the private credit markets for construction of $5 billion worth of public toll roads. Additionally, Jim secured a $20 million authorization for the Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Replenishment System project, and the full amount in appropriations for the project.

Jim has successfully obtained funding and regulatory amendments over the years for other projects as diverse as health care, law enforcement, housing, water resources, parking facilities, refugee assistance, and base closure and reuse. Similarly, Jim has worked on obtaining federal grants for local governmental authorities for rental assistance projects, Superfund sites, flood control mapping, and economic development. Jim works to understand the client’s program and purpose, and to devise an effective strategy for successfully obtaining the program’s goals. He believes in a cooperative team approach, in which the client is an integral part of the education and lobbying process in Washington.

A track record of more than 30 years with the same clients speaks to both his success in Washington, and to his clients’ satisfaction with the level of service and professionalism provided to them.

For six years, Jim served as staff for Congressman Jerry Patterson of California and the Select Committee on Committees of the House of Representatives from 1979-80, as well on the legal staff of the American Law Division of the Library of Congress. He has his J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law and his B.A. in History from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. Jim was admitted to the bar in Ohio, 1976; District of Columbia, 1978; and US Supreme Court, 1980.