Jim Eckmann

Jim’s screenplays benefit from the authenticity of a rich and varied background laden with conflicts and challenges. A decorated veteran and a graduate of Stanford Law School where he was on the Law Review, Jim left the practice of law at the top of his game as a plaintiffs’ lawyer after years of jury trials involving complex and highly technical concepts presented in compelling, thematic and dramatic stories to 12-person audiences. And then life really began.

He walked across his home state of North Dakota in winter ‘95, fighting wind-chills to minus 65F. A son was lost to drugs for three years, and has been clean and sober for 16. Jim’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer three times and is cancer-free. He wrote a book for husbands in that situation. Surgeons took his head apart to remove a tumor. A major lawsuit filed against him by four law firms put at risk his family’s entire estate. After two years litigation those firms admitted the suit was without merit.

These challenging experiences and troves of disputes account for the fact Jim’s scripts present memorable and nuanced characters in eclectic tension-filled conflicts and involve timely, topical and major issues of our days presented in an intelligent, well-written and layered fashion, only this time designed as edutainment for much larger audiences.

Jim wrote, produced and directed a 15-minute corporate skit performed at his client’s convention in Seattle in 2009. It was so well received the client has had it translated into three languages for use in its global operations. His script “Kate” won first prize in a screenplay contest in 2011. And his screenplay “The Mentors” is under option to an independent production studio.