Jim Danow attended the University of California at Berkeley. After establishing a background in engineering, he received his B.S. in business administration in 1966, and an M.B.A. in 1967. After graduation, he worked in economic research for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and, later, as a stockbroker with Dean Witter.

Jim graduated cum laude from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 1977. He then joined the land use firm of Milch, Wolfsheimer & Wagner, representing developers while also acquiring litigation skills. In 1985, Jim joined Hyatt & Rhoads, a preeminent national firm specializing in community association law. As a senior litigator, he handled all facets of association litigation, from CC&R enforcement to construction defects. He also developed a broad expertise in all aspects of community association law. Jim joined what was then Epsten & Grinnell, APC in 1991, and is now a shareholder of the firm focusing on CC&R enforcement, litigation, and general association representation.

Jim has lectured extensively on a variety of community association topics, has developed a library on virtually all association subjects, and has testified as an expert witness on association issues. Jim is an active member of the Community Associations Institute. He served on the staff of Common Assessment Magazine for over ten years, and is the recipient of several Author of the Year awards from the San Diego Chapter of the Community Associations Institute.