James is an experienced criminal lawyer with particular expertise in appellate advocacy. He has handled well over 150 matters in appellate courts, the vast majority as lead counsel in the Court of Appeal. He has also led dozens of jury trials and provided advice on a wide range of criminal, regulatory, and public law issues.

Before joining Mills Lane, James spent six years at Meredith Connell and another six at Crown Law. In between times, he served a Pegasus Scholarship at Doughty Street Chambers in London, and obtained a BCL from Oxford with a focus on constitutional and human rights law.