James studied Law with Economics at the University of Ulster graduating in 2007. 

He trained in a large defence firm and gained significant experience in road traffic collisions, public liability and employers liability matters including occupational acquired illnesses such as hearing loss and workplace accidents. Further to this, he has acted for applicants to the Historical Institutional Abuse redress scheme and obtained significant awards from the Panel. He has also pursued various institutions, such as schools, for damages on behalf of clients for historical abuse.

James also has considerable experience in criminal cases ranging from advice in the police station through to prosecution in the Magistrates Court and Crown Court level including terrorism related offences, serious organised crime matters and other serious offences.

Through his employment with a general practice, he gained experience in family law matters including care proceedings including complex cases involving Social Services, divorce, and non-molestation orders. Furthermore, James has acted for both Applicants and Respondents in injunction actions.

He has also a grounding in judicial reviews having brought a number of challenges, in some cases by way of emergency application to the High Court, to decisions by various government departments including the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Prison Service and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

James has also acted in immigration matters including applications for asylum and indefinite leave to remain. He has experience of spousal applications and also acts for individual’s seeking to renounce their citizenship together with compliance issues such as work permit /visa and eligibility to work in the UK.

He handles Disputes and Litigation matters at County Court and High Court level to include Personal Injury litigation, Commercial Disputes, Judicial Review and Debt Recovery.

In the past, James has also been instructed to defend civil ejectment proceedings in which tenants were being evicted from their home.

James acts for a prominent Irish Trade Union advising their members.  He is a former Trade Union representative.