James grew up in Richfield, Wisconsin. He received his B.A. in History and Religious Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and lived in Taiwan for six years before attending law school. He received his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin, where he was a Notes and Comments Editor on the Wisconsin Law Review. Prior to joining Corneille Law Group, James worked as a law clerk at the Milwaukee City Attorney's Office and the State Public Defender. He also worked as a judicial intern at the Wisconsin Supreme Court under Chief Justice Ziegler and the Waukesha County Circuit Court under Hon. Michael Aprahamian. Outside of work, James enjoys playing fingerstyle guitar, cycling, and learning Mandarin.