• What Judges Want: A Former Judge’s Guide to Success in Court, (Foreword by former Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott A. Brister) Texas Lawyer Books (August 30, 2012)
• The Jury Rules, (Co-Authored by Trey Cox, Foreword by United States District Judge W. Royal Furgeson, Jr.) (August 5, 2012)
• “How to Prevail at a Summary Judgment Hearing,” Texas Lawyer (May 21, 2012)
• “Channel Aristotle to Win the Next Hearing,” Texas Lawyer (April 9, 2012)
• “Turning a TRO Into a Temporary Injunction,” Texas Lawyer (February 20, 2012)
• “Risky Business: Four Things a Judge Will Analyze Before Entering a TRO,” Texas Lawyer (December 26, 2011)
• “Three Things Never to Write in Court Papers,” Texas Lawyer (November 7, 2011)
• “Questions to Ask to Win the Next Hearing,” Texas Lawyer (September 19, 2011)

• Chambers USA, Texas: Litigation (2021, 2022)
• The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation (2021, 2022, 2023)
• Texas Super Lawyers (2020, 2021, 2022)
• 2018 Young Baylor Lawyer of the Year
• Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation
• Under 40 Hot List (2017) by Benchmark Litigation

• Appointed by United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade in In re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 53 to serve as court-appointed special master.
• Appointed by Texas State District Judge Scott J. Becker in Sandy Golgart v. Phillip M. Pourchot, et al., pursuant to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 171 to serve as court-appointed special master.
• Appointed by Texas State District Judge Jill R. Willis in INX, LLC v. Lumenate, LLC et al. pursuant to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 171 to serve as court-appointed special master.
• Appointed by Texas State District Judge Ken Molberg in In the Matter of the Law Practice of Thomas Corea pursuant to Part XIII of the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure to serve as court-appointed custodian.
• Appointed by Texas State District Judge Jim Jordan in Allstate Texas Lloyds v. Ling pursuant to the parties’ insurance contract and applicable Texas law to serve as a court-appointed umpire.
• Appointed by Texas State District Judge Marty Lowy in Technology Media Group, Inc. v. The Cincinnati Insurance Company pursuant to the parties’ insurance contract and applicable Texas law to serve as a court-appointed umpire.
• Appointed by Texas State District Judge John P. Chupp in Whitesides et al. v. MHI Partnership, Ltd. et al. pursuant to the parties’ real-estate contract and applicable Texas law to serve as a court-appointed arbitrator.

In addition to his court-appointed responsibilities, James is regularly retained to serve as a private arbitrator and mediator in cases requiring specialized creativity, expertise, and judgment.

• “Discovery on Steroids: ESI, Privilege, Preservation, and Litigation Holds” presented at the 13th Annual Complex Litigation Symposium sponsored by the Louisiana State Bar Association with United States Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, Richard Bernardo, Jennifer M. Hoekstra, and Lawrence L. Jones, II (New Orleans, Louisiana; November 2013)
• “Remedies Other than Damages in Business Litigation: Injunctions and Constructive Trusts” presented at the Business Disputes Seminar sponsored by the State Bar of Texas with Michael P. Maslanka and Ryan G. Anderson (Dallas, Texas; September 2013).
• “The Increasing Scope and Role of Special Masters” presented at the Harris Martin MDL Conference with United States Circuit Judge Kathleen M. O’Malley, United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade, David Cohen and Patrick Juneau (Chicago, Illinois; May 2013)
• “Everything MDL” presented at the MDL Conference sponsored by Harris Martin Publishing with Professor Francis McGovern, Richard J. Arsenault, Richard Meadow and Harry F. Bell, Jr. (Chicago, Illinois; May 2013).
• “The Jury Rules: Real Jurors Tell You How to Win at Trial” presented at the Winter Meeting of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel with Trey Cox (Steamboat Springs, Colorado; February 2013).
• “Tips from the Bench for Effective Persuasion and Practice in Federal Court” presented at the Federal Bar Association’s 27th Annual Federal Civil Practice Seminar with United States District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn, United States District Judge David C. Godbey, and United States Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton (Dallas, Texas; January 2013).
• “The Art of Witness Examination” presented at the Handling Your First Jury Trial Course sponsored by the State Bar of Texas with Ben Yelverton (Austin, Texas; December 2012).
• “Professionalism in the Complex Litigation Landscape: Perspectives from the Bench and Bar” presented at the 12th Annual Mass Tort/Class Action Symposium sponsored by the Louisiana State Bar Association with United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade, Larry Boyd, and Nicholas Drakulich (New Orleans, Louisiana; November 2012).
• “The Increasing Roles and Scope of Special Masters in Complex Litigation” presented at the 12th Annual Mass Tort/Class Action Symposium sponsored by the Louisiana State Bar Association with David Cohen, John Climaco, and Nina Gussack (New Orleans, Louisiana; November 2012).
• “The Special Master’s Role in MDLs” presented at the MDL Conference sponsored by HarrisMartin Publishing with United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade and Stephen J. Harburg (Dallas, Texas; November, 2012).
• “Being the Expert Witness the Jury Will Trust” presented at the 2012 Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants Southeastern Forensic and Valuation Services Conference (Nashville, Tennessee; October 2012).
• “Jurors: What They Really Think About Trial Lawyers” presented to the San Antonio Trial Lawyers Association (San Antonio, Texas; September 2012).
• “The Anatomy of the Modern Jury (and How It Thinks)” presented at the Litigation Institute for Trial Training Course sponsored by the American Bar Association at the George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building with Trey Cox (Dallas, Texas; September 2012).
• “The Jury Rules” presented at the 17th Annual Federal Criminal Practice Seminar sponsored by the Federal Bar Association with Trey Cox (Cleveland, Ohio; August 2012).
• “Lessons Learned from the Bench” presented with former Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott A. Brister (Houston, Texas; July 2012).
• “How to Be Better with Patients: What Medical Professionals Can Learn from Jurors” presented to the medical faculty and staff at the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center with Trey Cox (Fort Worth, Texas; June 2012).
• “The Jury Speaks: What Jurors Really Think” presented to the African American Section of the State Bar of Texas at its annual meeting with State District Judge Amy Clark Meachum (Houston, Texas; June 2012).
• “What Juries Think About Corporations at Trial” presented at the Spring Symposium of the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel with Trey Cox (Dallas, Texas; May 2012).
• “The Jury Speaks: Lessons from Actual Post-Trial Juror Interviews” presented at The 2012 Litigation Counsel of America Spring Conference with Trey Cox(Santa Barbara, California; May 2012).
• “Views from the Boardroom and the Courtroom: Winning in Court” presented to the Dallas Bar Association with United States District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn, State District Judge Eric V. Moye’, Kristin Erler, and David Canington (Dallas, Texas; February 2012).
• “Making Mediation Count” presented to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the Dallas Bar Association with Maricela Moore, Victor Vital, and Andy Payne (Dallas, Texas; February 2012).
• “Jurors Give Insight For Your First Trial” presented at the Handling Your First Jury Trial course sponsored by the State Bar of Texas with Trey Cox (Austin, Texas; December 2011).
• “The Texas Jury Rules” presented at the Dallas Bar Association Bench-Bar Conference with Trey Cox (Marble Falls, Texas; September 2011).
• “Best Practices: A View from the Bench” presented with former Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott A. Brister (Houston, Texas; July 2011).
• “Winning at Trial with Juries” presented to the In House Litigation Counsel for J.C. Penney with Trey Cox (Plano, Texas; July 2011).
• “Winning at Trial with Juries” presented to the In House Litigation Counsel for Federal Express with Trey Cox (Memphis, Tennessee; June 2011).
• “The Ten Rules Every Juror Wants Every Young Lawyer To Know” presented to the Law Clerks and Summer Interns in the Dallas Division of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas in the courtroom of United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade with Trey Cox (Dallas, Texas; June 2011).
• “What Every Juror Wants Every Trial Lawyer to Know and Do in the Courtroom” presented at the Annual Meeting of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association with Lisa Blue Baron and Trey Cox (Austin, Texas; June 2011).
• “The Jury Speaks: Tips from Jurors to Prevail in Your Next Jury Trial” presented to the Dallas Bar Association Trial Skills Section with United States District Judge W. Royal Furgeson, Jr. and Trey Cox (Dallas, Texas; January 2011).
• “Dinner and a Movie: Jurors Tell You How to Be a Better Trial Court Judge” presented at the 2010 College for Newly Appointed and Elected Judges by the Texas Center for the Judiciary with Trey Cox (Austin, Texas; December 2010).
• “Ever Wonder What They Are Thinking: The Jury Speaks Featuring Videotaped Exit Interviews from Jurors” presented to the Garland Walker Inn of Court with United States District Judge Gray H. Miller, United States Bankruptcy Judge Jeff Bohm, and Trey Cox (Houston, Texas; December 2010).
• “What Civil Court Judges Want You to Know” sponsored by the National Business Institute, Inc. with State District Judge Ken Curry, State District Judge Eric V. Moye’, State District Judge John Roach, Jr., State District Judge Gena Slaughter, State District Judge Bonnie Sudderth, and State District Judge Melody Wilkinson (Fort Worth, Texas; October 2010).
• “Persuading Your Judge and Maintaining Your Ethics” presented at the Ethics Symposium sponsored by Legal Placement with State District Judge Lorraine Raggio, State District Judge Eric V. Moye’, and Randy Johnston (Dallas, Texas; July 2010).
• “Judicial Recusal and Disqualification, and Attorney Disqualification” presented at the Advanced Personal Injury Course sponsored by the State Bar of Texas with State District Judge Melody Wilkinson, Dallas County Court at Law Judge King Fifer, and Former State District Judge Joe Cox (Dallas, Texas; July 2010).
• “Jury Box Gossip: What Juries Say Behind Closed Doors” presented at the Understanding Juries Seminar at the Advanced Civil Trial Course sponsored by the State Bar of Texas with Trey Cox (San Antonio, Texas; July 2010).
• “Tips from the Judges on How to Be a More Persuasive Courtroom Advocate” presented to the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association with State District Judge Emily Tobolowsky and State District Judge Jim Jordan (Dallas, Texas; June 2010).
• “Approach the Bench (the Right Way): Tips from Judges on Winning in Court” presented to the Dallas Bar Association with State District Judge Eric V. Moye’, State District Judge Ken Molberg, and State District Judge Craig Smith (Dallas, Texas; May 2009).

• Former Judge, 134th District Court of Dallas County
• Former Justice, Tenth District Court of Appeals (appointed to consider a single case)
• Board Certified in Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
• Capital Campaign Chair (2011) and Church Council Chair (2012), First United Methodist Church of Dallas
• Member, Texas Association of District Judges
• Life Fellow of The Foundation of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Texas Bar Foundation, Dallas Bar Foundation, and Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation
• Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America