After graduating from the University of Michigan and the University of Miami (Florida) with a Master of Laws in Taxation, James was admitted to the Bar in Arizona in 1981 and in Michigan in 1982.  James was also admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court in 1982, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 1983, the Ninth and the Eleventh Circuits in 1984 and the U.S. Supreme Court in 1986.

James is a member of the American Bar Association, Section of Taxation; the State Bar of Arizona, Section of Taxation and Real Property; the State Bar of Michigan, Section of Taxation, Real Property and Corporations; the Wayne, Oakland and Maricopa County Bar Associations.   He was Co-Chairman, Committee on Continuing Legal Education, Section of Taxation, State Bar of Arizona and served on the Tax Advisory Commission of the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization.  James is a Certified Specialist in Tax Law and has been listed in Super Lawyers