In 1974, he co-founded a non-profit organization, the Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AKPIRG), one of the Ralph Nader-inspired "PIRG"s that were forming around the country (primarily on college campuses) to pursue consumer and environmental causes.

From 1990 to 2006, Love worked for Ralph Nader's Center for Study of Responsive Law, where among other things, he led an early effort to expand public access to U.S. government funded databases.

In 1996, Love worked with Richard Stallman to create the Union for the Public Domain, which focused its attention on defeating a proposal at a WIPO diplomatic conference to adopt a treaty for the protection of non-copyrighted elements of databases.

In 1997, Love worked with Ralph Nader to push the U.S. Department of Justice to bring an antitrust case against Microsoft for anti-competitive conduct relating to web browsers and other software products running on Windows.

Nader and Love later asked several computer manufacturers to offer consumers the choice of Linux or other operating systems, and pressed OMB to consider using its procurement power to require Microsoft and others to use open data formats.

In November 2001, a Wall Street Journal editorial singled out the Consumer Project on Technology for pushing the World Trade Organization to adopt the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health.

In 2005, Representative Bernie Sanders introduced the first of several "Medical Innovation Prize Fund" bills designed to eliminate drug monopolies, one of the reforms coming out of the 2002 Aventis scenario sessions.

Also in 2003, Love worked with several developing country governments, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Zambia and Mozambique on the granting of compulsory licenses on patents for antimalarial drugs.

In 2012, Love gave evidence in a compulsory licensing proceeding in India involving patents held by Bayer on the cancer drug sorafenib (brand name Nexavar).

[13] James Love's critical role in the battle for access to antiretroviral treatment in Africa and other parts of the global south is portrayed in the award-winning documentary Fire in the Blood (2013 film).