James B. Burns (September 21, 1945 – December 11, 2020) was an American lawyer who served as the inspector general for the Illinois Secretary of State.

A native of Quincy, Illinois, Burns was an all-state player who led McLeansboro High School to a fourth-place finish in the 1962 State Championship Tournament.

[1] He then played collegiately for Northwestern University, 1964–67, where he led the team in scoring all three seasons, was both All-American and Academic All-American in 1967, was All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten in 1966 and '67, and is still Northwestern's 12th all-time scorer, 3rd in scoring average, 10th in both field goals and free throws made, and 6th in points in a game (40).

[6][7] Despite his popularity and the Republicans' admission that he was the candidate they most feared,[8] During the campaign, he enjoyed early support from then-Speaker Michael J.

In April 2000, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White appointed Burns as his inspector general,[10] a position he held until his death.