[1] He was educated at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, followed by Trinity College, Oxford, graduating with a Master of Arts degree.

[3] After the Inner Temple, James attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, passing out as a Lieutenant in 1938, into the Army Reserve.

He served in the Second World War with the Royal Regiment of Artillery in Burma and was mentioned in despatches on 14 December 1943.

[5] Following the war, James retired from the army and was appointed fellow and tutor of law at Exeter College, Oxford, in 1946.

[6] Whilst at Oxford he taught a number of pupils, including Peter Crill, William Lederman, Christopher Davidge, Sydney Kentridge and Maurice Drake.