Tan Sri James graduated from the University of London with LL.B.(Honours) in 1969. 
He was called to the English Bar by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple London in 1970 and became a Barrister-at-Law. Thereafter he returned to Malaysia 
and was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1971. 
He was engaged in private legal practice as an advocate and solicitor from 1971 to 1990 and while in practice, specialized in criminal 
and civil law (particularly in the insurance law). During this time also acted as a legal adviser to numerous guilds and associations in Malaysia.
In 2009 he was made a Honorary Bencher of the Honorable Society of the Inner Temple, London and in 2011 was conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by the University of the West of England in 2011.

 In 1990 he was appointed Judicial Commissioner of the High Court of Malaya in 1990 and after two years later he was elevated to the High Court Bench. While serving as a High Court Judge, he was attached to the Criminal Division; High Court at Johore Bahru, State of Johore; High Court at Shah Alam, State of Selangor; High Court at Kuala Lumpur (Civil Division); High Court at Ipoh; Family Court; and then again in High Court Judge at Kuala Lumpur (Civil Division) from 2002 to 2005.
In 2005 he was made a Court of Appeal Judge. Then in 2009 he was elevated to the Federal Court (Malaysia Supreme Court) where he served until February 2012. While still a Federal Court Judge, was appointed Managing Judge of the Civil Division of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur and of the High Court and Subordinate Courts in the State of Penang.

 After his retirement from the Malaysian Bench, Tan Sri James returned to private legal practice as an Advocate and Solicitor and legal consultant. He also acts as a Mediator and an Arbitrator in both domestic and international arbitration. He is a member of the Asia International Arbitration Centre, International Court of Arbitration and the London Court of International Arbitration. He was also appointed as a Senior Consultant to the China-Asean Legal Cooperation Centre in Hainan, China in 2012.
Tan Sri James has written and published legal articles in various journals and magazines. Of significance are those relating to the setting up of the Family Court in Malaysia, the reorganization of the High Court in West Malaysia, medical negligence, matrimonial disputes, democracy and human trafficking. 
He has written a book – ‘The Malaysian Judiciary – A Record’ and it is in its 3nd edition. He has also given numerous talks and delivered lectures on various legal topics in most local universities and colleges, the Malaysian Bar 
Council, and other national and international bodies. 
He is also an adjunct Professor of Law with Taylor University in Malaysia. He is also the current Chairman of the Ombudsman for Financial Services of Malaysia. Aside from this, he also sits on the Board as an independent non-executive director of various public listed companies in Malaysia.