Charles James (attorney)

James was born in Newark, New Jersey, where he attended Union High School.^[3] He earned his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in 1976 and his J.D. degree from the National Law Center at George Washington University in 1979.^[4]

From 1979 to 1985, James worked for the Federal Trade Commission, serving as Assistant to the Director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition from 1983 to 1985. He entered private practice in 1985, joining Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue. He returned to the federal government in 1989 during the George H. W. Bush administration, serving as Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the Antitrust Division. He served as Acting Assistant Attorney General for several months in 1992. James returned to Jones Day in 1992, where he practiced law until his confirmation as Assistant Attorney General on June 14, 2001.^[4][5]

In 2002, James re-entered private practice, serving as vice president and general counsel of Chevron-Texaco. He was made executive vice president in 2009.^[6] He retired in 2010, joining the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at ASU as an adjunct professor specializing in antitrust.^[7]