Dean James has been the Director of the Law Library since 1988 and Associate Dean for Information Services since 1995. Prior to joining the faculty, he was Director of the Law Library and Professor of Law at the University of Kentucky College of Law, and an Assistant Law Librarian and Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Dean James’ publications include: Law Libraries Which Offer Service to Prisoners (Am. Ass'n of Law Libraries Comm. on Law Library Services to Prisoners 1975); Recommended Collections for Prison Law Libraries (1975); Legal Reference Materials and Law Library Services (Am. Ass'n of Law Libraries Comm. on Law Libraries Service to Prisoners 1976); Legal Reference Materials and Law Library Services (U. Ken. Continuing Legal Educ. 1976). Dean James has also contributed to the textbook Fundamentals of Legal Research (1977), and has written annotated bibliographies for Law and Psychiatry (1979) (w/John Batt) and Natural Resources and Development (1987) (w/David Short). He serves on the Association of American Law Schools Committee on Libraries, and is a member of the Board of Advisers for the Legal Reference Service Quarterly. In addition, Dean James is a member of the American Association of Law Libraries and served on its committees for Placement, Education, Minorities, Scholarship and Grants, and was Chair of the Minorities Committee from 1985 to 1987. He also served in a number of capacities on various committees of the Southeastern Association of Law Librarians, including Chairperson of the Scholarship and Nomination Committees.