James Burnham is an experienced litigator and legal strategist at Jones Day. As a senior Justice Department official, James led teams litigating matters of national importance and delivered over 30 arguments on behalf of the United States — working with communications experts and in-house counsel across the Executive Branch to develop and implement successful litigation strategies. He has been named a "Rising Star" in appellate litigation by Law360 and a "D.C. Rising Star" by The National Law Journal. James rejoined Jones Day in 2021 from the Department of Justice. As Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Federal Programs and Consumer Protection Branches, James was the federal government’s principal advocate in district court and served as the Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) principal outside counsel. And as Senior Associate Counsel to the President, James assisted in vetting, recommending, and confirming judicial nominees — including Justice Gorsuch, Justice Kavanaugh, and then-Judge Barrett.