David James was called to the Bar in 2006 having practiced as a solicitor in criminal and family law since 2002.  Prior to this, David spent 20 years with the Queensland Police Service where he worked as a Detective in a variety of specialist squads, interstate joint Major Crime Taskforces and the Sunshine Coast Criminal Investigation Branch. David obtained specialist qualifications as a Covert Drug Operations Controller, a Homicide Investigations Manager, and he held a commission to caution juvenile offenders.

Throughout David's criminal justice career he has worked in close liaison with members of both State and Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, Military Police, National Crime Authority (ACC), Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), Crime and Corruption Commission (formerly CMC and CJC) and other statutory investigative and enforcement agencies.

David is regularly briefed to conduct trials, sentences and applications involving serious criminal charges including drug trafficking, murder, manslaughter, rape, and a variety of other criminal and quasi-criminal matters both privately and as a member of Legal Aid Queensland’s ‘Complex Criminal Case Barrister’s Panel’.  He is also briefed as a Prosecutor, in the Supreme and District Courts, in relation to criminal trials and sentences by the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions as a member of their ‘Panel of Barristers’.

David also appears in family law matters and mediations with a focus on children’s matters.  He also appears at discipline
hearings and conducts administrative appeals and reviews in a variety of jurisdictions.  In 2018 David was appointed as Counsel Assisting former High Court Justice, The Hon Ian Callinan
AC QC, to the Statutory Review of the amalgamated Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) by the Commonwealth Attorney-General.

Although David’s Chambers are based in Brisbane he regularly appears throughout Queensland and interstate in a variety of matters.