James is an expert in food law and is currently undertaking doctoral research in the area of European food safety regulation, examining the standards applied to beef and beef products. James has taught tort law and company law at the UCD School of Law, as well as giving numerous lectures on food law to graduate and post-graduate students. His research interests include EU meat hygiene law, the role of small, local and artisan producers in food safety regulation and the management of food incidents. James also works closely with researchers from scientific and non-scientific backgrounds as part of the UCD Institute of Food and Health, a multidisciplinary initiative to develop EU and Irish food policy.