Mr James Adams > Chambers of Matthew White > Bristol, England > Barrister Profile

Mr James Adams

0117 923 4700

Work Department

Children Private and Public Law

Career

Call: 2021

James is a specialist barrister practising exclusively in family law.

James is a tactically astute and sought-after advocate who is meticulous in his case preparation. He acts in public and private law children cases and adopts a pragmatic but sensitive approach to his work.

His calmness under pressure and ability to manage complexity mean that James has been instructed in serious cases against counsel many years his senior. He represented the respondent child as a lone junior in the Court of Appeal in Re H (A Child: Contact: Domestic Abuse) EWCA Civ 326. The court said that it was after James’ submissions in particular that it was satisfied that the Recorder’s decision at first instance was not invalidated.

James has appeared on several occasions in the High Court. He was instructed as a led junior at a fact-finding hearing in the Family Court involving an allegation of rape made by a daughter against her father and the forensic analysis of thousands of pages of mobile phone data.

Memberships

• Family Law Bar Association
• Denning Society, Lincoln’s Inn
• Western Circuit

Education

• Bachelor of Arts (University of Cambridge; Education with Geography; Starred/Double First and top of class)
• Master of Philosophy (University of Cambridge; Psychology and Education)
• Graduate Diploma in Law (University of Law; Distinction)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Bar Vocational Studies (City, University of London; Merit)

Awards

• McAulay Scholarship (2017; St John’s College, University of Cambridge)
  For First Class performance in Part I of the Education Tripos
• Wright Prize (2017; St John’s College, University of Cambridge)
  For First Class performance in Part I of the Education Tripos being judged to be of special merit, usually within the top third of the First Class across the university
• Quass (Shared) Year Prize (2017; St John’s College, University of Cambridge)
  For being of special merit and one of the best candidates in the college in the year, irrespective of subject
• McAulay Scholarship (2018; St John’s College, University of Cambridge)
  For First Class performance in Part II of the Education Tripos
• Wright Prize (2018; St John’s College, University of Cambridge)
  For First Class performance in Part II of the Education Tripos being judged to be of special merit, usually within the top third of the First Class across the university
• Hughes (Shared) Year Prize (2018; St John’s College, University of Cambridge)
  For being of special merit and one of the best candidates in the college in the year, irrespective of subject
• Winifred Georgina Holgate Pollard Memorial Prize (University of Cambridge)
  For outstanding performance on the University of Cambridge Education Tripos
• Master’s Scholarship (St John’s College, University of Cambridge)
• Isaac Newton Trust College Master’s Scholarship
• Lord Denning Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)
  Residential bar course scholarship
• Bar Vocational Studies Scholarship (City Law School, City, University of London)