The Inner Temple is one of the four membership associations for barristers, providing legal training, resources and regulation to support them in their careers.   

‘Masters of the Bench’ or ‘Benchers’ are senior members of each Inn. The Inn has an important commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion and social mobility for talented students from all backgrounds to have access to the Bar. It was granted a Royal Charter in 1608, and Her Royal Highness Princess Anne is Royal Bencher.

In electing Academic Benchers, the Inn seeks to appoint ‘academics of outstanding ability and distinction and, in doing so, produce an even stronger academic ethos within the Inn’. In James’ case, his election was ‘in recognition of his track record of academic excellence and contributions to the Inn and the Bar and judiciary of England & Wales’.

As an Academic Bencher, James will be invited to sit on committees, offer strategic advice, and contribute to the education activities of the Inn.

James Lee is Professor of English Law at The Dickson Poon School of Law, where he teaches a range of private law subjects, and served as the School’s Vice-Dean (Education) from 2019-2022. James regularly lectures on tort law for the Judicial College of England & Wales, and he is an academic member of the Property Litigation Association, Chancery Bar Association and the Property Bar Association.

In terms of research, James’ main interests are in judicial reasoning in appellate courts, law reform and private law. His current project explores the interrelationship between legal institutions and legal change, and his recent Current Legal Problems article on this topic has been cited by the Law Commission in its 2023 book Inside Modern Law Reform. With Jamie Glister, he is Co-Editor of Hanbury & Martin’s Modern Equity, the leading Trusts textbook, which was recently cited by the United Kingdom Supreme Court. He is one of the General Editors of Legal Studies, the flagship journal of the Society of Legal Scholars.