Jim grew up on a small farm near Atlanta, Georgia. As a young man he was active in 4-H and was a National winner in one of his 4-H projects. He received his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech. Jim and his wife, Sharon, moved to the Washington D.C. area for Jim to attend law school and settled first in Virginia, and later in Maryland. During the Vietnam War, Jim served with the 101^st Airborne Division, first as a Chemical Officer, and then in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate. He has been a Federal Prosecutor and served in the Virginia Legislature. Jim and his wife are very active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They served a mission in the Alabama Birmingham Mission for three years where Jim presided as Mission President.

After Jim and Sharon returned from their mission in Alabama, Jim returned to the practice of law. He is with the Vienna, Virginia, firm of Tate, Bywater, Fuller, Mickelsen & Tull. Jim currently represents the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Faith Leaders’ Group of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington. Jim and Sharon have two daughters – Virginia Isaacson and Devon Millward. They have five grandchildren. 

Jim is co-author of "I Am Charged With a Crime," available on Amazon.com, published in 2015.