User:Col James M. Durant III

James Melbourne Durant III is Chief Counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, in Argonne, IL. He received his appointment as a career Senior Executive Service (SES) member in July 2013. As Chief Counsel, Durant and his staff of attorneys and legal assistants provide essential administrative, business, and technical support to the ten Office of Science national laboratories and site offices located throughout the country. Through the Office of Science's Integrated Support Center, national laboratories and site offices can continue operations efficiently and advance the fields of science, engineering, and technology for our nation. Durant's office also provides support to to several other labs at key universities across the United States.

Early Life and Education

In 1987, Durant earned a Bachelors of Science in Political Science from Howard University, majoring in Pre-Law with a minor in Psychology. Durant stayed a Howard, graduating from the Howard University College of Law in 1990 with a Juris Doctor, with concentration in International Law and Human Rights. Durant is married to his beautiful wife Karen, with whom he has two children, James IV and Jonathan.

Law Practice

Durant is licensed to practice law before the United States Supreme Court, Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. He is a former Special Assistant United States Attorney for both the Central District of California and the Northern District of Texas. He has practice law in California, Texas, Louisiana, Washington DC, Virginia, Utah, Colorado, Bosnia, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Military Career

In July 2013, Durant retired as a Colonel (O-6) from the United States Air Force after 26 years of service as a Judge Advocate in the US Air Force Judge Advocate's General's Corps (JAG Corps). Durant's final assignment was in the United Kingdom, where he served as the senior Judge Advocate and Director of Legal Services for all US Forces in the United Kingdom. Durant has served as the Chief of Military Justice, Claims, and Civil Law. He has served as the Staff Judge Advocate (managing partner) for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Wash DC; Hill Air Force Base, Utah; and Ogden Air Logistics Center, Utah. He has served as the Legal Advisor to the Commander of NATO's Air South in Naples Italy and NATO Operations' Commander in Sarajevo Bosnia, where he also served as a commissioner hearing war claims. There Durant led troops on six urban offensive missions to bring to justice persons publically indicted for war crimes. Durant also served in the US State Department where he wrote the authority for the US to negotiate with Russia for the new Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty. He also served FEMA and NASA when he led the legal team responding to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster operation for the first four days. Durant is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. He has been recognized as the top Air Force attorney three times (2000, 2008 and 2010).

Involvement with the American Bar Association

In addition to his position as Chief Counsel, Durant currently serves as an officer in the ABA House of Delegates, England District, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the ABA Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Durant is a former member of the Board of Directors of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative, where he served a three year term. As an Air Force Colonel, Durant is a past chair of the ABA General Practice Solo and Small Firm Division, where he led 30,000 members as Chairman. He was also the first active duty officer to chair the ABA Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law for two consecutive terms. Col Durant is a past member of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security. He is well published; his article on continued detention rights and Article III of the Geneva Convention has been well cited; the Deputy U.S. Attorney General considered the article to amend U.S. policy dealing with Detainees in Guantanamo. Last, for three years, Mr. Durant represented the American Bar Association before the National Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Committee, which meets regularly in the House of Lords in Parliament. His title was "London Liaison." He has lectured in the United States and the United Kingdom and has been the keynote speaker at five Law Societies' annual meetings in the UK (Law Society of England and Wales, Scottish Law Society, Law Society of Northern Ireland and the Sheffield Law Society). He has lectured at the Suffolk University Campus UK, Hamilton College NY and the United States Air Force Academy CO.