James Bacchus is Distinguished University Professor of Global Affairs and Director of the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity at the University of Central Florida. He is Visiting Professor at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment of the Global School of Sustainability of the London School of Economics and Political Science. He graduated from Vanderbilt University, Yale University, and Florida State University College of Law. He is also a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, an Associate of the Senior Common Room at King's College, Cambridge, and a member of the global faculty of Peking University Law School. He was a founding judge of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body and twice served as its Chairman. He previously served as a Member of the United States Congress and an international trade negotiator for the United States. He currently chairs the advisory committee of the Global Green Growth Institute and formerly chaired the International Chamber of Commerce Commission on Trade and Investment Policy. In 2024, he received the Weeramantry International Justice Award for his contributions to international law, peace, and sustainable development. His major publications include Trade and Freedom (2004), The Willing World (2018), Trade Links (2022), and his latest book, Democracy for a Sustainable World (Cambridge University Press, 2025).