James Bacchus

Background

About James Bacchus

Professor Bacchus is a worldwide activist and advocate for freer and more sustainable international trade and investment, more ambitious climate action, global sustainable development, and democracy. Known throughout the world as practitioner and jurist in international law, and also as writer and scholar on international law, international political economy, sustainable development, democracy, and global governance. One of the seven founding judges and twice the chairman - the chief judge - on the highest court of appeal in international trade, the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization. Former Member of the Congress of the United States, from Florida, and former U.S. trade negotiator. Chair for 14 years of the global practice of one of the largest law firms in the United States and in the world, Greenberg Traurig, until 2017. Author of Trade and Freedom (2004); The Willing World: Shaping and Sharing a Sustainable Prosperity, named by the Financial Times as one of the Best Books of 2018; The Development Dimension (2021)(with co-author Inu Manak); Trade Links: New Rules for a New World (2022), likewise named a Best Book by the Financial Times; Truth About Trade (2024); and Democracy for a Sustainable World: The Path from the Pnyx (2025). Recipient in 2024 of the prestigious worldwide Weeramantry Award for his contributions to international law and global justice. Since 2017, Distinguished University Professor of Global Affairs and Director of the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity (GEEO) at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. Also, Pao Yue-Kong Chair Professor at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China; Adjunct Scholar of the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C; and Global Fellow of the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Canada. Member of the Leadership Council of the United States Chapter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Former Member of the High-Level Advisory Panel to the President of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Former Chair of the council on sustainability governance for the World Economic Forum and former chair of the global Commission on Trade and Investment Policy of the International Chamber of Commerce. In addition to his academic role at UCF, he is a frequent Visiting Fellow at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, Advisory Board member of Cambridge Governance Labs, and Associate of the Senior Combination Room of Kings College, all at the University of Cambridge.