James E. Baker

Who is James E. Baker?

James E. Baker is the Chief Judge to the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. He was appointed to the Court on September 19, 2000 and became its Chief Judge upon the expiration of Andrew S. Effron's term in September, 2011.

Judge Baker was born in New Haven, Connecticut and grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He graduated from Yale College in 1982 and Yale Law School in 1990. Following college he served in the Marine Corps as an Infantry officer. He resigned from the Reserves as an Infantry officer upon joining the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Judge Baker has also served as a legislative aide and Acting Chief of Staff to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

In the Office of the Legal Advisor, U.S. Department of State, he provided legal advice on law enforcement, intelligence, and counter-terrorism issues and served as counsel to delegations to various environmental negotiations. Judge Baker’s civil service also includes posts as Deputy Legal Advisor to the National Security Council and as Counsel to the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and Intelligence Oversight Board. From 1997 to 2000, he was Special Assistant to the President and Legal Advisor to the National Security Council. At the NSC, Judge Baker advised the President, the National Security Advisor and the National Security Council staff on national security law.