Jim Bacchus
Encyclopedia
James Bacchus (born June 21, 1949) is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a former chairman of the Appellate Body
of the World Trade Organization
.
Bacchus graduated from Vanderbilt University
in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts
degree
magna cum laude
with high honors in history
. At Vanderbilt he was a Founders Scholar and member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Bacchus earned a Master of Arts
degree from Yale University
in 1973 as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. Bacchus served in the United States Army
between 1971 and 1977. In 1978, he received his J.D.
with high honors from Florida State University College of Law
. Bacchus was a member of the Order of the Coif
and served as editor-in-chief of the FSU Law Review
.
Bacchus was a member of the staff of Florida Governor Reubin Askew from 1974 to 1978, serving as speechwriter
. He became Askew's special assistant from 1979 to 1981, after Askew was appointed U.S. Trade Representative
.
In 1990, Bacchus was elected as a member of the Democratic Party
to represent Florida's 11th congressional district
in the 102nd Congress
and Florida's 15th congressional district
in the 103rd Congress
from January 3, 1991 to January 3, 1995, and was not a candidate for reelection to the 104th Congress
in 1994. Instead, from 1995 to 2003 he served on the Appellate Body of the WTO, rising to the position of chairman in 2001. He was the first American to sit as part of the Appellate Body.
Since 2004, Bacchus has served as Chairman of the Global Trade & Investment Practice Group at Greenberg Traurig
, a Miami
-based international law firm
. He is also Co-Chair of its Global Practice Group.
On February 23, 2007, Bacchus was named to a Department of Defense
panel reviewing the Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect scandal
.
"Hoarding Resources Threatens Free Trade"
"Don't Push the WTO Beyond Its Limits"
"Breaking the Deadlock at Doha"
"Free Trade Should Be Part of the Stimulus Plan"
"Combating Climate Change"
"Next Chapter For Climate Change"
"Climate Change Is A Trade Issue, Too"
"Trading Up: Obama promises to create jobs by doubling U.S. exports. Can he deliver?"
"China In The Dock: The WTO cracks down on counterfeiting"
"What A Trade War With China Would Look Like"
"A 21st-century trade agenda"
"Brave new world"
"Banks without borders"
"Obama Must Discover the WTO"
"Global Finance Proposal Threatens Trade Finance"
"Don't Let Financial Reform Politicize the Fed"
"US Risks Becoming Economic Afterthought in Latin America"
"Brazil Tests Obama Commitment to Trade Enforcement"
"Obama's Plan for NASA and Reaffirming Our Commitment to Space Exploration"
"Roll back protectionism"
Appellate Body
The Appellate Body of the WTO is a standing body of seven persons that hears appeals from reports issued by panels in disputes brought by WTO Members...
of the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
.
Bacchus graduated from Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
magna cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
with high honors in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. At Vanderbilt he was a Founders Scholar and member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Bacchus earned a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1973 as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. Bacchus served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
between 1971 and 1977. In 1978, he received his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
with high honors from Florida State University College of Law
Florida State University College of Law
Florida State University College of Law is the law school of Florida State University in Tallahassee. The law school's highly accomplished and accessible law faculty delivers a program that has an interdisciplinary orientation designed to produce well-rounded and effective lawyers.The law school...
. Bacchus was a member of the Order of the Coif
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. A student at an American law school who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the...
and served as editor-in-chief of the FSU Law Review
Florida State University Law Review
The Florida State University Law Review is the flagship law review at the Florida State University College of Law. It publishes four issues a year. It is generally recognized among the top 100 general student-edited law reviews in the U.S. based on citations....
.
Bacchus was a member of the staff of Florida Governor Reubin Askew from 1974 to 1978, serving as speechwriter
Speechwriter
A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are used by many senior-level elected officials and executives in the government and private sectors.-Skills and training:...
. He became Askew's special assistant from 1979 to 1981, after Askew was appointed U.S. Trade Representative
Office of the United States Trade Representative
The Office of the United States Trade Representative is the United States government agency responsible for developing and recommending United States trade policy to the president of the United States, conducting trade negotiations at bilateral and multilateral levels, and coordinating trade...
.
In 1990, Bacchus was elected as a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to represent Florida's 11th congressional district
Florida's 11th congressional district
Florida's 11th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida that encompasses most of the city of Tampa and its suburbs and the shoreline of southeastern Hillsborough County. It also includes two areas in other counties: urban neighborhoods of south St...
in the 102nd Congress
102nd United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Senate :* President:Dan Quayle * President pro tempore: Robert Byrd - Majority leadership :* Majority Leader: George Mitchell* Majority Whip: Wendell Ford- Minority leadership :...
and Florida's 15th congressional district
Florida's 15th congressional district
Florida's 15th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. The district contains most of Brevard County south of the city of Cocoa, all of Indian River County, most of Osceola County, and a very small portion of Polk County...
in the 103rd Congress
103rd United States Congress
- House of Representatives :- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Dan Quayle , until January 20, 1993** Al Gore , from January 20, 1993* President pro tempore: Robert Byrd - Majority leadership :* Majority Leader: George Mitchell...
from January 3, 1991 to January 3, 1995, and was not a candidate for reelection to the 104th Congress
104th United States Congress
The One Hundred Fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1995 to January 3, 1997, during the third and...
in 1994. Instead, from 1995 to 2003 he served on the Appellate Body of the WTO, rising to the position of chairman in 2001. He was the first American to sit as part of the Appellate Body.
Since 2004, Bacchus has served as Chairman of the Global Trade & Investment Practice Group at Greenberg Traurig
Greenberg Traurig
Greenberg Traurig LLP and Greenberg Traurig PA is an international law firm based in Miami, Florida.The firm has approximately 1,800 attorneys and governmental professionals in 32 locations in the United States, Europe and Asia. Its founding office is in Miami, Florida with its largest office in...
, a Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
-based international law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
. He is also Co-Chair of its Global Practice Group.
On February 23, 2007, Bacchus was named to a Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
panel reviewing the Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect scandal
Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect scandal
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect scandal resulted from a series of allegations of unsatisfactory conditions and management at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. culminating in two articles published by The Washington Post in February 2007...
.
Recent Publications
Bacchus regularly writes commentary articles for a number of media outlets, his recent articles include:Wall Street Journal
"A Trade War With Zero Currency""Hoarding Resources Threatens Free Trade"
"Don't Push the WTO Beyond Its Limits"
"Breaking the Deadlock at Doha"
"Free Trade Should Be Part of the Stimulus Plan"
Forbes
"Diverting A U.S.-China Trade War""Combating Climate Change"
"Next Chapter For Climate Change"
"Climate Change Is A Trade Issue, Too"
"Trading Up: Obama promises to create jobs by doubling U.S. exports. Can he deliver?"
"China In The Dock: The WTO cracks down on counterfeiting"
"What A Trade War With China Would Look Like"
The Deal
"Danish détente""A 21st-century trade agenda"
"Brave new world"
"Banks without borders"
The Huffington Post
"Is Progress Still Possible in This Heat?""Obama Must Discover the WTO"
"Global Finance Proposal Threatens Trade Finance"
"Don't Let Financial Reform Politicize the Fed"
"US Risks Becoming Economic Afterthought in Latin America"
"Brazil Tests Obama Commitment to Trade Enforcement"
"Obama's Plan for NASA and Reaffirming Our Commitment to Space Exploration"
International Business Times
"Russian export ban mirrors old error""Roll back protectionism"
China Business Review
"China's entering WTO is successful: former chair of WTO Appellate Body"External links
- Profile from Greenberg TraurigGreenberg TraurigGreenberg Traurig LLP and Greenberg Traurig PA is an international law firm based in Miami, Florida.The firm has approximately 1,800 attorneys and governmental professionals in 32 locations in the United States, Europe and Asia. Its founding office is in Miami, Florida with its largest office in...