Dr. James Smith – 2 Selborne

Barrister

Barrister

Dr. James Smith

Date of Admission: 2003

Tel: +61 2 9233 6400

Fax: +61 2 9233 1276
james.smith@selbornechambers.com.au

Areas of Practice

Planning and Environment

Property

Local Government

Land Acquisition Compensation

Building and Construction

Criminal

Administrative and Public Law

Appellate

Qualifications

Bachelor of Laws (Hons 1), UTS

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Environmental Science (Hons 1), UNSW

Doctorate of Philosophy, UNSW

About

Dr. James Smith has been advising and representing both private and public sector clients in the area of planning, environment, property and local government law for approximately 25 years. He regularly appears in all classes of the Land and Environment Court’s jurisdiction as well as the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal.

Prior to coming to the Bar, James was a solicitor for 15 years specialising in environment and planning law at various major law firms and within State Government. After being awarded the APA Commonwealth Scholarship James completed a PhD in environmental hydrogeochemistry and gained experience working as a scientist in contaminated land and environmental impact assessment. He has since published material in a number of international journals and textbooks and provided guest lectures in environment and planning law at the University of NSW and Macquarie University, both to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

James has held a number of committee appointments including Regional Coordinator in Sydney for the IUCN – Commission on Environmental Law, Executive Councillor of the Environment and Planning Law Association (NSW) Inc and Chair of the NSW Young Lawyers Environmental Law Committee and Executive Committee.

In 2008 James was awarded the Law Council of Australia’s Young Environmental Lawyer of the Year Award for an “outstanding contribution to environmental law”. In 2009 he published his Third Edition of the Practitioner’s Guide to the Land and Environment Court of NSW. In 2010 he obtained Specialist Accreditation in Local Government and Planning Law from the NSW Law Society. In 2012 James was recommended nationally as one of the top 20 “rising stars” environment and planning lawyers in “Doyle’s Guide” – Australia’s Leading Lawyers and from 2015 – 2025 has consistently been recognised in the Leading Planning and Environment and Barrister – Sydney category. In 2015 James sat on the NSW Law Society Advisory Committee for Specialist Accreditation in Local Government and Planning Law. In 2020 James was appointed as Environmental Counsel to the NSW Environmental Protection Authority and the EPA Board and in 2023 as Counsel Assisting the Independent Planning Commission.