Our Team

James Baehr is Special Counsel at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, where he litigates constitutional cases in Louisiana and the Fifth Circuit. He serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserves, where he drills as a reserve trial military judge. He previously served at the White House Domestic Policy Council as a Special Assistant to the President.

In 2018, he deployed to the Middle East for Operation Inherent Resolve, coordinating strategic visits to Iraq, Kuwait, and Syria. Previously, James served as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans. He also clerked for Judge Edith Brown Clement on the Fifth Circuit. James holds a J.D. and M.A. in History from the University of Virginia and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College.  He lives in New Orleans with his wife.