James M Durant III

Early life and education

Durant was a student in the San Bernardino City Unified School District. His mother, Candy Mae Thompson, was a classified employee in the district. He was raised by his mother, a single mother, along with four siblings. In 1987, Durant earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Howard University, majoring in Pre-Law with a minor in Psychology. Durant stayed at Howard, graduating from the Howard University College of Law in 1990 with a Juris Doctor, with a concentration in International Law and Human Rights.

Military career

In July 2013, Durant retired as a Colonel (O-6) from the United States Air Force after 26 years of service as a Judge Advocate in the US Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG Corps).