James A. Beckman is the first permanent chair of the Department of Legal Studies at the University of Central Florida, where he also holds tenure and the rank of Associate Professor. He previously served as a professor at the University of Tampa for over a decade. Beckman holds degrees from The University of Tampa, The Ohio State University & Georgetown University, and studied at Oxford University (England) in 1991. Prior to entering academia, Beckman was an active duty military lawyer (Army), serving on the Staff & Faculty of the United States Military Academy at West Point, as well as an active duty assignment at Fort Meade, Maryland. He also served as an attorney for the United States Department of the Treasury in Washington, DC. Beckman is passionate about law, history and loves spending time with his multiple canine companions.