James R. Gardner was born on June 11, 1952, in Camilla, Georgia and has resided in Savannah since 1959. He and his wife, Bridget, are both communicants of Christ Church Anglican. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia where he received his AB History with honors in 1975 and his Juris Doctor in Law in 1978. While at the University of Georgia Law School he served as Managing Editor of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law.

Mr. Gardner has been active in numerous professional, community and social organizations. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Georgia Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar Association and the Atlantic Judicial Circuit Bar Association. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Richmond Hill, the Rotary Club of Richmond Hill, and the Whitefield Foundation and Center. He has served as the Chancellor of Christ Church Anglican for the last ten years and is a former Vestryman and Warden for the Church. He is a former Board member and Chairman of the Richmond Hill/Bryan County Chamber of Commerce, past President of the Rotary Club of Richmond Hill, past Treasurer of the Hilton Head Island, SC Jaycees, and past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Cotillion Club of Savannah. He was a founding member and past Board Chairman of the Coastal Jail Ministries of Georgia, Inc. He is a member of the Home Builders Association of Savannah and the Savannah Yacht Club.

Mr. Gardner has been admitted to practice before the Georgia Bar since 1978 and the South Carolina Bar since 1979. He practices law in the areas of commercial and residential real estate, wills and probate, and general business.