Jim Sullivan graduated from Boston College and Villanova University School of Law. He was admitted to practice in Rhode Island in 1988 and Massachusetts in 1989. Prior to forming a partnership with his father, Leo J. Sullivan, Jim was an associate at the law firm of Tillinghast, Collins & Graham in Providence and a law clerk for the Rhode Island Supreme Court law clerk pool.

Jim's law practice is focused in the areas of estate planning and administration and elder law , real estate (closings, purchase and sales, financing, conveyance and land use), and business law.

Jim is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA). This certification, issued by the National Elder Law Foundation, requires that the attorney pass an examination and demonstrate specialized knowledge in the area of elder law. Jim is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

He is a member of the Rhode Island and Washington County Bar Associations, and the Rhode Island Bar Association's Title Standards Committee, Probate and Trust Committee and Elder Law Committee. He participates in the Estate Planning Council of Rhode Island and the South County Hospital Professional Advisory Group.