James Parrish Coleman was born on August 23, 1955, in Jackson Mississippi. He and his wife live in Silverhill, Ala. Their daughter is a lawyer who lives and works in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their son, James, is licensed in Louisiana and Alabama and joined J.P. Coleman Law, LLC in the spring of 2015.

The elder James Coleman is a 1977 graduate of Loyola University with a degree in Journalism. He worked as a newspaper reporter, operated his family's marine supply business and was a sales representative for a large manufacturer. before He attended  Birmingham School of Law while working full time, and  graduated  in 2006. He started work as an associate at Murchison & Howard, LLC in Foley, Ala. He opened his own firm in July 2012. 

He is an avid cook ,  a pilot and active volunteer for the United States Coast Guard.