James Kateka started school in 1952 at Nyakahanga Native Authority Primary School in Karagwe. He completed standard IV in 1955. From 1956 to 1959 he studied at Mugeza Middle School in Bukoba. He joined the famous elitist Tabora School in 1960. In 1963 he passed the Cambridge Ordinary level School Certificate. In 1965 he passed the Cambridge Higher Certificate and completed his high school studies at Tabora School. In July 1966 James joined the University of East Africa at University College Dar es Salaam to study law. Following the October 1966 expulsions of hundreds of Tanzania students by Government, James lost one academic year and rejoined his law studies in July 1967. He completed his law studies in March 1970 graduating with LLB (Hons). His was the last class before the dissolution of the University of East Africa which used to take students from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. James was the first lawyer from Karagwe district. From 1973 to 1974 James did post-graduate studies at King’s College of the University of London where he obtained an LLM in International Law.