Magnolia Bar Association
| Formation | 1955 |
|---|---|
| Founder | R. Jess Brown, Carsie Hall, Jack Young |
| Headquarters | Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Website | themagnoliabar |
Magnolia Bar Association is a lawyer organization founded by African-American attorneys in Jackson, Mississippi. It is an affiliate of the National Bar Association.
History
[edit]R. Jess Brown, Carsie Hall and Jack Young were the only African American lawyers handling civil rights cases in Mississippi for much of the 1950s and 1960s.[1] They founded the Magnolia Bar Association, along with five members, in the fall of 1955.[2][3]
In 1992, the association sued Mississippi's supreme court justices, governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and election commissioners, arguing that the system to elect justices to the Mississippi Supreme Court "impermissibly [diluted] black voting strength" under the Voting Rights Act.[4]
In 1992, the Magnolia Bar Foundation, a charitable arm of the group, was founded.[5]
The Magnolia Bar Association awards the R. Jess Brown Award.[6] The organization has participated in legal workshops.[7][8]
Presidents
[edit]- Carsie Hall
- Carlton W. Reeves[9]
- Melvin G. Cooper[10]
- Lewis Howard Burke[11]
- Lilli Evans Bass[12]
- Patricia Wise, first female president[citation needed]
- Edward Blackmon Jr.
Members
[edit]- Pieter Teeuwissen, judge[6]
- Toni Terrett, judge[13]
- Robert Shuler Smith, District Attorney[14]
- Tomie T. Green, judge[15]
- Jaribu Hill[16]
See also
[edit]- Sidney Dillon Redmond
- Sidney R. Redmond
- Curtis Flowers, the association filed a brief in his case
References
[edit]- ^ Anderson, Roslyn (February 18, 2023). "Documentary on Civil Rights attorneys examines legal struggle of the movement". www.wlbt.com.
- ^ "Magnolia Bar Association". Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ Ownby, Ted; Wilson, Charles Reagan; Abadie, Ann J.; Lindsey, Odie; Jr, James G. Thomas (2017-05-25). The Mississippi Encyclopedia. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-4968-1157-8.
- ^ "Magnolia Bar Ass'n, Inc. v. Lee, 793 F. Supp. 1386 (S.D. Miss. 1992)". Justia Law.
- ^ "History". Magnolia Bar Association.
- ^ a b "Gov. Reeves appoints new judge to fill vacancy left by late Cooper-Stokes". SuperTalk Mississippi. November 27, 2023.
- ^ Szymanowska, Gabriela. "Looking to clear a criminal record in Mississippi? Free legal workshop available to residents". The Clarion-Ledger.
- ^ "Legal clinic assisting in expunging criminal records to be held Friday in Jackson". Vicksburg News. May 12, 2022.
- ^ "Judge Carlton Reeves, Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medalist in Law | UVA Today". news.virginia.edu. March 6, 2019.
- ^ "Melvin G. Cooper Obituary". Clarion Ledger. April 3, 2020.
- ^ Reports, Staff (May 23, 2025). "Lewis Howard Burke".
- ^ "Lilli Evans Bass | JFP Mobile | Jackson, Mississippi". m.jacksonfreepress.com.
- ^ Reports, Staff (March 14, 2024). "Judge Toni Terrett selected for Mississippi Bar's 2024 Distinguished Service Award".
- ^ "Robert Shuler Smith Obituary - Clarion Ledger". clarionledger.com. September 13, 2021.
- ^ darkhorsepressnow.com/news/top-story/2022-02-02/9158-2/
- ^ "Supporters Line Up for Judge Green". www.wlbt.com. March 22, 2007.