Amanda Jones Tollison
Amanda Jones Tollison | |
|---|---|
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi | |
Designate | |
| Assumed office September 1, 2026 | |
| Appointed by | Tate Reeves |
| Preceded by | James D. Maxwell II |
| Personal details | |
| Spouse | Gray Tollison |
| Education | Mississippi State University (BA) University of Mississippi School of Law (JD) |
Amanda Jones Tollison is an American lawyer who has been appointed to serve as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi. Governor Tate Reeves appointed her to the court's Northern District, Place 2 seat on August 17, 2026. Her term is scheduled to begin on September 1.[1][2]
Early life and education
Tollison is a native of Amite County, Mississippi.[3] She earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science, summa cum laude, from Mississippi State University in 1992 and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1996.[4]
Legal career
Tollison was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1996.[4] Earlier in her career, she practiced at Bradley Arant Rose & White and Phelps Dunbar, working in commercial and product-liability litigation and white-collar criminal defense.[2] From 2008 to 2012, she served as legal counsel to Governor Haley Barbour, advising him on legal, legislative and policy matters that included judicial appointments, elections, budgets and disaster recovery.[1][2]
Tollison joined Butler Snow in 2012 and became a partner in the firm's Oxford office. Her practice included administrative and election law, regulatory matters, and governmental and appellate litigation.[1][4]
She was president of the Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar in 2005-2006. In that role, she led its Disaster Legal Assistance Program following Hurricane Katrina. She later served as president of the Mississippi Bar in 2019-2020.[2][4]
Mississippi Supreme Court
Reeves appointed Tollison to the Supreme Court's Northern District 3, Place 2 seat, succeeding James D. Maxwell II, who left the state court after his confirmation as a judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi.[1] Tollison is scheduled to serve from September 1, 2026, until the seat is filled in a special election.[2][5]
Upon taking office, Tollison is expected to become the third woman serving on the nine-member court at the same time, the highest number in the court's history.[1]
Personal life
Tollison is married to Gray Tollison, a Mississippi circuit judge and former member of the Mississippi State Senate.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vance, Taylor (August 17, 2026). "Gov. Reeves appoints Oxford attorney Amanda Tollison to state Supreme Court". Mississippi Today. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Governor Reeves Appoints Amanda Jones Tollison to Mississippi Supreme Court" (Press release). Office of Governor Tate Reeves. August 17, 2026. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Amite County native Amanda Jones Tollison appointed to Miss. Supreme Court". Enterprise-Journal. August 17, 2026. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Amanda Jones Tollison". Butler Snow. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
- ↑ Ray, Griffin (August 17, 2026). "Governor appoints Amanda Tollison to temporarily fill Supreme Court vacancy". SuperTalk Mississippi. Retrieved August 17, 2026.