James E. Graves Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Graves Jr.
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| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit | |
| Assumed office February 15, 2011 |
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| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Rhesa Barksdale |
| Associate Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court | |
| In office November 1, 2001 – February 15, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Fred L. Banks Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Leslie D. King |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Earl Graves Jr.
November 19, 1953 Clinton, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Education | Millsaps College (BA) Syracuse University (JD, MPA) |
James Earl Graves Jr. (born in 1953) is an American lawyer and judge. He currently serves as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. This is a very important court that hears appeals from federal courts in several states.
Contents
Early Life and Education
James Graves Jr. grew up in Clinton, Mississippi. His father was a minister. He was a top student in high school, graduating as the valedictorian. This means he had the highest grades in his class.
He went to Millsaps College and earned a degree in Sociology in 1975. After working for a while, he went to Syracuse University. There, he earned his law degree (called a Juris Doctor) in 1980. He also got another degree in Public Administration in 1981.
Legal and Teaching Career
Graves started his legal career helping people who needed legal assistance. He worked at Central Mississippi Legal Services. Later, he worked for the Mississippi Attorney General's Office. This office provides legal advice to the state government.
He also taught law at several colleges and universities. These included Millsaps College, Tougaloo College, and Jackson State University. He taught subjects like media law and civil rights law. He also helped coach high school and college teams for mock trials. Mock trials are like practice court cases where students pretend to be lawyers.
Judicial Career
Serving as a Mississippi State Judge
In 1991, James Graves Jr. became a circuit court judge in Hinds County, Mississippi. He was appointed by the governor and then won an election for the position. He was re-elected without anyone running against him in 1994 and 1998.
In 2001, he was appointed to the Mississippi Supreme Court. This is the highest court in Mississippi. He later won an election to keep his seat in 2004. At that time, he was the only African-American justice on the court.
Serving as a Federal Judge
In 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Judge Graves to be a federal judge. He was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. This court handles appeals from federal courts in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
The Senate confirmed his nomination in February 2011. This made him the third African-American judge to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. He officially started his new role on February 15, 2011.
Important Court Decisions
Judge Graves has been part of many important decisions on the Fifth Circuit. Here are a few examples:
- Dolgencorp, Inc. v. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (2014): Judge Graves wrote the main opinion in this case. The court decided that a tribal court could hear a case against a Dollar General store. The case was about a young tribal member who said they were harmed during an internship at the store. The court said that because Dollar General had a special agreement with the tribe, the tribal court had the right to hear the case.
- Inclusive Communities Project, Inc. v. Texas Dep't of Hous. & Cmty. Affs. (2014): In this case, Judge Graves helped set a standard for housing discrimination cases. The case was about whether Texas was giving housing credits in a way that led to segregated neighborhoods. The court decided to use new rules from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These rules help decide if housing practices unfairly affect certain groups of people.
- Harness v. Watson (2022): Judge Graves disagreed with the majority in this case. The court upheld a Mississippi law from 1890 that prevented many people with past felony convictions from voting. Judge Graves wrote that the law had a racist history. He said it was created to keep white supremacy in Mississippi. He believed the court should have struck down the law.
Awards and Recognition
Judge Graves has received many awards for his work and leadership. Some of these include:
- National Conference of Black Lawyers Judge of the Year Award - 1992
- National Bar Association Distinguished Jurist Award - 1996
- Hinds County Bar Association Innovation Award - 2000
- Jackson Public School District Parent of the Year Award - 2001
- United States Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner's Award - 2001
- Mississippi Association of Educators Humanized Education Award - 2002
- Mississippi Bar Foundation, Law-Related Public Education Award - 2002
- FBI Director's Community Leadership Award - 2011
Personal Life
James Graves Jr. is married and has three children.
See also
