Judge Carlton W. Reeves

CLEO 1986

“Because of CLEO, having been taught by great law professors, I entered law school with more skills and enormous confidence. And because of the stipend I received, I exited with less debt. In other words, the dream of becoming a lawyer was far more easier to achieve because of CLEO. Thanks CLEO!”

United States District Judge Carlton W. Reeves, a native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, assumed office on December 30, 2010. Prior to his nomination by President Barack Obama, Judge Reeves, , was engaged in the private practice of law with Pigott Reeves Johnson, P.A., a law firm he co-founded in 2001. The focus of his practice was state and federal litigation.

Judge Reeves, a magna cum laude graduate of Jackson State University with a major in Political Science, obtained his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1989. Upon his graduation, he clerked for Justice Reuben V. Anderson of the Mississippi Supreme Court and became an associate with the Phelps Dunbar law firm. He next served as Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chief of the Civil Division for the Southern District of Mississippi where he supervised the daily trial and appellate litigation efforts of the attorneys and tried numerous cases. He served nationally on the Department of Justice Civil Chiefs Working Group and was awarded a Certificate of Commendation for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Prior to his appointment to the federal bench, Judge Reeves served as Special Master for the Hinds County Chancery Court where he presided over of cases concerning paternity, child support, child custody and visitation. He is a former President of the Magnolia Bar Association and Magnolia Bar Foundation as well as a Commissioner of the Mississippi Bar Association. He has served as adjunct faculty member at Jackson State and Mississippi College School of Law. He has served on numerous boards and commissions including the ACLU of Mississippi, Mississippi Workers Center for Human Rights, Mississippi Center for Justice, Mississippi Access to Justice Commission, Mississippi Center for Legal Services and the Mississippi Capital Defense Resource Center. He is the recipient of many honors and awards, including the Magnolia Bar’s highest honor, the R. Jess Brown Award, the Mississippi Bar’s Curtis E. Coker Access to Justice Award and the Hinds County Bar’s Pro Bono Award.

Judge Reeves is married and has one daughter.