Trump Nominates Two Mississippi Supreme Court Justices to Federal Judgeships
President Donald Trump has nominated Mississippi Supreme Court Justices James Maxwell and Robert Chamberlin to fill two vacant federal judicial seats in northern Mississippi.
The nominations, announced Tuesday on Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, will go before the U.S. Senate for confirmation. If approved, Gov. Tate Reeves will appoint two interim justices to the state Supreme Court, with special elections scheduled for November 2026.
Trump praised the nominees, stating they would “uphold the Constitution and the rule of law.” Both Maxwell and Chamberlin declined to comment through the state Administrative Office of the Courts.
Mississippi’s U.S. senators, Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, applauded the decision and voiced strong support for their confirmations.
“I want to thank President Donald Trump for his nomination of two solid and experienced jurists for the U.S. District Court,” Wicker said. “I wholeheartedly support Justice Chamberlin and Justice Maxwell and look forward to their speedy confirmation.”
Maxwell’s Career
James Maxwell earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Mississippi. In 2009, former Gov. Haley Barbour appointed him to the state Court of Appeals, where he was later elected in 2010 and reelected in 2014. Former Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Maxwell to the state Supreme Court in January 2016. He was elected to an eight-year term later that year and reelected in 2024.
Chamberlin’s Career
Robert Chamberlin, also a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law, served for 12 years as a circuit court judge in the 17th Circuit District before winning a seat on the state Supreme Court in 2016 and securing reelection in 2024. Prior to his judicial career, Chamberlin served five years in the Mississippi Senate representing DeSoto County.
Filling the Vacancies
Maxwell and Chamberlin are set to replace U.S. District Judges Michael Mills and Sharion Aycock, both of whom have taken senior status in recent years. It remains unclear who Gov. Reeves will appoint to fill their state Supreme Court seats. Reeves has previously appointed prosecutors or circuit court judges with prosecutorial experience to appellate court positions, including Judges John Weddle and John Emfinger.
