Harris announced as new U.S. Magistrate Judge

The judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi are proud to announce that on March 1, Andrew S. Harris of Madison succeeded F. Keith Ball, also of Madison, as U. S. Magistrate Judge in the Northern Division at Jackson.

Mr. Harris is a long-time resident of Mississippi where he has lived for the last 37 years. He received his B.A. from Millsaps College in 2007 and his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he graduated first in his class. While in law school, Harris received numerous awards, including the William Prentice “Pete” Mitchell Award in Ethics and the Mississippi Law Journal Award presented to the third-year student who most contributed to the betterment of the publication.

Before taking the federal bench, Harris served as a term law clerk for Judge Daniel P. Jordan III and subsequently worked with Jones Walker LLP in Jackson as an associate and later as a partner. In his law practice, Harris represented closely held businesses, publicly traded companies, and entrepreneurs on a broad array of complex commercial matters, including those involving intellectual property, trademark, copyright and patent infringement. His work was recognized by the Mississippi Bar in 2020 when he received the annual Young Lawyer of Mississippi Award. He has also been awarded many other honors by professional organizations and publications.

Harris has also contributed significantly to his community and the state and federal bar associations. Among the numerous positions he has held on committees and boards, he was elected President of the Jackson Young Lawyers Association and President of the Board of Directors for Willowood Developmental Center.

Chief Judge Jordan noted the rigorous Magistrate Judge selection process and thanked the members of the Merit Selection Panel for their work. “Judge Harris is an excellent selection and a valuable addition to the Court family. We are proud to have him onboard,” he said.