Attorney Justis R. Gibbs

Justis Robert Gibbs is a practicing Attorney and was born, raised, and educated within District 72. At a young age, his community taught him the values of faith, community and respect. His first place of education was New Hope Christian School where Attorney Gibbs set his foundation. These values inspired Justis to begin advocating for his classmates at a young age and serving as the Student Body President of Murrah High School. In 2013, Attorney Gibbs served on Jackson Public School’s Student Board of Trustees where his cohort pushed for “State of the School” addresses for their respective schools and better connectivity between students and their elected leaders. As a result, Jackson Public Schools has continued to utilize the Student Board of Trustees as a vessel to heighten the importance of student voice within the district.

Outside of his education, Justis served as President of the Jackson, Mississippi teen chapter of Jack & Jill of America, Incorporated where he helped establish the first student library nook at the Henley-Young-Patton Juvenile Justice Center for youth. In addition, his work with Jack & Jill of America has helped families within the city of Jackson and Ridgeland get their children involved in summer programs, mentoring, and the annual Fun with Santa event that brings families together during Christmas. Under Attorney Gibbs’ leadership, families across Jackson were fed for Thanksgiving and a broader emphasis on local involvement was pushed within the organization. 

After completing his public school education in Jackson Public Schools, Attorney Gibbs finished with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and minor in Legal Communications from Howard University. Justis again, served his classmates as the Vice President of the largest college on Howard University’s campus- The College of Arts & Sciences.

Justis worked with groups such as NARAL Pro-Choice America, College Democrats, and volunteered with HIPO-Pfizer Sickle Cell research to identify African-American’s awareness of sickle cell diagnosis and the availability of the Affordable Health Care Act’s benefits to the underserved in Washington D.C.

Attorney Gibbs served as a panelist during the 2020 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Legislative Conference where he brought attention to school curriculums and the need for additional programs similar to Race to The Top under President Barack Obama’s Administration, to encourage conservatives states to become more competitive in public school performance.

          To pursue change, Attorney Gibbs ran to become a State Executive Committee member of the Mississippi Democratic Party. Attorney Gibbs was elected by Second Congressional democrats and along with his colleagues, was successful in reigniting the Young Democrats wing of the State Party, beginning by engaging with young people directly at the state’s colleges and universities. Attorney Gibbs served as a State Alternate within the Mississippi Delegation to the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Attorney Gibbs has always had a passion for improving the Democratic Party’s strength within the State of Mississippi and pushing state legislators to pursue allocating funds to issues his community cares most about: education, infrastructure, workforce development, and healthcare. These are some of the main policy priorities this community must focus on. 

  • Fully Funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program Act (MAEP)

  • Fighting for State Allocated Dollars to improve City Streets in Jackson, Mississippi

  • Restoring the Ballot Initiative within the State of Mississippi

  • Expanding Medicaid and fighting for disadvantaged groups to receive Medicaid

  • Eestablishing a Child Tax Credit within the State of Mississippi

  • Reform Voter Registration Procedures

Attorney Gibbs is a member of Free Mission Missionary Baptist Church where he has served in the Male Choir, Sound & Engineering Department, Sunday School and special programs. Attorney Gibbs is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Gibbs and is the brother to Attorney Ariana N. Gibbs. 

Upon graduation, Justis pursued and received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Attorney Gibbs served within the Law School’s judicial branch as a member of the Honor Council and was the student representative on UM Law’s Diversity & Inclusion committee. Due to his unwavering commitment, Attorney Gibbs earned the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award at graduation. While education has been at the forefront of Attorney Gibbs priorities, it was always Attorney Gibbs’ intent to come back to the community that raised him; he calls home “his village.” While studying in law school, Attorney Gibbs noticed a dismal statistic in the amount of constituents aged 18-24  who exercised their right to vote in Mississippi elections.