Article by Featured Author
Posted August 2026This is the second of a series of articles on legal families of Mississippi. The first article was on the Lee family with roots in Scott County, Mississippi. This article features the Abdalla family. If you would like to nominate a legal family with at least five attorneys for a future article, please email rosenbla@mc.edu.
Jerry Abdalla
As the patriarch of the Abdalla family, Jerry grew up in McComb, Mississippi, before earning his bachelor's degree in accounting and law degree from the University of Mississippi, followed by an LLM in taxation from NYU. He began his legal career at Carlton Fields in Orlando, Florida, providing business and tax counsel. There, he connected with Joe Bancroft, who had relocated his window and door manufacturing company from New York to McComb. After convincing Jerry to join Croft Metals, Jerry served as general counsel from 1978 until 1996 and assumed leadership of the company following Mr. Bancroft's passing. Beyond his corporate career, Jerry played an instrumental role in leading the Joseph C. Bancroft Charitable and Educational Fund, which supports the Croft Institute for International Studies at the University of Mississippi and the Batson Children's Hospital. In 2004, he was inducted into the University of Mississippi Alumni Hall of Fame. Jerry is now retired and resides in McComb with his wife, Jennifer.
Jake Abdalla
The older brother of Jerry, Jake is a native of McComb and an alumnus of the University of Mississippi (bachelor's and law degrees) and was commissioned through ROTC. After completing law school, Jake served four years on active duty as a JAGC officer with a tour in Vietnam. He continued his service for 21 years in the Army Reserves and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. While on active duty, Jake earned an LLM from George Washington University Law School with a concentration in tax. Following his active Army service, Jake worked at a bank and then worked for Delta Title while establishing his private real estate practice in Slidell, Louisiana. After 37 years of private practice, he is now semi-retired.
Jerry Abdalla, Jr.
A graduate of McComb High School, Jerry earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Mississippi. He began his legal career with a regional law firm in Jackson before serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. Today, Jerry maintains a civil litigation practice representing governmental entities, businesses, and consumers, including representing the State of Mississippi against private prison contractors in the MDOC bribery scandal, acute care hospitals in opioid litigation, and a landowner in the largest gasoline spill in Alabama history. Jerry resides in Jackson with his wife, Mary Clift.
Tom Abdalla
A native of McComb, Mississippi, Tom earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Mississippi before moving to Jackson to obtain his law degree from the Mississippi College School of Law. Afterwards, he joined his father, Jerry, at Croft, LLC, focusing heavily on manufacturing operations. Following Jerry's retirement, Tom stepped into the role of managing day-to-day operations at Croft. Tom resides in Brookhaven with his wife, Lindsey.
Mary Clift Abdalla
Raised in West Point, Mississippi, Mary Clift earned both her bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Mississippi. Following law school, she moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, where her practice focused on nursing home litigation. After marrying Jerry, Mary Clift relocated to Jackson and joined Forman Watkins & Krutz, LLP. As a partner, she defends complex civil cases for numerous Fortune 500 companies. Highly active in her community, Mary Clift chairs the Friends of Children's Hospital, serves on the Ole Miss Law Alumni Board, and previously chaired Party for Prep, where her daughter attends school. She and Jerry reside in Jackson.
Lindsey Boyd Abdalla
Growing up in McComb, Lindsey earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi and her law degree from the Mississippi College School of Law. After practicing family law in Summit and Jackson, she married Tom and established the Lindsey B. Abdalla Law Firm, PLLC in downtown Brookhaven. Today, she maintains a statewide practice handling domestic relations, divorce, adoption, and child custody matters. She currently serves as the President of the Lincoln County Bar Association and resides in Brookhaven with her husband, Tom.
Jim Rosenblatt is the Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law at Mississippi Christian University School of Law (MC Law) following 30 years of service as an Army Judge Advocate retiring with the rank of Colonel. He is a regular contributor to the CABA newsletter.
