From Sitcoms to Sitting on the Bench:
Meet Chancellor Tametrice Hodges
Article by Featured Author
Posted March 2023
Growing up, Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Tametrice Hodges was inspired to pursue a career in law by watching 90’s sitcoms featuring tenacious young female lawyers. As a middle schooler, Judge Hodges was particularly enamored by Maxine Shaw, a popular character from the sitcom, Living Single. Maxine was known for entering a room and greeting everyone with her famous catchphrase “Maxine Shaw Attorney at Law.” Ally McBeal was another young lawyer who influenced Hodges through her comedy.
Born and raised in inner-city Jackson, it has always been important to Judge Hodges to serve the community that she was raised in. She is now doing so as the new Hinds County Chancery Court Judge for Subdistrict 3.
For many years, Hodges believed she could best serve her community as a lawyer. After becoming a lawyer herself, Hodges began her career at Morgan & Morgan, defending the rights of injured workers. She then opened her own law practice, Hodges-Childress Law Group, where she fought for children and families in chancery courts across the state. Finally, before her campaign to serve Subdistrict 3, Hodges was an Assistant District Attorney at the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office.
Judge Hodges is committed to remaining immersed in the community. One of her greatest passions is volunteering with the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI), a local initiative of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. YLI is an interactive leadership development program that guides youth to build a future. Judge Hodges is a proud volunteer and meets bi-weekly with the youth to discuss topics to empower them physically, emotionally, and socially. Hodges is also visiting local schools, some of which she attended, including Mary C. Jones Head Start, John Hopkins Elementary School, Walton Elementary School, Rowan Middle School, and Piney Woods Country Life School. Hodges is also a graduate of Denison University in Granville, Ohio and Mississippi College School of Law.
After 90 days on the bench, Judge Hodges reports that she spends all her days reading, writing, and listening. Her goal is to have a strong handle on the law and facts of each case, so she is ready before she hits the bench.
Judge Hodges said her experiences practicing law as a solo practitioner prepared her for the isolating nature of serving as a judge. As a judge, “you do the work alone” she said, and luckily, Judge Hodges has many years of experience running a business and practicing law on her own.