Meet John
For more than 30 years, John Smallwood has done the quiet, essential work of chancery practice — protecting children, settling estates, guiding families through their hardest moments, and serving the courts that hold it all together.
Now he's running to serve the people of Forrest, Perry, and Stone Counties as your next Chancery Judge.
Built for the Chancery Bench
Since 2023, John has served as Judge Pro Tem of the Petal Municipal Court, presiding with the same temperament he'll bring to the chancery bench: prepared, patient, and grounded in the law.
John has served as a Guardian Ad Litem since 1994 — appointed by judges across Mississippi to protect the interests of children and vulnerable adults when no one else can. It's the work at the heart of chancery court, and he's done it for three decades.
In 2010, he was appointed Special Master, a role courts reserve for attorneys trusted to handle complex matters with fairness and precision. From 2017 to 2020, he served on the Mississippi Commission on Guardianships and Conservatorships, helping shape how our state protects its most vulnerable citizens.
A Career Across Mississippi
John founded The Smallwood Law Firm in Hattiesburg in 2015 after practicing at firms in Tupelo, Petal, Hattiesburg, and Laurel. He's appeared in courts from Iuka to Brookhaven to Pascagoula — and he knows what it takes to serve families across South Mississippi with the seriousness their cases deserve.
Before taking the bench in Petal, he served as the city's Public Defender, representing people who couldn't afford an attorney of their own.
Rooted in This Community
John and his wife, the Honorable Sheila Havard Smallwood, have called Hattiesburg home for nearly three decades. They've raised two daughters here — Kate and Abby — and built a life around the institutions that make this community what it is.
John has served as Senior Warden of Trinity Episcopal Church, sat on the Hattiesburg Youth Soccer Association Board of Directors, and served on the Petal School District Shared Decisions Council. He's a proud graduate of Mississippi State University and Mississippi College School of Law.
The Choice for Chancery Judge
The chancery bench requires more than legal knowledge. It requires judgment, temperament, and a deep respect for the families who walk through those doors on the worst day of their lives.
John Smallwood has spent his entire career preparing for this role.
He's ready to serve.
Contact
Reach out with questions or to volunteer.
Phone
601-450-2323
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The Committee to Elect John Smallwood