Chamberlin nominated for federal judgeship
Aug. 13, 2025 – Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Robert “Bobby” Chamberlin of Hernando has been nominated to serve as a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi in Oxford.
President Donald Trump announced the nomination Wednesday on his Truth Social platform, naming Chamberlin as his choice to fill the federal bench position.
Chamberlin, a lifelong resident of North Mississippi, has built a decades-long career in law and public service.
From 1991 to 1999, Chamberlin served as Municipal Court Judge for Hernando. In 1992, he also worked as municipal prosecutor for Horn Lake and served as a Special Master in Chancery Court. After graduating from the University of Mississippi School of Law, he joined the Austin Law Firm in Hernando before co-founding Chamberlin Nowak, P.C. in 2001. He also spent about 14 years in private practice and four years as attorney for the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors.
In 1999, voters elected Chamberlin to the Mississippi State Senate. Five years later, then-Gov. Haley Barbour appointed him as Circuit Judge for the 17th Circuit District, covering multiple North Mississippi counties. Chamberlin held that position for 12 years, where he co-founded the district’s Drug Court program in 2006.
He was elected to the Mississippi Supreme Court in 2016, taking office in January 2017. Voters re-elected him to a second term in 2024.
Justice Chamberlin has been recognized for his role in advancing the state’s drug court initiative, which he has described as one of the most effective tools in the criminal justice system for providing rehabilitation and second chances.
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Chamberlin will move from Mississippi’s highest court to an appointment on the federal bench in Oxford.
The process typically works like this:
- Nomination — The President formally submits the nominee’s name to the Senate.
- Judiciary Committee Review — The Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings, questions the nominee, and votes whether to send the nomination to the full Senate.
- Full Senate Vote — A simple majority vote is needed for confirmation.
- Commissioning — Once confirmed, the nominee receives their commission and can begin serving.
