Steven E. Farese, Sr.
A native of Ashland, Steve Farese received his bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Mississippi in 1971. As an undergraduate, Steve was a point guard for the Ole Miss varsity basketball team. During his time on the hardwood, he faced opponents such as LSU’s Pete Maravich. He was also a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. He obtained his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1977 and returned home to practice law. As a young law alumnus, Farese had the opportunity to learn from his father, John B. Farese. The elder Farese was a successful and respected attorney as well as an accomplished statesman who was elected to both the Mississippi Senate and House of Representatives. Steve’s mother, Orene Ellis Farese also served in the Mississippi Senate and House of Representatives.
Throughout his career, he has become known as a preeminent criminal defense attorney in the Mid-South and has defended numerous high-profile criminal defendants. His success in this field has earned him national notoriety leading him to being prominently featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Prime Time,” Court TV, A&E’s “City Confidential,” People magazine, “Nancy Grace,” “Larry King Live,” “Greta Van Susteren” and “Good Morning America.” His work in the courtroom has also landed him on countless appearances on CNN, Fox News and other media outlets. His success has also allowed him to give back by lecturing extensively to trial lawyers throughout the country on the topic of criminal trial techniques. Farese, however, has not strayed from the humble roots of the family law firm. He follows the example set by his father and lends his legal skills to representing the indigent and numerous local clients pro bono when he sees injustices and the lack of resources for people in need.
Throughout his career, Farese has been an active member of several professional organizations, including the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the American Association for Justice, the American Bar Association, the Mississippi Bar Association, and the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association. He is also a charter member of the Mississippi Lawyers for Constitutional Justice. He has served the Mississippi Bar as a Commissioner and on its Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. Locally, he has been the attorney for the Marshall County Board of Supervisors.
In addition to the media recognition his professional success has brought, he has also received honors from top legal publications. He has been consistently selected to Super Lawyers, an honor bestowed on the top 5% of attorneys in the state. Super Lawyers has also listed him as a Top 50 Mississippi Super Lawyer, which indicates his prominence in the legal community. Best Lawyers has named him Lawyer of the Year multiple times for his work in Criminal Defense: White-Collar in the Tupelo region.
Steve and his wife reside in Holly Springs and have three children, Steve, Jr., Paxton and Kelsey and five grandchildren.
Martha W. Gerald
A native of rural Leland, Martha Gerald was an undergraduate at Belhaven College before transferring to Millsaps College. She graduated cum laude in 1941, earning a bachelor’s degree in social studies and English. There, she served as president of Kappa Delta sorority. This daughter of a lawyer then became one of three females to enroll at the University of Mississippi School of Law in the fall of 1941, just months before the United States entered World War II. As a law student, she held the distinguished honor of editor-in-chief of the Mississippi Law Journal. In 1944, she left Oxford having obtained her LLB degree from the Ole Miss law school.
The legal career Gerald put into place following law school made her a pioneering attorney and a trailblazer for women in the legal profession in the state of Mississippi. In 1944, she moved to Jackson and began practicing law at Wells, Wells, Lipscomb and Newsom. During a time when few opportunities exited for female attorneys, she eventually became partner at the firm that hired her out of law school. In 1977, the firm became Wells, Gerald, Brand, Watters, Cox and Hemleben. Soon after, the firm split, and Gerald became one of the first and only female managing partners of a large firm in Mississippi. She rose to become the dean of oil and gas lawyers in the state of Mississippi and was one of very few females in the field. In 1982, she wrote “Title Problems in Mississippi” for the 27th Annual Mississippi Law Institute. This 88-page treatise is still often referred to by Mississippi oil and gas lawyers. Throughout her career, she acted as lead attorney in many Mississippi Supreme Court and Federal Court cases.
Outside of the courtroom, she was very active in her community. She would serve as the first chairwoman of the governing body of Galloway United Methodist Church. Throughout the years, she would remain loyal to her alma mater, Millsaps, which in 1980 named her its Law Alumna of the Year. Other beneficiaries of her generosity were the YWCA, Central Mississippi Legal Services, Kappa Delta sorority and numerous organizations that allowed her to support the promotion of the arts in Mississippi. Professionally, she was recognized multiple times by being named to the list of Best Lawyers in America. Gerald served as the first president of the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association (MWLA). To this day, the MWLA annually honors Martha Gerald by providing a scholarship to one outstanding female law student at the University of Mississippi School of Law or Mississippi College School of Law.
Just a few days into 1997, Mississippi lost a giant within the legal profession. When Martha Gerald died, she left behind her sisters Lucy Moak and Adelyn Stokes and numerous nieces and nephews. However, she also left an enduring legacy that has opened doors for so many aspiring attorneys to walk through.
Betty W. Sanders
Prior to her legal career, Betty Sanders was an educator. In 1966, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education from Alcorn State University. Her next stop was Bowling Green University, where she earned a Master of Business Education in 1971. As an educator, she taught business education and office administration at Coahoma Junior College and simultaneously at Washington Technical Institute and Federal City College in Washington, D.C. Prior to enrolling in law school, Sanders transitioned to Mississippi Valley State University ultimately serving as interim chair for the Department of Business Education and Office Administration. In 1979, she obtained her J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law. After earning her law degree, she taught business law and court systems at MVSU.
Her profession in law began shortly after law school in Greenwood, where she took a job as staff attorney for the North Mississippi Rural Legal Services. In 1981, she left NMRLS to practice with her husband, the late Alix Sanders, in his firm. She soon became the first African American attorney to serve as co-counsel to the Greenwood Public School District. In 1989, she was appointed as a magistrate to hear cases filed by prisoners at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. She served in this capacity until 1994 when she became the first African American to be elected Circuit Court Judge, Post 3 in Mississippi’s Fourth Judicial District. She was also Mississippi’s first Circuit Court magistrate judge. In 2004, she retired but continued to hear cases by appointment as a senior status judge. Sanders was among the veteran judges who were appointed to help relieve the backlog of the court docket following the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of Sanders’ many accomplishments was the establishment of a Drug Court for the 4th District of Leflore, Sunflower and Washington Counties. She picked back up with service to North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, joining the board of directors. She also served more than 20 years as a member of the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project board and the Pro Bono Project. For her efforts, she was awarded the Pro Bono Publico Award. Sanders is a 2006 Mississippi Bar Foundation Fellow, served as a member of the State Drug Court Advisory Committee and was chair and treasurer of the Conference of Circuit Judges. She has served the Mississippi Bar, the Magnolia Bar and numerous other Bar Associations in many capacities. Her service also extends to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the NAACP, the Leflore County Chamber of Commerce and many other worthy organizations.
For her tireless efforts, she has been honored with the 2005 Citizen of the Year by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Greenwood Voters League’s Drug Court Outstanding Service Award, 2004 Drum Major for Justice presented by Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 1997 and 2003 Magnolia Bar Association Government Service Awards, the 1996 Althea T. L. Simmons Social Action Award and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education Distinguished Alumni Award, to name a few. In 2023, Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Randolph presented her with the Chief Justice Award, which recognizes individuals whose actions significantly impact the law, the administration of justice and the people of the State of Mississippi.
Sanders’ husband, the late Alix Sanders, was a trailblazer in his own right. Mr. Sanders was the first African American elected to the office of supervisor in Leflore County. Their pride and joy are their children who have become leaders in their communities. Judge Neysha Sanders followed in her mother’s judicial footsteps, serving on multiple benches. Dr. Neeka Sanders is an OB-GYN and Dr. Alix Sanders, Jr. is a dentist.
Briggs Smith, Jr.
Born and raised in Meridian, Briggs Smith is a 1958 honors graduate of Meridian High School. He earned his degree in pharmacy in 1962. As an undergraduate at Ole Miss, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and Army ROTC. Smith served with the 186th United States Air Force Combat Support Squadron as a medic/pharmacist. After pharmacy school, he also worked as a pharmacist in his family pharmacy in Meridian and at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. During his career as a pharmacist, he made the decision to return to Oxford and enroll in the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he became a 1966 graduate.
Smith’s career as a lawyer started in Batesville in 1967 with the law firm of former Governor Cliff Finch. In 1974, he became a founding partner in the Smith Phillips Law Firm, which opened a second office in 1993 in Hernando. During his years of practice, he worked with cases involving product liability and personal injuries. Once Mississippi legalized casinos, he extended his area of expertise and became one of the first attorneys in Mississippi to practice gaming law.
As an alumnus of the University of Mississippi, Smith has given back to his alma mater. He has served multiple terms on the Ole Miss Alumni Association’s board of directors. For the law school, he is a past president of the Law Alumni Chapter’s board of directors and a past chairman of the Lamar Order, a giving society within the School of Law. During his term as chairman of the Lamar Order, Smith brought in a record 71 new members, which provided substantial financial commitments to the school. In 2003, the law school honored him with its Law Alumnus of the Year award, presented at the Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Bar. His commitment to the Mississippi Bar has also been significant. He has served on numerous committees and is a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation. In 2008, he was appointed to the Bar’s special task force to address honesty and integrity of the Bar and fairness and impartiality within the Judiciary. For many years, Smith participated in the James O. Dukes Professionalism Program and served as a coach and as district and state judge for Mock Trial competitions.
Smith was held memberships in the Litigation Counsel of America, American College of Barristers, Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the William C. Keady Inns of Courts. He has been included in Lawdragon 3000 Leading Plaintiff’s Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers Top 50. He has been a Mississippi Business Journal Top 10 Leader in Law and has been recognized by Memphis Magazine as a Super Lawyer. He has also been certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial Advocacy.
In his community, he was a 50-year member of the Batesville Rotary Club, where he served as president and was a Paul Harris Fellow. He has been a blessing to Batesville Presbyterian Church, serving as a trustee, deacon and elder. He is also a past trustee for the St. Andrew Presbytery. In addition, he served as a board member for Magnolia Heights School in Senatobia. Having attained the rank of Eagle Scout, Smith was an active volunteer in Troop 78 BSA in Batesville, watching his three sons become Eagle Scouts. He served the Chickasaw Council Boy Scouts of America as a district director for the Memphis District.
Briggs and his wife of 56 years, the former Dot Fancher, reside in Batesville where their roots have been planted for almost 60 years. They have three sons, Dan, Carter and Fancher.
William C. Trotter III
A native of Greenville, Cham Trotter practiced law at Garrard & Trotter, PLLC in Belzoni for more than 50 years. In 1969, he earned his degree in English from Ole Miss. As an undergraduate, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and participated with the Concert Singers and The Group. Following graduation, he entered the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he was a member of the class of 1972. During his time as a law student, he was a member of the Mississippi Law Journal.
Following law school, Trotter began practicing law in Belzoni. In 1980 he took up the job of public defender for Humphreys County in Circuit Court and Youth Court. He also served as Guardian ad Litem. In addition to being a lawyer, he had a long career as a member of the judiciary. Beginning in 1973, he served continuously until his retirement as a municipal judge in Belzoni, Louise, Silver City and Isola.
Trotter is a Life Member of the Mississippi Public Defenders Association, serving as its first secretary-treasurer. He was a charter member of the Mississippi Municipal Judges Association and was its president in 1982.He is a Fellow and former Director of the Mississippi Bar Foundation. He is also a Fellow and Past President of the Mississippi Bar’s Young Lawyers Division. He is also a Bencher of the Charles Clark Inns of Court. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, he served a Supreme Court appointment as Special Circuit Judge for Jackson County to hear and adjudicate hurricane damage claims.
Long active with the Mississippi Bar, he has chaired its Local Bar Liaison, Budget and Finance, Long Range Planning and Advertising Committees. He served on the Board of Bar Commissioners and co-chaired the Mississippi Bar Centennial Celebration Committee. Along with former Gov. William Winter, he also co-chaired the Mississippi Legal History Advisory Board, and Trotter was chairman of the Mississippi Bar Legal History Committee. In addition, he served a term on the Board for the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project. He served on the Bar’s Ethics Committee, providing well over a decade of service and was its chairman in 2004.
Trotter is a member of the American Bar Association and served from 2003-2011 as the Mississippi Bar’s delegate to the ABA House of Delegates. In 2014, he was re-elected to the House of Delegates and served an additional seven years. In 2004, he was elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and became a Sustaining Life Member.
At the university, Trotter has served multiple terms on the Ole Miss Alumni Association’s board of directors and a term on its Executive Committee. He is a past president of the Law Alumni Chapter’s board of directors and a past chairman of the Lamar Order.
For his tireless efforts on its Ethics Committee, the Mississippi Bar presented Trotter its 1990 Distinguished Service Award. As a frequent speaker in judicial education programs, he has twice received the Mississippi Judicial College Outstanding Faculty Award. In 2010, he was recognized by the Mississippi Business Journal in its inaugural class as one of the state’s 50 leading attorneys. In 2015, the University of Mississippi School of Law named him its Law Alumnus of the Year. The Mississippi Bar presented him its 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award.
After more than 50 years, Cham has fully retired from his legal career in Belzoni. He and his wife, Jane, have relocated to Ocean Springs. The Trotters boast a long lineage of Ole Miss alumni reaching as far back as William Chamberlain Trotter, Sr. and including children Lisa Melton, Dr. John Trotter and Dr. Germaine Gottsche as well as a host of grandchildren.