Grady F Tollison Jr

Grady F. Tollison, Jr. is the senior partner at Tollison & Webb in Oxford, Mississippi. Tollison has tried more than one hundred jury cases, appearing frequently in state and federal courts.

He was awarded a Juris Doctorate with distinction from the University of Mississippi School of Law where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Mississippi Law Journal. He was the recipient of the Dean Robert J. Farley Award for the highest grade point average in his graduating class, and received the Mississippi Bar Foundation Award for the highest grade point average among the three graduating classes. Tollison was selected the 1988-89 Outstanding Alumnus of the University of Mississippi School of Law where he had previously served as Chairman of the Lamar Order. He taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Mississippi Law Center in 1978-79 and 1989-90. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Southwestern at Memphis, Tennessee (now Rhodes College) where he was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and named to Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges.

He is a member of the Lafayette County Bar (holding various offices including President, 1985), American Bar Association, Mississippi Bar Association (President, 1993), Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association (Parliamentarian in 1986-87, Secretary in 1987, and Treasurer in 1988-90), and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (State Delegate from 1984-86 and Governor to the National Board in 1990). In July 1993 at the conclusion of his year as President of the Mississippi Bar, Tollison received a commendation from the Mississippi Judicial Conference for his leadership and contributions to the State of Mississippi and to the Judicial Conference. Additionally, Tollison was one of the persons cited in a special recognition presented by the Mississippi Supreme Court for his contributions to the profession in helping to promote the passage of landmark court reform legislation.

Tollison is a charter member of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (President of the Mississippi Chapter in 1986, National Representative in 1989-90 and served two terms on national board). He has served as Chairman of the Judicial Committee and the Committee of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is now on the editorial board of voir dire program, the official publication of ABOTA.

Grady has been the recipient of the Masters in Trial Award given by ABOTA. The MIT program is the continuing legal education branch of ABOTA presenting CLE programs nationwide. The award is given annually to recognize a person for exceptional participation in and to the Masters in Trial program in the preceding year. He was President of South Eastern ABOTA in 2008 and 2009. He is a trustee of the Foundation of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

He is a Bencher in the William C. Keady Inn of the American Inns of Court and is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Tollison served on the Mississippi Board of Bar Admissions (1983-1986) and the Judicial Nominating Committee (1980-1984). He served as Chairman of the Judiciary Advisory Study Committee, a body charged with advising the Supreme Court and the Mississippi Legislature on the administration of the Courts.

Tollison is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation, and a Fellow of the Young Lawyers Section of the Mississippi Bar. His other Bar activities include serving as Chairman of the Attorney/Client Relations Committee, the Professionalism Committee and the Judicial Liaison Committee. He has also served on the Unauthorized Practice of Law, Law School Liaison and Legislative Committees.

His publications include: The Insurer’s Duty to Defend, MISSISSIPPI LAW INSTITUTE, 1984; Expert and Lay Opinion Testimony, MISSISSIPPI LAW INSTITUTE, 1980; A Plea for Adoption of the Proposed Rules of Evidence, 53 MISS. L.J. 49 (March, 1983); Fiduciaries: Legislative Changes in the Duties of Officers and Directors, 9 VOIR DIRE, May/June (1988); Hysterical Jurisprudence, 8 VOIR DIRE, Nov/Dec (1982).