Term Ends: 2026
Party: R
Justice Jay Bowen McCallum, who now lives in Farmerville, is a lifelong resident of Union Parish. Born and raised in the Pisgah Baptist Church community, near Bernice, Louisiana, Jay is the first in his family to receive a college education, having graduated from Northeast Louisiana University in 1982 and LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1985. He also holds a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Upon admission to the Bar, he returned home to Union Parish and joined Armand Rabun in the general practice of law. The offices of Rabun and McCallum, located at 205 East Jackson St., Farmerville, were situated between a funeral home and a bank. Thus, it was said, in jest, that they “got clients coming and going.” Jay’s wife, Deanna Dunham McCallum, subsequently joined Jay in his law practice after becoming a lawyer herself.
Prior to serving as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for 11 years (1992-2002), Jay also worked as an Assistant District Attorney. He worked as a trial court judge for 15 years (2002-2018) on the bench of the Third Judicial District Court.
In 2018 Jay was elected without opposition to the Second Circuit Court of Appeal in a district that was comprised of Bienville, Bossier, Claiborne, Caldwell, Jackson, Lincoln, Union, Webster, and Winn Parishes. On November 3, 2020, he was elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court for District 4, which is the largest district in terms of geographic size and number of parishes. Jay took office as an Associate Justice on November 13, 2020.
Jay serves on a number of committees including the Louisiana Technology Commission, Supreme Court of Louisiana Historical Society and was appointed by his fellow justices to serve on the Louisiana State Law Institute. He is in demand for continuing legal education presentations on behalf of such groups as the Louisiana State Bar Association and Louisiana Judicial College and has also lectured at various law enforcement academies, including for the Louisiana State Police and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. His speaking engagements have carried him to every parish of the state and to multiple states in the Deep South.