Gay L. Polk-Payton

Gay Polk-Payton was admitted to the practice of law in the state of Mississippi in September 1996 after completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at the University of Southern Mississippi, a Master’s in Business Administration at the University of New Orleans and a Juris Doctor at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) School of Law.

Gay is a former Commissioner for the 12th Judicial District with the Mississippi Bar Association and a member of Magnolia and American Bar Associations, a member of the Trial Lawyers Association, Board Member for the Mississippi Justice Court Judge Association, the Hattiesburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, a Hall of Fame member with the Univeristy of Mississippi's Black Law Students' Association, a member of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity's Judges Hall of fame, current influencer, VIP Hall of Fame member and past chapter president of the International Association of Women and a member and past president of the South Central Mississippi Bar Association. She is also a singer, songwriter, published author, former radio show host and blogger.

She is currently employed with Forrest County Justice Court, where she has served as an elected Judge since 2012 and she is Municipal Court Judge Pro Tempore for the City of Hattiesburg, where she has served as an appointed judge since 2018. She is the owner of Polk-Payton law offices as well as former Adjunct Faculty Member with USM’s Human Performance and Recreation Department and former Assistant Dean for Student Affairs with the University of Mississippi School of Law.

She is licensed to practice law in all courts in the State of Mississippi, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and in the United States Supreme Court. She is the mother of one son, Gaybriel, who is an alumnus of Jackson State University and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi.