Meet the Candidate
Rhonda C. Cooper, Esq.
38 years of legal practice. A career built not on ambition for the bench, but on service to the families who depend on it.
38 Years in the Making
Some people run for judge because they want the title. Rhonda C. Cooper is running because she has spent 38 years doing the work — and she knows this court deserves someone who has.
A graduate of Millsaps College with a degree in Business Administration and the University of Alabama School of Law, Rhonda built her career in the exact areas Chancery Court governs: estate planning and administration, domestic relations, real property, and contract negotiations. She didn't choose these practice areas by accident. She chose them because they are where the law meets life — where a judge's decision determines whether a family stays together, whether a widow keeps her home, whether a child is protected.
But Rhonda's career has never been confined to a courtroom. She has dedicated her life to advocacy in education, community engagement, and public service — providing pro bono legal services to those who need it most, particularly seniors and young adults who otherwise could not afford representation.
A resident of Ridgeland, Mississippi, she is a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Madison, where she serves in the hospitality ministry. She was in the inaugural class of Leadership Madison County and is a charter member of the Madison County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Cooper currently serves as Parliamentarian on the Board of the Friends of the City of Ridgeland Library.
“Every family who walks into Chancery Court deserves a judge who is prepared, who listens, and who treats them with the dignity their case demands. That is my promise to this community.”
Rooted Where It Matters
There is a difference between a candidate who campaigns in a District and one whose life is immersed in it. Cooper hasn't shown up just for this election. She has been a part of these communities throughout her career. She has mentored their students, partnered with their community stakeholders, and aided in their efforts to activate voter participation — all done before anyone was watching, but while all were waiting for the change.
From serving in the inaugural class of Leadership Madison County to chartering the Madison County Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. — from teaching at Holmes Community College, Ridgeland, Mississippi College School of Law, and Jackson State University and lecturing at Mississippi Valley State University to serving in the hospitality ministry at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Madison — Cooper's community involvement isn't a campaign talking point. It's a matter of record.
She supports causes that reflect her values: the Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, Magnolia Bar Foundation, Inc., Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and Catholic Charities, Inc. Cooper gives — her time, her expertise, and her heart — because that is who she is. Not who she becomes in an election year.
Professional & Community
Leadership Madison County
Inaugural Class
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Charter Member, Madison County Alumnae Chapter
Mississippi Women Lawyers Association
Community Service Liaison
Metro Jackson Black Women Lawyers Association
Book Club Hostess
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
Hospitality Ministry
Friends of the City of Ridgeland Library
Board Parliamentarian
Mary Church Terrell Literary Club, Inc.
First Vice President
Oral History Association
Project Coordinator and Interviewer
Causes She Supports
Mississippi Public Broadcasting
MS Alzheimer's Association
Magnolia Bar Foundation
Catholic Charities, Inc.
Ready to Stand With Rhonda?
Join the movement for fair, accountable justice across Leake and Madison counties.