Rhea Tannehill, Jr., of Oxford, became the 120th President of The Mississippi Bar on July 11. The Mississippi Bar is composed of nearly 9,000 active members who are licensed to practice law in Mississippi.

Tannehill has been practicing law in Oxford since he graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1996. In 2004, Tannehill and his law partner, Jay Carmean, formed Tannehill & Carmean, PLLC. For more than 20 years, their practice has focused on representing the rights of injured persons, criminal defense, estate planning and probate, real estate, and collection law. 

Tannehill is the firm’s managing partner.

Since 2007, Tannehill has served as municipal court judge of Sardis, where he previously served as municipal court prosecutor.  

Tannehill is a native of Union and a graduate of Union High School. He received a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in education from the University of Mississippi.

Tannehill retired from a 28-year career in the Mississippi Army National Guard at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  He enlisted in 1992 but then accepted a direct commission to First Lieutenant in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 1999.  Most recently, Tannehill served as Military Judge, where he presided over all court-martial and hearings regarding Army and Air National Guard Soldiers.

Tannehill served as Brigade Trial Counsel for the 168th Engineering Brigade during a 13-month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Tannehill was stationed at Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan. While deployed, Tannehill was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge.

Tannehill was also mobilized with the Mississippi Army National Guard after Hurricane Katrina struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2005. His unit performed disaster relief and clean-up operations, and he was awarded several medals for his service.

Tannehill has been actively involved in the Mississippi Bar, serving as President of the Young Lawyers Division in 2006-2007, on the Board of Commissioners, and on the Executive Committee. The Mississippi Bar Foundation selected Tannehill as a Fellow, and the Young Lawyers Division also selected him as a Fellow.

Tannehill served as President-Elect this past year. He is a past chair of the Professional Responsibility Committee and the Public Information Committee, and a past member of the Ethics Committee.

Tannehill was appointed by the Mississippi Supreme Court in 2020 as a member of the Complaint Tribunal and served on the Board of Bar Admissions’ Committee for Character and Fitness for 12 years. Locally, he has served as President of the Lafayette County Bar and Tri-County Jr. Bar Associations.

Tannehill is married to the former Robyn McKenzie, who is in her third term as Mayor of Oxford. They have three adult children: Maggie, 25, a counselor for Court Appointed Special Advocates in Tupelo; Jack, 22, who plays football at Murray State University; and Molly Catherine, 20, who attends Mississippi State University. 

They are members of Christ Presbyterian Church in Oxford, a church they helped found and charter in 1995.