TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on May 18, 2026

Retired U.S. District Judge Jon McCalla died May 15 at age 79. McCalla was born in Memphis and graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1969. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army until 1971 and, upon his return, enrolled at Vanderbilt University Law School, where he earned his law degree. McCalla later returned to Memphis and practiced law privately until he was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee by President George H.W. Bush. He was confirmed in 1992 and served as a full-time judge until taking senior status in 2013. Read more about McCalla’s career in the Daily Memphian. A burial liturgy will be held at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Memphis sometime in June, the church announced.