Jace A. Ferraez

JACE serves as the career law clerk to Hon. Selene D. Maddox at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Mississippi in Aberdeen. Recently, he has been instrumental in administering two of the largest chapter 11 bankruptcy cases filed in the Northern District of Mississippi: Express Grain Terminals, LLC and United Furniture Industries, LLC. He also has drafted judicial opinions and orders in more than 1,500 bankruptcy cases and adversary proceedings, manages all courtroom proceedings — including pretrial conferences, motion hearings and trials — and performs comprehensive legal research. In addition to his primary responsibilities, he fulfills the duties of a judicial assistant and courtroom deputy, overseeing the court’s calendar and scheduling all hearings and matters under advisement. He also is dedicated to mentoring junior law clerks. Previously, he worked as an associate at Bond, Botes & Woods, P.C., where he represented hundreds of consumer bankruptcy clients and advocated for consumer debtors in class actions under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, successfully obtaining favorable settlements for violations by collection companies. He previously served as an extern for Hon. Neil P. Olack in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Mississippi.

Jace served as president of the Golden Triangle Young Lawyers and is currently the Duberstein Chair for the Mississippi Bankruptcy Conference. He also is a member of the Association of Bankruptcy Judicial Assistants, serving on several of its committees. Before joining the judiciary, he frequently authored and co-authored blogs and articles on consumer bankruptcy issues. His background spans diverse fields, including political advocacy, corporate communications and governance, and entrepreneurship, including co-founding several medicinal cannabis-related businesses. While serving as advocacy chair for the Moot Court Executive Board in law school, he advanced to the semi-finals in the Duberstein Moot Court Competition and was recognized with an Outstanding Brief award. Additionally, he received the 2015 Roy Noble Lee Award for Outstanding Attributes of a Trial Attorney and earned multiple national finalist placements in moot court competitions.

Jace’s journey into the insolvency profession began at a young age, shaped by personal experiences that ignited his passion for the legal field. When he was 12, his father coowned a retail business. A disagreement with his business partner over operational and financial mismanagement led to his father selling his interest; a few years later, the business partner filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy to avoid an involuntary chapter 7 filing by creditors. Watching his father defend against this litigation inspired him to pursue a career in law. Outside of the office, he is president of the Preservation Society of Columbus, Miss. An accomplished concert pianist and professional accompanist, he has performed in the Golden Triangle Theatre Company’s productions of “The Sound of Music” and “Pirates of Penzance.” In pursuit of his passion for antiques, he also serves as an appraiser on the Mississippi Public Broadcasting television series “Antiques Showcase.” When not working, performing or participating in community organizations and boards, he is an avid tennis player who competes in various tennis leagues.