Honoring Judge Jerrauld Jones: A Legacy of Service, Strength, and Soul

Judge Jerrauld C. Jones administered my Oath of Office in 2018 and 2022 to the Norfolk City School Board.

This week, our community lost a giant.

The Honorable Jerrauld Corey Jones—a trailblazer, mentor, and friend—passed away, leaving behind a powerful legacy that will live on in the lives he touched and the systems he reshaped for the better. Born on July 22, 1954, in Norfolk, Judge Jones was the son of pioneering civil rights attorney Hilary H. Jones, Sr. It’s no surprise he carried that legacy forward, forging his groundbreaking path across all three branches of Virginia’s state government.

Long before many of us ever knew him as "Your Honor," Jerrauld Jones was already making history—integrating Ingleside Elementary School in 1961 and the Virginia Episcopal School in 1967. He earned his B.A. cum laude from Princeton University in 1976 and a J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1980, the same year he became the first African-American law clerk to the Supreme Court of Virginia.

I first met Judge Jones when I was 18 years old, working with the Young Democrats. In 2001, I had the honor of serving on his campaign for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia as his Deputy Finance Director. What began as a professional connection quickly evolved into something much more profound. He became a mentor, a father figure, and a steady presence in my life. Whether it was a phone call to check in, a story to share, or a political article he knew I’d appreciate, he always made time to pour wisdom and encouragement into me.

These pictures only capture a few of our interactions over the years, but they reflect the joy in his face and pure, sincere pride when I was elected to the Norfolk City School Board and later to the Norfolk City Council. From Park Place and Lambert’s Point to public office, Judge Jones never let me forget where I came from, and he constantly reminded me of the responsibility that comes with leadership: to serve people, not positions.

Judge Jones spent 14 years as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing Norfolk’s 89th District, eventually becoming chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. In 2002, he was appointed by then-Governor Mark Warner as Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice. In 2005, he became a judge on the Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. By 2008, he was elevated to the Norfolk Circuit Court, where he was elected and re-elected with overwhelming respect and admiration.

Under his leadership, Virginia’s CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) program was established, empowering community volunteers to advocate for children involved in the court system. Today, I have the honor of overseeing the CASA program in Portsmouth, and every day I see the lasting impact of that vision and the lives it continues to protect. His fingerprints are on every part of this work.

He is survived by his incredible wife, The Honorable Lyn Simmons, their son Jay Jones, a former Delegate himself and someone I’ve called my "little brother" since Jay was just nine, and their beautiful family. My heart is with them all.

Judge Jones's legacy isn’t just in the titles he held or the trailblazing roles he filled. It’s in the young leaders he mentored, the communities he protected, and the generations he inspired to serve with humility, courage, and integrity.

I will deeply miss our conversations about politics, about people, about purpose. But I will carry his lessons forward. His example reminds us all that the goal is not the office, but the impact.

Rest well, Judge. Your life was a sermon of justice, equity, and love.

With gratitude,

Councilman Carlos J. Clanton

🕊️ Read more: The Virginian-Pilot Tribute to Judge Jones