He was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas. His father worked as a construction worker and a cotton farmer. After moving often, the family settled in 1967 in the town of Southaven in De Soto County, Mississippi, and he graduated from Southaven High School. Young Grisham loved to read. In 1977, Grisham received a degree from Mississippi State University. He earned his law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981. After leaving law school, he entered a small-town general law practice for nearly 10 years in Southaven, MS where he paid a lot of attention on criminal law and civil law.