the home of the brave - MC Law Alumni

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A CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
Mississippi College School of Law
151 East Griffith Street
Jackson, Ms 39201
amıcus
M i s s i s s i pp i C o l l e g e S c h o o l o f L a w / s u m m e r 2 0 0 9
The Home
of the
Brave
MCSOL Salutes
Our Students
and Alumni in
the Military
Mark Your Calendar
First Friday
is now First
Wednesday
Join us for lunch with
Dean Jim Rosenblatt
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
in the MCSOL
Student Center
August 5
September 2
October 7
November 4
December 2
Family Day
February 19, 2010
MCSOL
Campus
Alumni and
Reunion Weekend
April 30 – May 1, 2010
Location TBA
Area Alumni
Gatherings
To find out when Dean
Rosenblatt will be in your area,
visit http://law.mc.edu/alumni/
upcoming_events.htm
To RSVP or for
more information
about these
events, contact:
Whitney Whittington,
Director of Annual Giving and
Alumni Relations at 601.925.7175
or wwhittin@mc.edu
The Heritage Society
On the Cover:
MCSOL honors the men
and women who serve
in the courtroom and
on the battlefield.
credits
Mississippi College
School of Law
Mississippi College School of Law offers its students a broad based legal education in
a supportive, collegial environment. Theoretical teaching is complemented by experiential
learning and skills training. Our new downtown campus in the state capital allows our students
to interact with attorneys and judges. Applicants are automatically considered for generous
academic merit scholarships and your tuition is guaranteed not to increase during law school.
Come for a visit, attend a class, meet our students, and see the opportunities awaiting you. Call
our admissions office at 601.925.7152, email lawadmissions@mc.edu, or visit www.law.mc.edu.
www.law.mc.edu
Accr e d i t e d by t h e Am e r i c a n B a r A s s o c i a t i o n a n d a member of the Association
o f Am e rican Law Scho o ls a n d t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l A s s o c i a t i o n o f L a w Sc h o o l s
The MCSOL Heritage Society honors those who make planned gifts to the law school,
including provisions for MCSOL in wills, life insurance policies, and other types of gifts that
become effective at the end of a donor’s lifetime. • Mark Sledge ’80, a partner in the Jacksonbased firm of Grenfell, Sledge and Stevens, is one of the Heritage Society’s newest members.
Sledge made a gift of $100,000 to MCSOL through life insurance. • “By using the money that
I was gifting to MCSOL on an annual basis and purchasing a life insurance policy benefitting
the law school, I was able to substantially increase the overall value of my gift,” Sledge
explains. “I’m happy to make a planned gift today that will benefit the law school tomorrow.
• “I would recommend that every alumnus who has not visited the law school in several
years make a visit to see the great transformation that has occurred there,” Sledge continues.
“A short visit will make them proud of their school and want to become actively involved.”
MCSOL Heritage Society Members: D. Carl Black, Jr. ’63 • Thorne G. Butler • Lee Cline ’79
Herman Hines • The Honorable Rex Gabbert ’85 • Robert L. Lyle ’88 • David McCarty ’04 • J. Michael
Maloney ’80 • Dean Jim Rosenblatt • Mark Sledge ’80 • Professor J. Allen Smith (deceased) • Lowell Stephens ’56
Amicus
Summer 2009
Dean
Jim Rosenblatt
Editor/Director
of Public Relations
Dana Terry
Director of
Annual Giving and
Alumni Relations
Whitney Whittington
Director of Alumni
and Development
Thorne Butler
Contributing Editor
Marlo Kirkpatrick
Designer
Alecia Porch
Photography
Robby Followell
Greg Jenson
Jay Thomas
Hubert Worley
Copy Editor
Sissy Yerger
Contact Amicus
151 East Griffith Street
Jackson, MS 39201
601.925.7148
amicus@mc.edu
The Charitable Gift Annuity
A Gift to MCSOL that Returns the Favor to You
You’ve heard the old adage that it’s
better to give than to receive. But with a
charitable gift annuity, you do yourself
a favor when you contribute to Mississippi College School of Law.
A charitable gift annuity provides
annuity payments to you for your entire
life in exchange for a gift to MCSOL.
After your lifetime, the balance is available to help support the law school. We
use the annuity rates recommended by
the American Council on Gift Annuities. These rates are the same for men
and women and are slightly lower for
two annuitants of the same age.
Here’s an example of how a charitable gift annuity works. John, age 75, has
long wanted to make a significant gift to
Mississippi College School of Law, but
he doesn’t want to give up the security of
receiving income payments from his assets.
With a charitable gift annuity, John can
make a charitable gift and still receive a
steady stream of income. With a gift of
$10,000 to Mississippi College School
of Law, John sets up an annuity that pays
him $630 annually in quarterly installments (6.3 percent of his $10,000 gift).
As a result of his generosity, John
will also be able to claim a charitable
deduction of $4,170 on his income tax
return in the year he makes the gift.* At
John’s 28 percent annual income tax rate,
this saves him $1,168, making his outof-pocket cost for the gift only $8,832.
Taking into account his tax savings, with
each annual annuity payment of $630,
he is actually receiving 7.1 percent of his
out-of-pocket cost.
Assuming John lives to his life expectancy of age 87, nearly three-fourths of
the annuity installments he receives will
be non-taxable. To realize the same
after-tax amount to spend or reinvest,
an all-taxable return would have to be
9.2 percent on net cost for these years.
Perhaps best of all, John is celebrated
as a major donor to MCSOL.
* This figure is calculated using quarterly
payments and a 2.4 percent charitable midterm federal rate, a figure used by the IRS in
determining the future value of a gift.
One Life
your rate of
age return
50
4.4%
55
4.8%
60 5.0%
65
5.3%
70
5.7%
75
6.3%
80
7.1%
85
8.1%
90+
9.5%
Two Life
your rate of
ages return
50/55 3.9%
55/60 4.4%
60/65 4.8%
65/70 5.0%
70/75 5.3%
75/80 5.8%
80/85 6.5%
85 7.5%
90/95+ 9.0%
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t a b l e
o f
c o n t e n t s
F e a t u r e s
D e p a r t m e n t s
16 Following the Paper Trail
Dean Phillip McIntosh Opening Statement 2
by Dean Jim Rosenblatt
Briefs
focuses on the people behind the paperwork.
He’ll See You in Court 4
MCSOL Welcomes Dana Terry 4
Blessed is the MCSOL Campus 5
Behind Every Great Judge, There’s a Great Clerk 5
Putting Ethics on the Stand 6
18 Scholar, Teacher, A Busy Semester for BLSA 7
Professor
of the Year
For the Public Good 7
Something Fishy at LSBA 7
Making a Moot Point in Mississippi 8
Mark Modak-Truran
Order of Barristers 8
2008-09 MCSOL Moot Court Competitions 8
Graduation 2009 10
Faculty Focus 12
26 The Best
Practicing What They Teach 20
Legal Leaders,
Bar None
Good as Gold 22
A Family Tradition 24
Annual Report (insert)
Honoring Those Who Opened Doors 41
And the Award Goes to… 42
Establishing Precedent 44
You Learn Something New Every Day 45
Let the Good Times Roll 46
30 The Home
Alumni Gatherings 47
of the Brave
Hot off the MLi Press 48
A Salute to MCSOL
Students and Alumni
in the Military
Class Action 49
Closing Statement 56
by Lt. Col. Thomas M. Ray
The Heritage Society (inside back cover)
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opening | statement
Graduates and Friends,
In this issue of Amicus we spotlight
some of our graduates and students who
have served in the military. We have
also included a list of our graduates with
military service who responded to our
request for information. MCSOL is
proud to recognize those who have served
our country.
This recognition is special to me
because of my 30-plus years in the Army
as a judge advocate officer. Like many
of you, I ended up on this career path
that I did not anticipate when I was
growing up.
When I was a child, on rainy days
when we couldn’t play outside, my
mother would take out a box that contained some of my father’s memorabilia.
I can still remember holding his Army
Air Corps tech sergeant insignia and his
lieutenant’s bars. My father described
his days in Africa during World War II
and the grueling regime he went through
at OCS (Officer Candidate School) to
receive his commission. All of that
was just far-off talk for me, as I was
“When I was a child,
on rainy days when
we couldn’t play
outside, my mother
would take out a
box that contained
some of my father’s
memorabilia. I can
still remember
holding his Army Air
Corps tech sergeant
insignia and his
lieutenant’s bars.”
focused on my plans to farm and become a politician.
But life can deal you cards that change
your plans. I graduated from Vanderbilt
University in 1969, when the Vietnam
conflict was raging. The draft board told
me that without some form of military
commitment, my plans to attend law
school would have to be placed on hold.
For that reason, I choose to enroll in
Army ROTC while attending Cornell
Law School. I headed off to Fort Benning,
Georgia, that summer for my initial
training, then headed north to a school
which had just been featured on the cover
of Life magazine when its students had
taken over the Student Union building
as part of an anti-war protest.
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Suffice it to say that my ROTC unit
was not a popular student organization
on campus during my law school years.
It was quite an experience to have catcalls and taunts hurled at me as I walked
to my ROTC drill. Yet, I was exposed to
a resilient cohort of fellow students and
bright and talented military officers with
advanced degrees who were remarkably
professional through it all.
By the time of my graduation from
law school in 1972, the Vietnam conflict
was drawing to a close. I was given the
option of serving on active duty for just
six months, followed by a period of Reserve
service. I chose instead to go on active duty
for four years and the rest is history.
During my Army career, I had the
good fortune to be associated with great
people and engage in work that had a
positive impact on the organization and
mission. Assignments and personal travel
took my wife, Lauren, and our four
boys to many countries and communities. It was historic to be in Germany
when The Wall came down, rewarding
to watch Korea emerge on the world
economy, and exciting to see Kilauea
erupt in Hawaii. I also saw tragedy,
witnessed sadness and disappointment,
and made too many trips to Arlington
National Cemetery.
After experiencing life as Army
“brats” with many moves, different
schools, and new communities, two of
our sons still chose military service. One
enlisted in the Army and served in
Uzbekistan following 9/11 and the other
served in Iraq as part of the initial conflict and is now an Army JAGC officer
who was recently promoted to Major.
“As I watch our law school increase in prominence and recognition,
I recall the development of the Army and its rise in public confidence
during the span of my service from 1973 to 2003.”
My time in the military has served
me well in life and here at the law school.
On a daily basis, I draw on my experiences and lessons learned during my
service. While we don’t wear uniforms
at the law school, I do see the same type
of dedication, selfless service, mentoring,
and commitment to the mission that I
witnessed in the military. As I watch our
law school increase in prominence and
recognition, I recall the development of
the Army and its rise in public confidence during the span of my service
from 1973 to 2003.
I hope to see our law school’s contribution to the legal community assist
our profession in attaining the same
degree of public trust and confidence as
recent polls show that our military services enjoy.
We salute all of our graduates and
students who have offered their energy
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and talents to the military services. While
we have featured only a few, they are
emblematic of all who have made personal and professional sacrifices to serve
our country. I join you in expressing our
gratitude to these men and women.
Jim Rosenblatt, Dean
“Let Justice Roll”
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He’ll See You in Court
MCSOL’s Supreme Court Lecture Series features Professor Alan B. Morrison
On March 11, the MCSOL Moot
Court Board presented Alan B. Morrison
as the latest speaker in its acclaimed
Supreme Court Lecture Series.
Morrison spoke on his involvement
in the Washington, D.C.-based Public
Citizen Litigation Group, which he cofounded with attorney and activist Ralph
Nader. Morrison and his colleagues
engage in a wide range of law reform
litigation before federal and state courts
and agencies, including a special project
that assists other lawyers with cases before
the United States Supreme Court.
The Alan Morrison Supreme Court
Assistance Project (SCAP) was formed to
address an imbalance in Supreme Court
practice. Typically, business clients are
represented before the Court by experienced Supreme Court practitioners backed
by the resources of large corporations.
The government trusts its representation
to the Office of the Soliciter General.
Often on the other side of these cases are
small firm practitioners or legal services
attorneys with limited resources and
little or no Supreme Court experience.
SCAP’s mission is to lend its experience
to these “underdogs” without “stealing”
their cases.
Morrison’s involvement with the
Public Citizen Litigation Group has
provided him the opportunity to argue
more than 20 times before the high
court. A specific case of note was the
landmark INS v. Chadha. In that case,
Morrison prevailed on the issue of
whether the Immigration and Nationality
Act, which allowed a one-House veto of
executive actions, violated the separation of powers doctrine when the Court
found the Act to violate constitutional
standards regarding lawmaking and
congressional authority.
Given Morrison’s impressive resume,
he understandably drew a crowd at
Mississippi College School of Law. Those
in attendance included local attorneys,
law professors, and MCSOL students.
“Mr. Morrison was an engaging
speaker,” said MCSOL second-year student Gene Taylor. “His discussion about
how to attack the delicate issue of the
recusal of a Supreme Court Justice, including his interactions with Justice
Scalia, was intriguing and at times
downright hilarious.”
The Supreme Court Lecture Series
features lawyers who have orally argued
cases before the United States Supreme
Court. These distinguished attorneys
discuss their techniques for preparing
and arguing before the high court.
Above: Professor Alan Morrison with Dean Jim Rosenblatt and members of the MCSOL Moot Court Board
MCSOL Welcomes Dana Terry Mississippi College School of Law welcomes Dana Terry,
the law school’s new director of communications and public relations. Terry holds a bachelor’s
degree in mass communications with a public relations concentration from Dillard University in
New Orleans and a master’s degree in communications from Mississippi College. “I’m excited
about working with all MCSOL constituents – alumni, students, faculty, staff and the legal community – to communicate the law school’s positive message. It’s been said that MCSOL is one of
the South’s best-kept secrets. I’m hoping to share that secret on a national and international level.”
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Blessed is the MCSOL Campus
MCSOL Unveils “Christ: the Fulfillment of the Law”
“Christ: the Fulfillment of the
Law,” the latest work by renowned sculptor Samuel Gore, was installed on the
MCSOL campus in June. The 12-foot,
3,000-pound, bronze sculpture depicts
Jesus delivering the Sermon on the
Mount. Members of the MCSOL community and visitors passing the campus
along East Griffith Street are sure to be
moved by the magnificent work.
“It’s a great addition to the campus
and it’s appropriately placed,” said Andrew
Stubbs ’09, moments after a construction
crew completed the installation. “It should
make a great focal point for anyone who
needs inspiration or reassurance.”
The sculpture is the largest of Samuel
Gore’s distinguished career, which spans
more than a half-century. The 81-year-old
artist, a graduate of Mississippi College
and former chairman of the MC art
department, worked on “Christ” for more
than eight months and was on hand to
supervise the installation. The humble
artist graciously refused to accept praise
for his work, saying, “I am accountable
as an artist to my Creator for stewardship
of life, gift, career, and concept of art.”
“Christ: the Fulfillment of the Law”
is a companion piece to another Gore
sculpture, “Moses the Law Giver,” which
was installed on the MCSOL campus in
October 2008. The title of the piece
comes from Matthew 5:17-19, in which
Jesus says, “Do not think that I came to
abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did
not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For
truly I say unto you, until heaven and
earth pass away, not the smallest letter or
stroke shall pass away from the Law until
all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls
one of the least of these commandments,
and so teaches others, shall be called least
in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever
keeps and teaches them, he shall be called
great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Behind Every Great Judge, There’s a Great Clerk
The following list of judicial clerks supplements the original listing published in the
fall issue of Amicus and is based on input received after that issue went to press. We are pleased to add this listing
to the very impressive original listing and are proud of all our graduates who served as judicial clerks.
1971
Webb, Thomas
MS Supreme Court
Justice Robert Lee Jones
1972
Gibson, Hugh
MS Supreme Court
Justices Tom Brady and
Vernon Broom
Barbee, Mills
MS Supreme Court
Justice Stokes Robertson
1974
Lyell, Garland
MS Supreme Court
Justice Neville Patterson
1988
Myers, Joan
MS Supreme Court
Presiding Justice Dan Lee
& Justice Joseph Zuccaro
Bennett, Charles
US District Court,
MD of FL
Judge Harvey Schlesinger
1993
Mercier, Douglas
MS Supreme Court
Justice Dan Lee
1996
Spader, Lisa
Circuit Court, FL
Judge Don Pellecchia
Pierce, Jeffrey
US District Court,
ED of AR
Judge James Moody
2000
1998
Dyal, Jonathan
US District Court,
SD of MS
Judge Walter Gex
Gilbert, Christopher
21st Judicial District (LA)
Judges Bruce Bennett &
Doug Hughes
Mims, Michelle Barlow
MS Court of Appeals
Judge Billy Bridges
2001
Mims, Jon
MS Supreme Court
Justice Oliver Diaz
2003
1999
Diaz, Martha Ann
MS Supreme Court
Justice Kay Cobb
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Romano, Creed
14th Judicial District (LA)
Judges Michael Canaday
& David Ritchie
2004
Ward, Anna
MS Chancery Court
(16th District)
Judges Jaye Bradley, Neil
Harris Sr., Randy Pierce
2008
McKay, Holly
4th Judicial District (LA)
Judges Alvin Sharp &
Stephens Winters
Alexander, Jason
MS Supreme Court
Justice Mike Randolph
Putting Ethics on the Stand
Law Review hosts “Corporations, Courtrooms, and the Constitution: Shades of Gray in the World of Legal Ethics”
Hundreds of attorneys, judges, and
law students gathered at the new Jackson
Convention Complex last February for
a hard-hitting symposium titled “Corporations, Courtrooms, and the Constitution: Shades of Gray in the World of
Legal Ethics.”
Hosted by the MCSOL Law Review,
the symposium featured noted guests
and panelists who asked, answered, and
debated tough questions regarding legal
ethics. Given recent judicial bribery scandals and the current perception of the
legal community in Mississippi, the students of the Law Review determined that
reopening the dialogue on professional
responsibility was long overdue.
The symposium featured 23 speakers
from around the nation. The first panel of
the day, moderated by Professor Felicia
Smith, a visiting professor at MCSOL,
discussed ethical concerns created by the
always-amorphous laws and regulations
associated with corporate and securities
practice. Richard Humes, a panelist who
serves as associate general counsel to the
Securities and Exchange Commission,
shed some light on the difficult ethics
inherent in representing an inanimate
corporation. Dr. Saby Ghoshray, Scott
Newton, and Bob Whitwell contributed valuable insights on the duties of
corporate lawyers.
Later in the morning, Professor Jeffrey Jackson moderated a lively discussion among four professors regarding
The highlight of the day was the
keynote luncheon speech delivered
by Cynthia Cooper. The former
vice-president of internal audit
at WorldCom, Cooper was the
“whistleblower” who discovered
and exposed the largest fraud in
American corporate history.
the manner in which an attorney’s personal convictions merge—or diverge—
with the rules of ethics. Professors Terri
Day, Timothy Floyd, Stephen Pepper,
and Margaret Tarkington tackled some
of the practical questions of legal ethics,
including understanding a lawyer’s role
when the rules of ethics seem to foster
unjust results.
The highlight of the day was the
keynote luncheon speech delivered by
Cynthia Cooper. The former vice-president of internal audit at WorldCom,
Cooper was the “whistleblower” who
discovered and exposed the largest fraud
in American corporate history. During
her speech, Cooper touched on the personal cost of uncovering her company’s
misdeeds and decried the theory that
silence is anything less than complicity.
Cooper’s presentation encapsulated perhaps the most important theme of the
day: one person’s ethical failures often
trigger duties in another, and consequences only compound when those persons
ignore their convictions.
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After lunch, attendees broke into
three separate sessions. One session featured Professor Hans Sinha, who gave a
presentation on the ethical duties of the
prosecutor. Professor Sinha explored the
underlying conflict when a prosecutor is
supposed to be both a zealous advocate
and a minister of justice.
The other two breakout sessions
focused on issues of judicial ethics. The
first panel, moderated by Professor
Donald Campbell, a visiting professor
at Mississippi College School of Law,
involved issues facing the state and local
judiciary. Panelists included Judge Virginia Carlton, Bill Goodman, Justice
Ann Lamar, Justice James Robertson,
and Judge Michael Taylor.
Professor Jeffrey Jackson moderated
a second panel discussion featuring five
federal judges. Judges Linda Anderson,
Sharion Aycock, Louis Guirola, Dan Jordan and Sul Ozerden described the transition from attorney to federal judge. The
federal judges fielded questions, giving
students tutorials on the practices that
most irritate judges and allowing them
insight into the world of federal practice.
By the program’s end, hundreds of
attorneys, judges, and students had come
through the doors to be part of the ethics discourse. The Law Review will produce a journal late next fall focusing on
ethics and continuing the effort to keep
professional responsibility at the forefront of daily legal affairs.
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Student Organizations
A Busy
Semester for
BLSA
The R. Jess Brown Chapter of the Black
Law Students Association (BLSA) kicked
off the academic year with several timehonored BLSA traditions. First-year law
students received helpful tips on how to
succeed in law school at the annual academic retreat, while Mix and Mingle, the
first year social, gave BLSA participants
an opportunity to network with members of the Magnolia Bar Association.
The chapter also sponsored several
informative events. On September 25,
the diversity committee hosted an informal panel, “Minority Report: Bridging
Cultural Gaps.” The panel included attorneys Chris Wansley, Jamie Travis, Tracy
Walker, Beau Cole, Kabah McCullough,
and Corina Salazar, who spoke on building awareness of diversity in the legal
profession. On October 27, the chapter
teamed up with the Public Interest Law
Group and the student chapter of the
American Civil Liberties Union to welcome local civil rights attorney Constance
Slaughter-Harvey to MCSOL. SlaughterHarvey encouraged law students to explore
many aspects of the law while also making the time and using their legal expertise to help the underserved.
BLSA also hosted numerous community service activities, including visiting residents at Community Place nursing home, tutoring students at Operation
Shoestring, and volunteering with a voter
registration drive at the Jackson Medical
Mall. The chapter’s fundraising efforts
included a car wash; Legal Cents, a spirited coin-collecting competition between
the classes; and “Law School Idol,” which
featured law school students showing
off their vocal skills – or lack thereof –
in a karaoke competition.
In February, the chapter celebrated
Black History Month with a number
of activities, including reading African American literature to students at
Operation Shoestring, providing breakfast for the law faculty and staff, and
co-hosting a unity mixer with the Law
Student Bar Association at Hal and Mal’s.
BLSA also hosted a panel discussion
featuring guest speakers Rims Barber,
civil rights activist; Gus McCory, president of the Jackson chapter of the
NAACP; and Dr. Byron Orey, chair of
the political science department at Jackson State University.
For the
Public Good
The Public Interest Law
Group Grows
In the two and a half years since its
formation, the Public Interest Law Group
(PILG) has doubled student attendance
at its monthly meetings. Between 35
and 50 students now participate in the
PILG, which promotes public interest law
as a volunteer and career opportunity.
Professor Meta Copeland serves as
PILG’s faculty advisor. Copeland provides information about public interest
externships, federal work-study programs,
and volunteer opportunities at the monthly
PILG lunch meetings. Professor Copeland
also works with Brad Kerwin ’09, director
of the PILG Loan Repayment Assistance
Program, and a committee of students who
are searching for and promoting student
loan forgiveness programs that waive loan
payments for new graduates in exchange
for a commitment to perform public interest law work.
During the 2008-09 academic year,
PILG sponsored and hosted several informative lunch meetings with guest speakers ranging from the renowned Constance
Slaughter-Harvey, a civil rights attorney
and activist, to a panel of public interest
attorneys who described the broad range
of public interest careers available to
students. Attorney Glenn Schwartzfager,
Mississippi director of capital post-conviction counsel, captivated students with
his passion for providing representation
for indigent death row inmates in postconviction proceedings.
“PILG provides students with a
perspective on how they can truly serve
those most in need of representation,”
says C. Mark Ratay ’10, PILG president.
“With national growth in the areas of
civil rights, women’s rights, consumer
rights, and environmental concerns, the
demand for public interest attorneys is
picking up. With the continuing support
of Dean Jim Rosenblatt and the law
school faculty, the Public Interest Law
Group is inspiring students to bring about
justice through selfless service.”
Something Fishy at lsba The Law Student Bar Association (LSBA) hosted its much-anticipated annual catfish fry
for students, faculty, and staff on April 2. Derrick Milner, MCSOL building superintendent, fried up some 200 pounds of
his famous catfish for the eager catfish lovers gathered at the MCSOL Student Center – many who confessed to coming
back for seconds and thirds. But as Dellwyn Smith ’09 pointed out, the annual LSBA event is as much about fellowship as
it is about fish. “It’s not that often that the entire student body is together,” Smith says. “The fish fry is a great opportunity to break away from studies and just enjoy being with our law school family.”
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Making a Moot Point
in Mississippi
MCSOL Out-Argues Ole Miss in
the Sixth Annual Mississippi Moot
Court
Championship
Each spring, Mississippi College School
of Law and the University of Mississippi
face off in the Mississippi Moot Court
Championship, a good-natured appellate
rivalry that’s become a premier event in
the Mississippi law school community. In
2009, MCSOL argued its way to victory
in the sixth annual intrastate match-up.
Following their excellent final oral
argument in the chambers of the Mississippi Supreme Court, Lindsey Oswalt
and Jeremy Clay were proclaimed the
competition winners and accepted the
trophy on behalf of MCSOL.
“The competition was created to
foster a healthy intrastate rivalry and it
has certainly succeeded in doing so,”
Oswalt said. “Teams from both schools
were well prepared, well spoken, and
gracious, which speaks volumes about
the caliber of law students in this state.
I’m confident that Ole Miss will continue to challenge us for the title for
years to come and we wouldn’t have it
any other way – although I can’t deny
that having bragging rights for the next
year is icing on the cake.”
“I’m grateful to Professor Lowery and
our Moot Court Board for organizing
and hosting the Mississippi Moot Court
Championship,” said MCSOL Dean Jim
Rosenblatt. “This competition comple-
ments the Mississippi Trial Competition
that the University of Mississippi hosts
in the fall, giving our students exposure
to both trial and appellate proceedings.
Our success in this competition has certainly helped with recruiting. Applicants
who have an interest in trial or appellate
litigation have noted the broad-based advocacy program we offer and want to be a
part of our success.”
For the second consecutive year, the
Mississippi Moot Court Championship
was sponsored by Ogletree, Deakins,
Nash, Smoak, & Stewart, P.C., one of
the nation’s top labor and employment
law firms. In a nod to the firm’s generous support, the competition problem
focused on labor law.
Judges for the competition’s final
argument included Tim Lindsay and Bert
Ehrhardt, both partners from Ogletree
Deakins; Judge Melba Dixon of the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission; Judge Ed Bryant, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of
Tennessee; and Judge Keith Starrett,
Senior District Judge for the Southern
District of Mississippi.
“The devotion of our attorneycoaches and the professors who tirelessly
judge our practice rounds contributes
meaningfully to our success,” Oswalt
said. “A number of prominent judges,
attorneys, and legal professionals statewide serve as judges for this competition. MCSOL always benefits when
given the opportunity to showcase its
top-notch training and education to the
greater legal community.”
Order of Barristers
In recognition of its exceptional oral
advocacy program, MCSOL was awarded a chapter of the Order of Barristers
in 2008. Chapters are awarded to law
schools nationally recognized for outstanding moot court programs.
On April 23, 2009, eight students
were inducted into the Order of Barristers
during the first annual MCSOL Advocacy
Awards Dinner. Inductees included Jeremy Clay, Kelly Hollingsworth, Andrew
Holmes, Mason Montgomery, Ashley
Nader, Lindsey Oswalt, Kaytie Pickett,
and Justin Starling. Also inducted as an
honorary member was Jody Owens of Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada.
2008-09 MCSOL
Moot Court
Competitions
Several MCSOL moot court teams had
their days in court as they participated
in competitions at home and nationwide.
The Copeland, Cook,
Taylor & Bush Appellate
Advocacy Competition
The Mississippi College School of Law
Moot Court Board hosts the annual
Copeland, Cook, Taylor, and Bush Appellate Advocacy Tournament, which gives
second-year MCSOL students seeking
membership on the board a chance to
make their cases. In the fall of 2008, a
record 103 students competed in the
16th annual internal competition.
Above Left: Lindsey Oswalt and Jeremy Clay argued their way to victory in the Mississippi Moot Court Championship
Above Right: Order of the Barristers inductees Ashley Nader, Andrew Holmes, Mason Montgomery, Kelly Hollingsworth, Kaytie Pickett, Lindsey Oswalt
and Justin Starling. Not pictured: Jeremy Clay, Jody Owens of Butler Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada
amıcus | 8
amıcus | briefs
Judges for the final round included
Judge Sharion Aycock, U.S. District Court
for the Northern District of Mississippi;
Justice Bill Waller, Mississippi Supreme
Court; Justice Jess Dickinson, Mississippi
Supreme Court; Ray McNamara, of Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush; and Bill Leech,
also of Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush.
“I’m grateful to Copeland, Cook,
Taylor & Bush for sponsoring an event
that helps us develop essential skills,”
said competition winner Lee Hill. “The
feedback we get from some of the most
respected members of the bench and
bar is invaluable as we prepare to represent our clients in actual court.”
Copeland, Cook, Taylor
& Bush Award Winners
Overall Winner: Lee Hill
Finalist: Sarah Beth Wilson
Best Oralist: Lee Hill
Best On-Brief Oralist: Morgan Smith
Best Off-Brief Oralist: Ryan Revere
Best Brief: Sarah Beth Wilson
Best Appellant Brief: Matt Jackson
Best Appellee Brief: Taylor Polk
Outstanding Faculty Support;
Most Rounds Judged: Professor
J. Gordon Christy
Outstanding Faculty Support: Professor N. Shelton Hand Jr.
Outstanding Faculty Support: Professor Meta S. Copeland
Peter James Johnson National
Civil Rights Trial Competition
The Peter James Johnson National Civil
Rights Trial Competition was held October 23-25, 2008 at St. John’s University
School of Law in New York, New York.
Mississippi College School of Law was
one of only 16 schools invited to participate in this by-invitation-only competition, which is the only national civil
rights trial competition in the country.
ABA Law Student Division’s
Arbitration Competition
The American Bar Association (ABA) Law
Student Division’s Arbitration Competition was held November 7-8, 2008 on
the Mississippi College School of Law
campus in Jackson. MCSOL capitalized
on the home field advantage, placing first,
third, and fourth in the region.
Philip C. Jessup International Law
Moot Court Competition
In 2009, MCSOL competed for the first
time in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.
The world’s largest moot court competition, Jessup attracts participants from
over 500 law schools in more than 80
countries. The competition simulates a
fictional dispute between countries before
the International Court of Justice, the
judicial organ of the United Nations.
In February, MCSOL sent its inaugural team to Miami to compete in the
U.S. Southeastern Super Regional of the
Jessup Competition. While the MCSOL
team did not advance, it made an impressive first showing, competing against two
teams who would ultimately be ranked
in the top three and narrowly losing to
the University of Virginia by a 5-4 vote.
MCSOL Also Sent Competition Teams To The
American Bar Association Law Student Division’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition, Brooklyn, New York; MCSOL was a regional
finalist • American Bar Association Representation in Mediation Competition, New Orleans, Louisiana; MCSOL teams placed fourth and
fifth • August A. Rendigs, Jr. National Products Liability Moot Court Competition, Cincinnati, Ohio; two MCSOL teams advanced to the
quarterfinals • Chief Judge Conrad B. Duberstein National Bankruptcy Memorial Moot Court Competition, Queens, New York; MCSOL
advanced to the octo-finals and an MCSOL student was named the competition’s best oral advocate • National Environmental Law Moot
Court Competition, White Plains, New York; MCSOL advanced to the quarterfinals and two MCSOL students won best oralist awards •
National Pretrial Advocacy Competition, Gulfport, Florida; MCSOL had the second best brief score • Ruby R. Vale Interschool Corporate
Moot Court Competition, Wilmington, Delaware; MCSOL advanced to the semifinals • Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial
Competition, Tallahassee, Florida; MCSOL advanced to the semifinals • American Association for Justice National Student Trial Advocacy
Competition, Albuquerque, New Mexico • National Moot Court Regional Competition, New Orleans, Louisiana • 19th Annual
American Bar Association National Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition, Chicago, Illinois • Ole Miss vs. Mississippi College
Trial Competition, Oxford, Mississippi • 23rd Annual Robert F. Wagner Labor and Employment Law Competition, New York, New York
Above Left: Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial Competition participants included Jody Owens, Coach, Andrew Stubbs, Mason Montgomery,
Justin Starling, Jessica Bates, Morgan Smith, Alan Gressett, Matt Jackson and Andrew Holmes / Above Right: Ruby R. Vale Interschool Corporate
Moot Court Competition participants Clay Baldwin and Ryan Revere
amıcus | 9
commencement
“Welcome to the
Legal Profession.”
May 15, 2009 was a day for laughter,
tears, and celebration as 163 law students
marked their graduation from Mississippi
College School of Law. Friends and family members of the
graduates filled First Baptist Church in
downtown Jackson, each waiting for the
moment when his or her son, daughter,
husband, wife, or friend would accept an
MCSOL diploma. Honorary doctor of
2009
laws were also presented to Judge Charles
Clark, retired Chief Judge of the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit,
and to Judge Clark’s former clerk, Judge
Leslie Southwick of the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, who delivered a memorable commencement speech.
The graduation ceremony included
a final “test,” during which Dean Jim
Rosenblatt asked each graduate to stand
if he or she had experienced certain life
changes or reached specific milestones
during the three years of law school.
Those milestones included everything
from winning academic awards to volunteering in the Legal Aid Office, losing a loved one to celebrating the birth
of a child. The quiz continued until all
163 graduates were on their feet and
many in the audience were simultaneously laughing and wiping away tears.
Congratulations to the Mississippi
College School of Law Class of 2009,
163 men and women who had much to
celebrate on May 15, and will have even
more to celebrate in the years to come.
A Menu for Lawyering
“I will give you a menu for lawyering. • “The salad is the foundation for what follows. In the life that is ahead for you, that
foundation will be ethics, honesty, and civility. Say what you mean and mean what you say. • “Vegetables. Maybe not the
most enjoyable part of a meal, but a part that provides special nourishment. [Your vegetable is] education. Not required CLE,
but all that you can read and study and in other ways learn about what you are doing. • “What is the main course, the core of
good lawyering? I believe the core of good lawyering is to work hard, be diligent, and not take half-measures. • “Think of this
as a dessert you cannot skip. Find and participate in a church. Dessert may actually be a bad metaphor for what I mean.
Dessert is saved for last, but one’s faith needs to come first. By using the dessert symbol, I want to emphasize that your faith,
seeking something larger than yourself, should be the best part, the most flavorful, the most meaningful part of your life. •
“Finally, wine. When I say wine, I feel a need to explain myself at this Baptist venue…The wine I am talking about is the
aspect of life that magnifies joy and happiness and puts into perspective life’s heartaches and sorrows. That intoxicating
completion to the meal I have been describing is your family. And if you still have doubts about my image of wine, then
call it sweet tea. • “Welcome to the legal profession. And enjoy the bar exam. It too will pass, and I fully expect, so will you.”
— Excerpted from a commencement speech delivered by Judge Leslie Southwick, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Above: Denita and Dellwyn Smith / Judge Leslie Southwick / Dr. Lee G. Royce and Jo Claire Yeter
amıcus | 10
From Law School to Law Practice
MCSOL graduates have accepted employment with a number of firms and organizations. The MCSOL Career Services Office was
active in supporting the students’ job searches, and many of these positions were obtained through the help of our alumni. If you
are aware of employment opportunities for students, recent graduates, or experienced attorneys, please contact Debbie Foley in the
MCSOL Career Services Office at foley@mc.edu or 601.925.7106. MCSOL’s 2009 graduates are pursuing careers with law firms,
private companies, the government, and other organizations nationwide. A sampling of the jobs taken by our graduates follows.
Will Ballard
Burns & Associates
PLLC
Brad Ennis
Balch & Bingham, LLP
Matt McDade
Balch & Bingham, LLP
Crystal Bender
FBI -Washington, DC
Erik Haas
Matthew Rhea
& Armour, PLLC
Jeff McDonald American University
Tax LLM
Matt Biggers
Copeland Cook
Taylor & Bush, PA
Tray Hairston
US District Court
Judge Henry T. Wingate
Keely McNulty
Self-employed
Jordan Bird
Kenny’s Key West
Buddy Handey
FBI, Washington, DC
Jonathon Bissette
Wells Marble &
Hurst, PLLC
Rees Hodges
Hodges Law Office
Brian Bledsoe
Secretary of State
Marc Bryant
Brunini
Bart Cannon
Huie Fernambucq
& Stewart, LLP
Avery Carlisle
Mississippi Court
of Appeals
Charlie Carr
Judge Patrick,
Warren County
Jeremy Clay
Bradley Arant Rose
& White, LLP
Lauren Cliatt
US Air Force
Joey Comley
US Army JAG
Wes Cooper
Thomas Prewitt
Jeffrey Cronin
Self-employed
Ashley Daniel
Mississippi Court
of Appeals
Matt Duckworth
Judges 10th Chancery
Court District
Taylor Dunlop
Dunlop & McCarter
Kelly Hollingsworth
Maxey Wann, PLLC
Andrew Holmes
Washington University
Tax LLM
Laura Howell
Howell & O’Neal
Nancy-Jane Karam Caddo Parish
District Court, Judges
Waddell and Brun
Woody Ketcham
Jauregui Law Firm
Jeff Lee
Boackle Law Firm,
PLLC
Sarah Liles
District 5 Chancery
Court Judges Patricia
Wise & Denise Owens
Jessica Long
Louis H. Watson, Jr., P.A.
Clint Martin
The Allred Law Firm
Erik Mayo
US Army JAG
Dustin McCown
Jeffrey B. Austin,
Attorney at Law
Memrie McCubbin
Butler Snow
Juan McCullum
City of Jackson
Mason Montgomery
Copeland Cook Taylor
& Bush, PA
Shirley Moore Mississippi Court
of Appeals, Judge
Larry E. Roberts
Nick Morisani
Adams and Reese, LLP
Seth Moyers
Wiener, Weiss &
Madison, PC
Ashley Nader
Butler Snow
Stacy Nobles
Swartz & Associates
Lindsey Oswalt
US Court of Appeals for
the 5th Circuit Judge
Leslie H. Southwick
Tara Smith Pattie
Mississippi Supreme Court
Judge Randy Pierce
Kaytie Pickett
US Court of Appeals for
the 5th Circuit Judge
Rhesa H. Barksdale
Jessica Pitts
Rushton, Stakely,
Johnston & Garrett, PA
Matt Quinlivan
Wilkins Stephens
& Tipton, PA
Mary Reeves
District Judge
Patricia Minoldi
Trey Rick
Entertainment Law
Office of Barry
Neil Shrum
amıcus | 11
Kristy Shelton
Madison County Circuit
Judge James P Smith
Grace Skertich
McGlinchey Stafford,
PLLC
Ryan Skertich
Forman Perry Watkins
Krutz & Tardy, LLP
Chris Smith
Florida State
Attorney Office
Dellwyn Smith
Hinds County Circuit Court
Judge Windston Kidd
Denita Smith
Daniel Coker Horton
& Bell, PA
Matt Sones
Tom Payne & Associates
Justin Starling
Heilman Law Group, PA
Tim Sterling
Copeland Cook Taylor
& Bush, PA
Christopher Stump
US Army
Andy Thomas
US District Court Judge
David C. Bramlett, III
Lorin Washington Thomas
Department of
Environmental Quality
Carson Thurman
Jeffery P Reynolds, PA
Brad Touchstone
Bryan Nelson, PA
Cherie Rivera Wade
Office of the
District Attorney,
19th District
Brandi Wade
Fulton County District
Attorney’s Office
Dustin Whetsel
US Marine Corps
faculty | focus
tee and as advisor to the competition
trial team of the R. Jess Brown Chapter
of the Black Law Student Association.
Meredith Aden
Professor Aden served as faculty advisor
for the American Bar Association (ABA)
Arbitration Competition team. Of the
14 teams competing, the MCSOL team
placed fourth and fifth overall in the
Regional ABA Mediation Competition
in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Patricia Bennett ’79
Last October, the Mississippi Supreme
Court appointed Professor Bennett as a
Special Circuit Judge to hear civil cases
related to Hurricane Katrina in Jackson
County, Mississippi.
In September, Professor Bennett
spoke at the Balch and Bingham Labor
and Employment Law Seminar on the
topic “Cutting Costs through Mediation.” She also spoke at the Mississippi
Bankruptcy Annual Conference on “Trial
Skills-Effective Use of Experts, Expert
Reports, and Documents,” and at the
16th Annual Evelyn Gandy Lecture Series
on the topic “Empowering Women for
the Profession.”
Professor Bennett serves as chairperson of the faculty appointments commit-
Law Society. Professor Bowman is the
Southeastern Association of Law Schools
(SEALS) Mentor Committee chairperson and is also a member of the SEALS
International Committee. During the
2009 SEALS annual meeting in August,
Professor Bowman will participate in a
panel on globalization and American
legal education. Professor Bowman is a
member of the Association of American
Law Schools (Section on New Law Professors), the American Bar Association’s
Section of International Law, and the
Charles Clark American Inn of Court in
Jackson, Mississippi (Barrister).
Gregory Bowman
Professor Bowman serves as the founding director of the law school’s International Law Center. As part of the center’s
activities, Professor Bowman coordinates
the law school’s Korean Summer Legal
Studies Program. In June of 2009, Professor Bowman and other MCSOL law
faculty traveled with MCSOL students
to Seoul, Korea, to study U.S. and comparative business law. While in Seoul,
students took advantage of a multitude
of exciting cultural opportunities, including a weekend excursion to Beijing, China. Professor Bowman is exploring other
study abroad and foreign exchange program opportunities for the law school.
Professor Bowman is continuing his
work on a co-authored book entitled
Trade Remedies in North America: Laws,
Economic Analyses and Practice (Kluwer Law International), which provides
empirical analyses of the trade remedy
laws of Canada, Mexico, and the United
States. He is also working on several law
review articles.
Last fall and spring, Professor Bowman served as the faculty adviser for the
law school’s inaugural Phillip C. Jessup
International Moot Court Competition
Team. He continues to serve as faculty
adviser for the law school’s International
amıcus | 12
Deborah Challener
Professor Challener published an article
titled Remand and Appellate Review
Issues Facing the Supreme Court in Carlsbad Technology, Inc. v. HIF Bio, Inc. The
paper was written with John Howell
and can be accessed at http://www.law.
northwestern.edu/lawreview/colloquy/
2009/. Professor Challener also published
Remand and Appellate Review Under the
Supplemental Jurisdiction Statute (also
with John Howell), and is working on
an article titled Interactive Judicial Federalism and the Certification of State Law
Questions in Diversity cases. She presented
the latter article at the Junior Federal
Courts faculty workshop at American
University Washington College of Law.
Professor Challener assisted in coaching the Stetson Pre-Trial Moot Court
Competition and the ABA National
Appellate Advocacy Competition team.
faculty | focus
of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; Judge
Andrew J. Wistrich, United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of
California; Justice Daniel Rives Kistler,
Oregon Supreme Court; and Chancellor Mike Malski of the First Judicial
District of Mississippi.
Meta Copeland ’98
The legal extern program continues to
grow under Professor Copeland’s direction. This program provides opportunities
for law students to participate in government and pro bono service and gain
valuable experience working with government agencies and non-profit organizations. During the spring ’09 semester,
67 externs were placed in and around the
Jackson area and 14 students externed in
north Mississippi, on the Mississippi Gulf
Coast, and in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas.
In addition to leading the extern program, Professor Copeland served as faculty coach for the Stetson Pre-Trial
National Moot Court Competition in
Tampa, Florida. Professor Copeland was
also recognized by the MCSOL Moot
Court Board for outstanding faculty
contribution to the fall 2008 Copeland,
Cook, Taylor & Bush Appellate Advocacy Competition.
As associate director of the MCSOL
Public Service Law Center, Professor
Copeland arranged for Heather Jarvis of
Equal Justice Works to present training
on federal loan assistance repayment
options for law students, alumni, and
members of the local legal community
who work as prosecutors, public defenders, and in pro-bono legal organizations.
The training was held in April.
In January, Professor Copeland served
as the moderator for a panel discussion among former law clerks to Judge
Charles Clark. Panelists included Judge
Leslie Southwick, United States Court
Lee Hetherington
Professor Hetherington completed a
revised third edition of his book, The
Lawyer’s Guide to Negotiation (with Mike
Frascogna Jr. ’72). ABA Books will publish the title in late 2009.
Jeffrey Jackson
Owen Cooper Professor of Law
Professor Jackson moderated a panel
discussion titled Workload of the Mississippi Supreme Court, which featured lawyers representing the plaintiffs’ bar (Alex
Alston, Lance Stevens, and John Hawkins)
and the defense bar (Scott Welch, Luther
Munford, and David Clark).
He also moderated the panel discussion From Attorney to Appointment: The
amıcus | 13
Ethical Evolution of the Federal Judges as
a part of the MC Law Review legal symposium, “Corporations, Courtrooms, and
the Constitution: Shades of Gray in the
World of Legal Ethics.” The panel included federal district judges Sharion Aycock,
Sul Ozerden, Louis Guirola, Jr., Daniel P.
Jordan III, and federal Magistrate Judge
Linda Anderson. Also during the Law
Review symposium, Professor Jackson
moderated the panel discussion The
Intersection Between Attorney, Speech,
Personal Morality, Religion and the Rules
of Ethics. The panel featured Professors
Terri R. Day (Barry Law School), Timothy
Floyd (Mercer), Stephen Pepper (Denver), and Margaret Tarkington (BYU).
Professor Jackson served as a panelist
on the topic Flotsam & Jetsam: Legal and
Judicial Administrative Challenges following Natural Disaster, at the Fifth Circuit
Judicial Conference in May 2009. His
fellow panelists included District Judge
Stanwood Duval, Brett Harvey, Esq.,
and Mark Dodart, Esq.
In November 2008, Professor Jackson offered testimony before the House
Select Committee of the Mississippi
Supreme Court on the inherent powers
of courts and on the impact of recent
state Supreme Court opinions on the
powers of legislative and executive
branches of government.
Professor Jackson published Mississippi Insurance Law and Practice (5th ed.
Thomson West 2009) and Mississippi
Civil Procedure (ThomsonWest Group,
Editor and Lead Author, 13th. ed. 2009).
Professor Jackson was honored to
receive the Outstanding Professor Award,
which is voted on by MCSOL students.
faculty | focus
Shirley Kennedy ’91
Professor Kennedy sat on the Commission for Domestic Abuse appointed by
the Mississippi Supreme Court. Senate
Bill 2967 came out of that commission and
passed the Senate and an amended version
passed House Judiciary A on March 3.
Angela Mae Kupenda ’91
Professor Angela Mae Kupenda was on
sabbatical during the spring semester,
writing several articles and working on a
book. Since her last update in Amicus,
Professor Kupenda has represented the
law school lecturing across the United
States and in Canada and has had several
works published.
Kupenda presented her forthcoming article, The State as Batterer: Learning
from Family Law to Address America’s
Family-Like Race Dysfunction, at the 2008
Law and Society Association in Montreal, Canada, and at the 2008 Northeast
People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference at the Boston University School
of Law. This fall, her provocative article
was accepted for publication in a forthcoming special issue on family law of
the Journal of Law & Public Policy, University of Florida, Levin College of Law,
where she was also an invited speaker
last year.
Building on her years of experience
in teaching in controversial subject areas,
Kupenda was invited to make a plenary
presentation at the 2008 American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Workshop for New Law Teachers held in
Washington, D.C. Her presentation was
entitled Converting Challenging Conversations in the Classroom into Learning
Opportunities. At the AALS workshop,
she also led the small group discussion
“Teaching Specialty Courses.” In addition, Professor Kupenda, who teaches
Civil Rights, was invited to teach a session of the “Turbulent Sixties” course at
Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Worthington, Minnesota, in February 2008. She led the class
in discussing “The Civil Rights Movement and the Law, Then and Now.”
Professor Kupenda also served as a
reader and discussant of the research of
other academics. In April, she was a discussant of papers on the panel Law and
Jurisprudence: The Haves and the Have
Nots in the Legal System at the Midwest
Political Science Association in Chicago, Illinois, and a discussant on the panel
Institutionalizing Access to Justice at the
2009 Law and Society Association in
Denver, Colorado, in May.
Kupenda is working on a paper on
the black middle class and presented her
work, The Struggling Class: Replacing the
White Female Middle Class Dream with
a Struggling Black Female Reality, as a
panelist at the Southeast/Southwest Law
Faculty of Color Scholarship Conference at the Phoenix School of Law in
March 2009.
Professor Kupenda plans to teach the
required constitutional law course and a
constitutional law seminar: Presidential
Powers and the Historic Obama Presidency
in the fall. She has delivered several lec-
amıcus | 14
tures across the country on the Obama
Presidency. She presented Blacker America: Lawfully Creating Tension for Change,
also titled Another Chance for Change (a
reflection on the Obama Presidency and
what it means for America), as an invited
speaker at Southwest Minnesota State
University in Marshall, Minnesota, in
February; as an invited speaker at Minnesota West Community and Technical
College in Worthington, Minnesota, also
in February; and as a roundtable participant at the African American Historical Research & Preservation 2009
Black History Conference at Seattle University in March.
In addition to these many presentations and publications and teaching first
amendment law and race and the law,
Kupenda published “Loss of Innocence,”
an essay, in the book Law Touched our
Hearts: A Generation Remembers Brown
v. Board of Education, M. Robinson and
R. Bonnie, eds. (Vanderbilt Press 2009);
co-authored Reversing White Flight and
Reversing Black Flight, forthcoming in a
symposium issue of the Thurgood Marshall Law Review; several encyclopedia
entries in the Encyclopedia of the Supreme
Court of the United States (2008); a book
review on using literature to teach politics based on the book Your Blues Ain’t
Like Mine by Bebe Moore Campbell in
Law and Politics Book Review (2008); and
another essay, “It’s Simple: How Diversity Benefits Whites and How Whites
Can Simply Benefit Diversity,” in 6 Seattle Journal of Social Justice 649 (2008).
Professor Kupenda is also of great
service in many ways to MCSOL. She
mentors many potential students, students, academics, potential academics,
and alumni, especially those who are firstgeneration lawyers like herself and those
from underrepresented groups. In conjunction with this worthwhile service and
her scholarship interests, she made a
presentation, Strategies for Success as Faculty Women of Color, at the Association
faculty | focus
of Black Women in Higher Education
2008 Conference at Princeton University. In addition, she moderated a panel,
Women are in the House: Interdisciplinary Explorations of Social Justice Movements, at the Jackson State University 2008
Annual Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial
Lecture Series Workshop in Jackson, Mississippi. Kupenda spoke on “Survival
Strategies” at the Magnolia Bar Judicial
Symposium for Black Law Student Associations in Mississippi in January, and
was invited to deliver similar remarks at
the University of Mississippi Black Law
Students’ Association banquet in Oxford,
Mississippi, in May 2009.
Professor Kupenda led and narrated
“A Children’s March for the Past and
Future, Celebrating Martin Luther King,
Jr.” at Pilgrim Branch Missionary Baptist Church in Brandon, Mississippi, in
January. She also spoke about the progress of underrepresented groups in her
presentation, From 1808: A 200+years
journey from contract chattel to metaphorical contract negotiator, at the University of Toledo College of Law, Ohio
conference commemorating the 1808
federal prohibition on importing slaves.
Professor Kupenda based her presentation
on an earlier article she published in the
University of Memphis Law Review.
Property Rights and Access to Information
at the Drake Law School Intellectual
Property Roundtable in February, and
presented a paper on the copyright system and the idea of authorship at the
Midwestern Political Science Association in April.
J. Larry Lee
Professor Lee attended the Tulane Tax
Institute held in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Matt Steffey
Alina Ng
Professor Alina Ng’s publication on the
role of authors as creators of literary and
artistic works within society was published in the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal. Professor Ng presented a paper titled
Professor Steffey followed the trial of
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton extensively, and was called upon by local media
to assist in covering the trial. Professor
Steffey attended the Association of American Law Schools annual meeting in San
Diego, California, and spoke at the public defender’s CLE training at the Old
Capitol Inn in Jackson.
adjuncts
Richard A. Courtney Richard A. “Rick” Courtney was elected in 2008 to the board of directors
of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). He will serve a four-year term. • Courtney was selected for the third consecutive year as a Mid South Super Lawyer in the field of elder law.
This designation is based on peer recommendation and professional review by Law & Politics, Inc,
and is generally limited to the top five percent of attorneys in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
The New York-based Theresa Foundation, which funds projects nationwide that provide recreation and the arts to young people with special needs, selected Courtney as its 15th Annual Theresa
Award honoree. This award is presented to a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys who has shown particular contribution to the area of special needs planning. The award will
be presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of NAELA in Washington, D.C., and carries a $2,500 gift to a charitable organization
of the honoree’s selection. Courtney chose the Mustard Seed, a Christian residential and arts program in Flowood, Mississippi, that seeks to meet the spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual needs of adults with developmental disabilities.
amıcus | 15
“I’ve seen the caring way in which Dean McIntosh counsels students and works
with our professors, and on a personal note, I’m especially grateful for the role he
played in helping me make the transition to the deanship after I arrived. Whenever
I go on alumni visits, our graduates always ask about Dean McIntosh. I’m happy to
tell them he’s doing well and is still rooting for the LSU Tigers.” — Dean Jim Rosenblatt
amıcus | 16
Following te Paper Trail
Dean Phillip McIntosh Focuses on the People
Behind the Paperwork.
The first thing a visitor to Phillip
McIntosh’s office will notice is the artwork. Bright, framed posters celebrating Louisiana food, music, and festivals
are splashed across an entire wall. The
second thing to catch the eye is the paperwork. Stacks of paper cover every corner
of McIntosh’s desk, the surface of his
credenza, and virtually every square inch
of carpet on the floor.
While the colorful mementoes of
carefree gatherings and the mountains
of 8.5 x 11 sheets hardly seem related,
both are indicative of McIntosh’s roles
at Mississippi College School of Law.
In 1991, McIntosh – who holds a
B.S. and J.D. from Louisiana State University and an LL.M. from New York
University – left a highly successful law
practice in Monroe, Louisiana, to accept
a teaching position at MCSOL. McIntosh teaches Louisiana civil law courses,
offered for the benefit of MCSOL students who plan to practice in that state.
In 2002, McIntosh assumed the
additional title of associate dean of the
law school. This role brought responsibility not only for developing MCSOL’s
academic policies, but also for organizing
class schedules, assigning faculty members to teach each class, and assisting in
recruiting fulltime faculty and adjunct
professors. The job requires not only attention to detail, but also a knack for consensus building, and of course, a high
All the World’s a Stage
McIntosh and his wife, Dianne,
began dating when they appeared
in a community theatre production
together. They have a 12-year-old
daughter, JoBeth. Today, McIntosh
limits his on-stage appearances
to singing in the Ridgecrest
Baptist Church choir.
tolerance for all of that paperwork. When
asked how he was chosen for this demanding job, McIntosh laughs and says, “My
most unique qualification was that I was
willing to do it.”
But McIntosh is downplaying his most
important skill. Where others see paperwork, McIntosh sees people – the students and faculty he serves. While his
organizational skills are critical, it’s his
heart for those people that makes Phillip McIntosh the ideal man for the job.
“We never compromise the standards
of the law school, but sometimes acting
in the best interest of the student requires
flexibility,” McIntosh says. “It’s a great
privilege to be able to help a student who’s
gotten off track salvage his or her academic career, to help someone who might
have had to leave school instead become
a successful attorney. When our students
and faculty succeed, I know I’ve done
my job.”
One of those students who succeeded
was Chris Brown ’09, an older, nontraditional student who describes himself as “a person who never asked others
for help.”
“I ran into some personal issues and
was trying to handle them on my own,”
Brown says. “When Dean McIntosh found
out what I was going through, he did
everything he could to help me. He not
only assisted me in that particular situation, he also taught me that it’s okay to ask
for help when you need it. Dean McIntosh gave me the opportunity to be where
I am today – an MCSOL graduate.”
Faith & the Law
Dean Phillip McIntosh sees his profession and his faith as intertwined. • “The strong Christian influence at MCSOL is
apparent in the way we treat our faculty, staff, and students. Everyone here, no matter what their faith, is treated with care
and concern and recognized as having been created in the image of God.” • McIntosh arranged the initial meeting between
Dean Jim Rosenblatt and representatives of First Baptist Church that eventually led to the establishment of the Mission
First Legal Aid Office. He serves as the chapter advisor for the Christian Legal Society at MCSOL, and incorporated a class
on Christian faith and the practice of law into the law school curriculum (the class is taught by the aptly-named Clint
Pentecost). • “The ultimate source of the law is God,” McIntosh says. “Most of our laws and our rights have their origins
in faith. As attorneys, we have to integrate our faith with our profession. Without faith, there is no law as we know it.”
Law & Disorder
As a high school student, Phillip McIntosh worked for a summer in his uncle’s small law office in Louisiana. The
clients he met included the granddaughter of an outlaw who had ridden with Jesse James, an eccentric gentleman who claimed
to own Oklahoma City, and a woman who believed the local TV station had stolen her invention of the satellite dish.
amıcus | 17
In recognition of his outstanding work as a scholar and a teacher,
Mark Modak -Truran’s colleagues at Mississippi College named him Mississippi
College’s 2008 Distinguished Professor of the Year.
“Professor Modak-Truran is an effective teacher, a respected scholar, and a wonderful
colleague. He has earned national prominence with his work with law and religion,
and students tell me they take his courses in order to be challenged. We are so very
fortunate to have Professor Mark Modak-Truran on our faculty.”— Dean Jim Rosenblatt
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Scholar, Teacher, Professor of te Year
Mark Modak-Truran
“There’s an apocryphal story about
an an old law professor who tells a wideeyed law student, ‘We’re here to teach
the law. If you care about justice, go to
divinity school,’” Professor Mark ModakTruran says. “To me, the law, justice, and
religion are all interrelated and can’t be
neatly separated. The law always incorporates some notion of justice, and our
notions of justice are tied to our worldviews or our religions.”
That belief led Professor Modak-Truran to attend both divinity school and law
school and to devote his teaching, research,
and writing career to religion and the
law. Modak-Truran holds a B.A. in business administration and religious studies
from Gustavus Adolphus College, a J.D.
from Northwestern University School of
Law, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the
University of Chicago Divinity School.
Modak-Truran practiced law for several years in Chicago, but his desire was
always to teach. In 1998, he and his family relocated to Mississippi where ModakTruran accepted a position at MCSOL
where he teaches courses on constitutional
law, first amendment, legal theory, and
his favorite topic, the law and religion.
“For many years religion in America
was considered a private concern, but that’s
no longer the case,” Modak-Truran says.
“High-profile issues like same-sex marriage
and abortion are obvious examples in
which religion and the law intersect, but
it goes beyond that. There’s a much greater
awareness of religious pluralism in America now. Much of research and some of
my teaching focuses on how different
cultural and religious views will influence the outcome of specific cases and the
future development of our legal system.”
Lights, Camera, Slopes
Professor Modak-Truran’s wife, Anita
Modak-Truran, is not only an attorney
with Butler Snow, but is also a film
critic. The Modak-Trurans and their
son, Michael, make an annual trek to
the Sundance Film Festival, but while
Anita screens the hits, Mark and
Michael prefer to hit the slopes.
“I think of Professor Modak-Truran’s
teachings in terms of unearthing the real
explanation for the stated explanation,”
says former student Jennifer Scott ’04,
now an associate with Wise Carter Child
& Carraway. “In other words, understanding the religious, moral, or world
view of the court can explain why that
court applies a seemingly neutral legal
principle in a certain way. In essence,
Professor Modak-Truran taught me that
the law is not just about the law.”
Modak-Truran has built a national
reputation for his outstanding scholarship on the subject. He has published
and spoken on law and religion nationally and internationally, including wellreceived presentations in China, Austria,
and Canada.
“Mark leads the way for MCSOL
with his scholarship, which is at the highest levels of sophistication,” says Christopher Lund, a former associate professor of law at MCSOL now teaching at
Wayne State University Law School in
Detroit, Michigan. “So much of law and
religion work is written without any deep
understanding of religion. Mark has that
understanding, and his work reflects that.
He is a model scholar and has been a
great example and help to younger scholars like myself.”
Despite his passion and reputation for
scholarship, Professor Modak-Truran
remains a dedicated teacher.
“Professor Modak-Truran has a tremendous amount of respect for his students. No matter how divergent a student’s
views, so long as the student has thought
things through and honestly holds them,
he or she can discuss them freely with
Professor Modak-Truran,” says Dade
Dowdle ’07. “The guy is brilliant – J.D.,
Ph.D, respected scholar – but he is remarkably unpretentious and respectful in class.”
“His teaching on how to approach
legal issues against the larger background
of social, economic, political, legal, and
religious influences was invaluable,” says
Bill Cruse ’09. “On the personal side,
Professor Modak-Truran truly cares about
all of his students, not just the ‘elite’ law
students. Professor Modak-Truran obviously was my professor, but he also became
my friend. I hope I am his.”
Thinking Outside the Box
“Professor Modak-Truran was willing to oversee an independent study project on Rwanda’s gacaca tribunals, which are a
traditional justice system used to try genocide perpetrators in that country. This was a project of great interest to me, but not
much interest to anybody else. He didn’t have trouble helping me think outside the box because he’s a pretty outside-the-box
sort of guy. Professor Modak-Truran understands the challenges and rewards of pursuing a different course.” — Dade Dowdle ’07
The Swill is Gone
Professor Modak-Truran’s worst job was emptying garbage cans as a crewmember of the Minnesota
State Fair Sanitation Department. His primary objective was to avoid splashing himself with the aromatic substance
at the bottom of the cans, which the crew euphemistically referred to as “swill.”
amıcus | 19
Practicing What They Teach
Mississippi College School of Law is privileged to have a number of practicing attorneys serving as
adjunct professors. These talented experts bring real world experience to the classroom, serving as an
invaluable source of information and advice for law students. And as Brant Brantley, Jamie McBride,
and Ray McNamara can testify, sometimes the adjuncts themselves gain some inspiration along the way.
Brant Brantley
Former Executive Director
of the Mississippi Commission
on Judicial Performance
Students in Brant Brantley’s pre-trial
practice course learn how to investigate
a potential lawsuit and prepare it for
trial. In addition to those practical skills,
students who study under Brantley also
gain an enhanced awareness of the importance of professionalism to a law career.
Brantley retired last June as executive
director of the Mississippi Commission on
Judicial Performance, a watchdog organization that investigates claims of judicial wrongdoing. Brantley had served as
the executive director of the committee
since its creation in 1980. Recent, high-
profile judicial bribery cases in Mississippi
brought an increased focus on professionalism into Brantley’s classroom.
“When a judge or an attorney is
charged with wrongdoing, it damages
the public’s perception of our profession and reflects upon the entire system,”
Brantley says. “I’ve always tried to emphasize to our students the need to safeguard that reputation.”
During his 29 years with the commission, Brantley reviewed more than
7,000 complaints of judicial misconduct.
When an investigation reveals misconduct has been involved, the commission
can recommend private or public reprimands, suspension, or in the most egregious cases, removal from the bench.
amıcus | 20
Only seven to eight percent of the complaints become formal, but each and every
one must be investigated.
“You can’t make up the kind of
things people put in these complaints,”
Brantley says. “We’ve received complaints
that were serious, complaints that were
sad, and more than a few complaints that
were just ludicrous. One of the most
common situations happens in divorce
cases, when both parties file a complaint
saying the judge treated them unfairly.
When the only thing the ex-wife and exhusband can agree on is that they didn’t
like the judge, I can usually assume that
judge did an excellent and completely
fair job.”
Brant Brantley
Jamie McBride ’90
Hinds County Assistant
District Attorney
His job prosecuting felonies committed
against children brings Jamie McBride
face-to-face with horrific crimes and unimaginable heartbreak. McBride fights
back not only as a prosecutor in the courtroom, but as an adjunct in the classroom.
McBride has been teaching child advocacy courses at MCSOL since 1998,
training the next generation of law students who will protect and speak for the
smallest victims. His second- and thirdyear child advocacy classes are small – usually no more than six students. Students
meet for regular classroom instruction
at MCSOL, but on Thursday mornings
the class is held at the Rankin County
Youth Court, where law students sworn
in under the Law Student Limited Practice Act represent children coming before
the court under the authority of the youth
court public defender. Under McBride’s
supervision, MCSOL students provide
legal representation for children in hearings and trials before the Rankin County
Youth Court judge.
“These students’ motivation for becoming lawyers is to help others,” McBride
says. “My most memorable experiences
as an adjunct have been interacting with
students as they prepare for and conduct trials in the youth court. I look at
Jamie McBride
them and am reminded of myself. A
part of me still misses those days when I
was student at MSCOL, idealistic and
enthusiastic, the possibilities of the future
endless. What I like so much about serving as an adjunct is feeling that in a small
way, I’m giving back to an institution
that helped and inspired me so much.
And selfishly, the enthusiasm and eagerness of the students reinvigorates me.
“What inspires me is that fact that I
can help make the abuse stop,” McBride
continues. “It’s well worth spending my
days in the sewer dealing with the perpetrators if during my whole legal and
teaching career I’m able to stop the abuse
of just one child.”
Ray McNamara
imparted by these experts to skills practice in depositions, discovery, pretrial
motions, jury instruction, and jury trials.
The course’s final exam is a mock trial
executed and argued by the students and
judged by the guest speakers.
“It’s rewarding to see the students’
confidence grow, to watch them go from
appearing to be frightened to death and
reading straight from their notes to leaving the course with the confidence to go
out and argue a real case,” McNamara
says. “The class also emphasizes that there
is no one, ‘right’ style in the courtroom.
Being a successful lawyer doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be aggressive or
outgoing. Instead, it means you develop
your own style and learn how to make that
Ray McNamara
style work for you in the courtroom.”
Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush
McNamara has definitely developed
“The law is not all long hours and bore- his own style in the courtroom, trying
dom,” Ray McNamara says. “I enjoy what more than 100 cases throughout MissisI do and I want my students to know sippi, most of them medical negligence
that yes, you have to have the academic cases in which he has defended physiknowledge and hone the skills, but cians, hospitals, and other health care
practicing law is genuinely exciting.” providers. He has also argued before
McNamara brings that excitement to numerous appellate courts, including the
a trial practice class sponsored by the United States Supreme Court.
American Board of Trial Advocates. His “I had great mentors who taught me,”
class differs from other pre-trial courses McNamara says. “That’s one reason I
in that McNamara is not the only teach- enjoy serving as an adjunct today. Someer; instead, he shares the podium with one helped me develop the skills I needguest speakers and legal experts. Students ed, and if I can help someone else do the
in McNamara’s course apply the wisdom same, I’m paying back to the profession.”
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“Hal Miller
shares with our students the
wisdom he acquired during his
long and distinguished law
practice and has also been a
gracious supporter in other
ways, including work with our
building campaign and planned
giving programs. When I turn
to Hal for advice or assistance,
he is always available. We
treasure our relationship with
this respected stalwart of the
Mississippi legal community
and are proud to have him as
our Attorney in Residence.”
— Dean Jim Rosenblatt
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good as gold
“The most rewarding experiences I
have had in practice have been helping
people find a solution that ends their disagreement,” Hal Miller says. “I reached a
point in my career at which I found it
more important to have the issue resolved
to the best interest of everyone involved
than to see who would win.”
When it comes to his position as
MCSOL’s Attorney in Residence, Hal
Miller’s genuine concern for people is as
important as his considerable legal expertise. The Attorney in Residence is charged
with seeking new ways to introduce
students to the “real world” of law practice,
a job for which Miller is uniquely suited.
One of MCSOL’s longest-tenured
adjunct professors, Miller has been teaching alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
at MCSOL since 1996. A pioneer in the
field, Miller is often referred to in legal
circles as “the daddy of ADR in Mississippi.” Miller also teaches law office management – also known as “the business
of practicing law.”
“These two classes dovetail with two
of my personal beliefs,” Miller says. “One
is that too much emphasis is put on traditional litigation as the preferred method of dispute resolution. The other is
that too many law students are given no
instruction in how a law office actually
works. Many complaints against attorneys
relate to poor office practices – something
as simple as a failure to return calls –
rather than ethical violations.”
Miller’s legal career has been marked
by the same dedication he has shown
to MCSOL. He has enjoyed a storied,
50-year career with Butler Snow O’Mara
Stevens & Cannada; Miller was the first
attorney to mark a half-century of serGolden Anniversaries
Hal Miller’s 50-year relationship
with Butler Snow is topped by
his 52-year marriage to his wife,
Dot. The Millers have three
children, eight grandchildren,
and three great-grandchildren.
vice with the firm. During those years he
participated in every management position with Butler Snow, including chairing the firm.
Miller has served as a mediator and
arbitrator in a wide variety of matters,
including personal and property injury,
oil and gas, construction, commercial utility, transportation, and contract disputes.
Amounts involved have varied from less
than $100,000 to multimillions of dollars. He has been recognized in the Energy
Law, Public Utilities, and Alternative
Dispute Resolution sections of Best Lawyers in America.
Miller was instrumental in helping
mediation and arbitration in Mississippi
grow from a movement to a reality. He
chaired the committee that created and
ran the state’s court annexed mediation
program and was the founding chairman
of the ADR section of the Mississippi Bar.
The Bar presented Miller with a Distinguished Service Award in recognition of
his work in ADR.
“We have a tendency to treat law as
if it is an abstract, totally logical study
of rules, but I believe it is also a study of
interaction among people. This is what
I practiced and this is what I try to teach,”
Miller says. “In dispute resolution, people are trying to resolve differences. In
law office management, people are trying to serve one another. Again, it comes
down to people, not to rules.”
“Professor Miller brings the black letter of the law to life,” says former student Chris Corkern ’08, now an associate with Purdie & Metz, PLLC. “He not
only teaches students what the law says,
but also gives them a perspective on how
legal decisions can affect the lives of clients. Professor Miller is a great teacher,
but he’s an even better person.”
Hal Miller is pictured in front of the wall commemorating Butler Snow’s $100,000 gift to MCSOL.
Service to the Profession and the Community Hal Miller has served as president of the Jackson Young Lawyers,
Hinds County Bar Association, Mississippi Bar Foundation, and Transportation Lawyers Association. His numerous awards include
a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Mississippi School of Law and the first Professionalism Award presented by
the Hinds County Bar Association. • In addition to his work with MCSOL, Miller chairs the Family Business Institute at Millsaps
College, volunteers with Mission First Legal Aid and Stewpot Ministries, and is an active member of St. James Episcopal Church.
amıcus | 23
“I grew up hearing strangers tell me stories about
seeing my grandfather try cases.”— Glenn Swartzfager
a family
Tradition
The Swartzfager family story is written in the letter of the law and in its own
chapter in MCSOL history.
The Swartzfager tradition of attending what’s now Mississippi College School
of Law began with Paul “Polly” Swartzfager, who studied at the Jackson School
of Law in the 1930s. In those days, attorneys were not required to graduate from
law school in order to practice; Polly
attended law school for two years before
passing the bar and going into practice
in his hometown of Laurel, Mississippi.
To describe Polly Swartzfager’s personality as larger-than-life would be an
understatement. Swartzfager was a buddy
of William Faulkner and the proud owner
of both a motorcycle and a pet monkey
named Duke. Polly’s flamboyant style
translated to the courtroom. In the days
before television, the people of Laurel
defined “entertainment” as gathering at
the courthouse to hear their town’s version of Atticus Finch argue cases.
“My father was an incredible orator,”
Polly’s son, Jon Swartzfager, recalls. “As
a boy, as soon I’d get out of school I’d
run to the courthouse to watch him.”
“This was back in the days when they
still smoked cigars in the courtroom and
had spittoons on the floor,” says Polly’s
older son, Paul Junior, who has always
been referred to as “Fella.” “There was no
air conditioning, so all the courthouse
doors were thrown open in the summer.
People who didn’t get there early enough
to get a seat in the courtroom would stand
outside and listen to Polly raise Cain.”
“I grew up hearing strangers tell me
stories about seeing my grandfather try
cases,” Jon’s son, Glenn Swartzfager says.
“He could quote the Bible and make
the jurors cry,” adds Fella’s daughter,
Helen Swartzfager.
In 1952, Polly Swartzfager was elected district attorney of Jones County.
During his time as a prosecutor he tried
several death penalty cases; Jon recalls at
Above: Paul “Polly” Swartzfager
amıcus | 24
least one occasion when the electric chair
was driven from Jackson to Laurel and the
prisoner was executed in the courtroom.
“Personally, Daddy didn’t support
the death penalty, but he was doing the
job he was sworn to do as a prosecutor,”
Jon says. “After he was elected district
attorney, he and William Faulkner had
a falling out. Years later, I found a file of
old letters Faulkner had written to the
editor of the newspaper in which he called
my father a Nazi. My father wrote back
suggesting that perhaps Faulkner had
begun to believe his own fiction.”
Jon Swartzfager followed in his father’s
footsteps, graduating from the Jackson
School of Law in 1966 and joining Polly
in private practice as a trial lawyer.
“I never wanted to be a policeman or
a fireman,” Jon recalls. “I always wanted
to be a lawyer. Nothing else ever crossed
my mind.”
Fella owned and operated a LincolnMercury dealership for several years before
“He could quote the Bible and make
the jurors cry.”— Helen Swartzfager
he succumbed to the family “lawyer gene”
and enrolled in the Jackson School of
Law, graduating in the early 1970s. Glenn
and Helen also made futile attempts to
escape the family calling. Glenn earned
an undergraduate degree in microbiology and worked for a pharmaceuticals
firm in California and Helen worked in
marketing in Ohio, but both found themselves back in Mississippi, enrolling in
Mississippi College School of Law and
graduating in the same class in 1992.
“Being a trial lawyer was in my blood,”
Glenn says. “In the end, I just couldn’t
fight it.”
“My dad had been asking me all
along, ‘What are you doing? You know
you’re a lawyer,’” Helen says. “I’ve heard
you know you’re a trial lawyer when you
love the sound of your own voice, and
our whole family loves to talk.”
At one time, Polly, Jon, Paul, Glenn,
and Helen were all simultaneously in
practice as trial lawyers in Laurel. Polly,
Fella, and Helen practiced together as
Swartzfager & Swartzfager, while Jon
and Glenn practiced together as Swartzfager Law Firm right next door.
“We had Swartzfager & Swartzfager
next door to Swartzfager Law Firm,”
Glenn says. “You can only imagine how
many times we got each other’s calls
and mail.”
“Our office was in Laurel, but I
think I tried cases in every courtroom in
Mississippi,” Helen recalls. “No matter
what little town I found myself in,
someone there would say, ‘Are you
related to Polly/Fella/Jon/Glenn? Everywhere I went, someone there knew a
story about my family.”
For the Swartzfagers, the law was
never a 9-to-5 pursuit. Whenever the
family got together – whether it was a
wedding, a funeral, or a barbecue – the
topic always worked its way around to
the law.
“I can still remember my mother saying, ‘I can’t stand it. If I hear one more
legal discussion, I’ll scream.’” Glenn says.
“She never went to law school, but she
probably could have passed the bar just
from all that legal talk she was forced to
listen to.”
“I was married to Glenn’s mother
for 33 years,” Jon says. “One day she told
me, ‘if you fall asleep one more night with
a law book in your arms I will divorce
you.’ Unfortunately, I did. Fortunately,
our divorce was amicable.”
“Polly once told me, ‘the law is a
jealous mistress,’ and the longer I practiced, the more I understood what he
meant,” Helen says. “I loved being a trial
lawyer. I can count on one hand the
number of days I missed work. My husband told me once that I sat up in bed in
the middle of the night and said, ‘Let’s
go to chambers and talk about that.’ I
was literally practicing law in my sleep.”
Polly Swartzfager practiced law for
more than 50 years. Even after he retired,
he continued to report to his office
almost every day until his death in 2000,
reading the newspaper, greeting former
clients who stopped by to visit with cakes
and pies in hand, and offering sage advice
to his family of lawyers.
“I remember going into his office one
day and asking him a legal question,”
Glenn recalls. “He said, ‘I’m retired. I
can’t remember all that anymore.’ We
chatted about something else for a few
minutes and when I turned to leave, he
uttered a reference to a piece of the Mississippi Code by number. It was exactly
the information I needed.”
Today, Fella Swartzfager has retired.
Jon Swartzfager is still practicing with
Swartzfager Law Offices in Laurel. Helen
Swartzfager has recently relocated to Oklahoma and is taking a short break from the
courtroom, but plans to return to practice
soon. Glenn Swartzfager is the director of
the Office of Capital Post-Conviction
Counsel; while his grandfather once
prosecuted death penalty cases, Glenn
handles appeals for death row inmates. Both Glenn Swartzfager and Helen
Swartzfager have young children. Given
their “lawyer genes” and their family
history with Mississippi College School
of Law, perhaps there’s a fourth generation of Swartzfager alumni and attorneys
in the making.
Above: Fella, Helen, and Polly Swartzfager / Glenn Swartzfager serves as an MCSOL adjunct professor
and often assists the law school’s moot court program. / Polly and Jon Swartzfager
amıcus | 25
Nina Tollison and
Gale Walker
amıcus | 26
The Best Legal Leaders,
Bar None
Mississippi College School of Law’s reputation for developing legal leaders
is exemplified by Nina Tollison, Joey Diaz, Gale Walker, and Bill Whitfield, distinguished
alumni who have assumed leadership roles in four respected, statewide legal organizations.
Nina Stubblefield
Tollison ’82
2010-11 President of the
Mississippi Bar Association
In 2010, Nina Tollison will become
the first MCSOL graduate and the second woman to assume leadership of the
Mississippi Bar Association. Tollison was
officially named president-elect of the
organization on July 1, 2009 and will be
inducted as president in July of 2010. As
president, Tollison will lead the Association’s 8,500 active members.
“I am extremely humbled and thrilled
by this opportunity to serve the Mississippi Bar,” Tollison says. “It was a joy to
share this news with my family and
friends. I’ve received several congratulatory messages from past presidents who
shared their reactions when they learned
of their own elections and who have
already given me some invaluable advice
based on their experiences. I’ve also
received terrific e-mails of congratulations from MCSOL alums all over the
United States. Pretty heady stuff!”
Tollison has been active in the Mississippi Bar Association since 1982, when
she graduated from MCSOL and joined
the Tollison Law Firm in Oxford, Mississippi. She has been in private practice
in Oxford since 2005. She has had her
own firm in Oxford since 2005.
Her previous leadership experience
includes service as the 2006-07 president
of the Mississippi Bar Foundation and as
president, vice-president, and secretarytreasurer of the Mississippi Bankruptcy
Conference. She is listed in the bankruptcy sections of The Best Lawyers in
America and Mid-South Super Lawyers.
Tollison has served MCSOL as the 199899 president of the Alumni Association
and a member of the Building Campaign
steering committee. She was MCSOL’s
1993 Lawyer of the Year.
As Tollison looks ahead to the challenges and opportunities that will come
with this high-profile position, her priorities include enhancing the perception of the legal profession and increasing member participation in the Bar.
“I feel strongly that the legal profession is an honorable one, and often that
is a lost concept,” Tollison says. “It’s the
role of the Bar not only to improve our
public image as attorneys, but also to
enhance the relationships among our
members. What I’m looking forward to
the most is interacting with the members
of the association and reaching out to
as many of those members as possible,
including those who are becoming active
in the Bar for the first time. I’d like to
see a great many more attorneys actively
participate in the association, and help us
make sure that the voice of the Bar accurately reflects and serves its members.”
amıcus | 27
Gale Walker ’03
2009-10 President of the
Magnolia Bar Association
Gale Walker is president of the Magnolia Bar Association, a statewide organization composed primarily of African
American attorneys.
“The Magnolia Bar Association was
founded in 1955, at a time when it was
very important for someone to shoulder
the heavy burden of furthering justice
for minority citizens in Mississippi,”
Walker says. “The founders also fought
desperately for equal treatment of African American attorneys in the state. The
advances made by that small group have
paved the way for hundreds of African
American attorneys to continue to be
committed to the same goals. I feel so
passionately about the mission of the
Magnolia Bar Association because even
today, it is imperative for an organization
like ours to continue to ensure that justice prevails in the state of Mississippi.”
In addition to developing policy and
setting goals for the organization, Walker
is responsible for continuing the Magnolia Bar’s traditional programs, which
include sponsoring political summits,
food drives, mock trial competitions for
high school students, and continuing legal
education programs.
Joey Diaz and
Bill Whitfield
amıcus | 28
“One of my goals is to get more
young lawyers involved in the Magnolia
Bar and to bridge the gap between old
and new,” Walker says. “I firmly believe
that the generations have a symbiotic
relationship. We need each other.”
An associate with the Jackson-based
Walker Group law firm, Walker practices in the areas of medical malpractice,
professional negligence, and nursing home
abuse and neglect. Walker coaches the
Frederick Douglass Moot Court teams
at MCSOL. Her daughter, Beverly, graduated from MCSOL in 2007.
Prior to enrolling in MCSOL, Walker enjoyed a successful, 30-year career as
a registered nurse. But while she put her
childhood dream of becoming an attorney on hold for more than three decades,
Gale Walker’s passion for justice simply
would not be extinguished.
“When I was a young child, one of
my neighbors was murdered by a mob of
men at night,” Walker recalls. “The FBI
sent in investigators from Washington,
D.C., to investigate the murder. They
spent a lot of time at our house. The FBI
agents were attorneys and were some of
the most remarkable people I had ever
met. I was impressed that people like
that could care about people like us. I
decided, then and there, that I wanted
to become an attorney.”
Joey Diaz ’72
Past President, Mississippi
Association for Justice
Joey Diaz served as the 2007 president
of the Mississippi Association for Justice
(MAJ), formerly the Mississippi Trial
Lawyers Association, and completed his
service as immediate past-president of
MAJ in June of 2009. Diaz began his
service with MAJ as a member of the
board of governors and rose through the
ranks of the organization’s leadership,
holding most of the executive committee
offices on his way to the presidency.
“I understood the importance of being
involved in a worthwhile organization
that cared about consumers’ rights. MAJ
offered that opportunity,” Diaz says.
“Corporations and other entities continue
to try to strip individuals of their rights.
MAJ is the only organization with the
political ties and energy to persevere. If
we don’t stand up for the citizens of
Mississippi, they are left unrepresented.”
Diaz has been in practice as a trial
lawyer with the Jackson-area Diaz Law
Firm for some 30 years; he was previously with the City of Jackson Public
Defender’s Office. He is also active in
the American Association for Justice
(AAJ) and has served as the state delegate chairman for AAJ.
As MAJ president, Diaz’s many duties
included running the annual convention,
fundraising, and the preservation of justice through lobbying the legislature. As
past president, Diaz not only participated as a member of the executive committee, but also took on the role of legislative chair.
“The greatest reward of serving in a
leadership position with MAJ has been
the opportunity to serve the people of this
state,” Diaz says. “As an association and as
a profession, we are committed to preserving the integrity and strength of today’s
court system for the people of Mississippi.
“I was privileged to serve as president
of a great organization encompassing
many talented people,” Diaz continues.
“While standing at the podium at the
year-end banquet, I listed the many accomplishments MAJ had made throughout
the year. It made me proud to be a trial
lawyer. Our membership continuously
strives to better itself, and as a result, our
clients, consumers, and the citizens of
Mississippi receive great benefit.”
Bill Whitfield ’81
State Representative for the
Defense Research Institute
Bill Whitfield is the state representative for the Defense Research Institute (DRI), the national organization
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of defense trial lawyers and corporate
counsel. DRI is the largest organization
for defense lawyers in the country.
“DRI offers a very important service
to the defense lawyer community and profession,” Whitfield says. “This the only
organization that really gets involved with
the practice of its members. DRI is not
a social group. Instead, the organization
offers practical tools that help its members enhance their careers.”
DRI is on the forefront of the profession, offering publications and seminars focusing on timely topics and the
latest trends in litigation. As the state representative, Whitfield coordinates DRI
programs and serves as a clearinghouse
for DRI information in Mississippi. This
includes recruiting new members and
encouraging all DRI members in Mississippi to take advantage of the many
conferences, web sites, networking opportunities, and other services offered by the
organization. Whitfield has served as the
state representative since 2006; his term
will end in the fall of this year.
“It’s a very good feeling to have been
associated with an organization that does
so much good for our profession and
for the justice system as a whole,” Whitfield says.
Whitfield is a shareholder with the
Biloxi office of Copeland, Cook, Taylor &
Bush, PA. His areas of practice include
medical negligence and personal injury
defense. Whitfield’s previous leadership
experience includes service as the 200607 president of the Mississippi Defense
Lawyers Association. As an MCSOL alumnus, Whitfield takes pride in the fact that
his law school was the first in the nation
to organize a student chapter of DRI.
“As an alumnus and a member of
DRI, I was very proud and in some ways
humbled that DRI went into Mississippi College School of Law first.”
Attorneys are charged with defending their clients’
rights and freedoms and with protecting the public
from injustice. But ultimately, the rights, freedoms,
and guarantee of justice for all Americans are
protected by the men and women of the Army,
Navy, Air Force, and Marines. The MCSOL
alumni and students on the following pages have
served or are currently serving our country, often
at great cost to themselves and their families.
From the courtroom to the battlefield, these brave
men and women exemplify the words of General
Douglas MacArthur, who said, “The soldier,
above all other men, is required to perform the
highest act of religious teaching – sacrifice.”
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A Salute to MCSOL Students and Alumni in the Military
“Duty, honor, and
integrity. Everything else
pales by comparison.”
Col. Henry Cook ’78
Col. Henry Cook took his eyes off
the thick jungle before him just long
enough to look down at a map. He looked
back up in time to see a Vietcong soldier
rising in front of him with a rifle grenade
in hand and one of his own men, a 19year-old Cambodian radio operator named
Nguyen “Van” Nguyen, throwing himself in front of the grenade. Van was killed
instantly, the explosion nearly tearing him
in half.
“That made the Bible verse very real
to me,” Col. Cook says 42 years later.
“Greater love has no one than this, that
he lay down his life for his friends.’ Of
all the lessons I learned in the Army, that
was the most profound.”
Cook enlisted in the Army the first
time when he was just 16 years old, only
to be sent home when a records check
revealed he was underage. A disappointed Cook finished high school and joined
the National Guard. Then came the Vietnam War. Explaining that he “hated that
my country would give a war and not
invite me,” Cook volunteered for active
duty, then for Special Forces training.
The acceptance rate for Special Forces –
also known as the Green Berets – was a
mere three percent, but Cook was destined for membership in that elite group
of soldiers.
In 1967, he was deployed to Vietnam, where he spent the next three years
recruiting and training South Vietnamese and Cambodian soldiers. It was a
brutal assignment, fighting an unpopular war in an inhospitable terrain. Van
laid down his life for Cook on a steamy
day in May of 1967. The mission that
day was to clear caves near a Vietcong
base. A little more than 200 people left
on the mission that morning; less than
50 came back that night.
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Cook earned two Purple Hearts and
spent four months in the hospital as the
result of injuries received in the line of
duty in Vietnam. For years after his return
to the United States, he had trouble sleeping, always on the lookout for stealthy
movements in the darkness. He slept with
a pistol under his pillow, a habit he describes with a wry smile as, “making it
difficult to form relationships.”
And yet, Cook never lost his passion
for the military. After Vietnam, he settled in Mississippi largely because the
state had such a strong National Guard
program. In 1974, Cook enrolled in law
school upon the advice of a fellow veteran
and attorney, who told him, “It’s true that
in a courtroom you can’t kill anyone, but
you can destroy them, and I think you’d
appreciate that.” Cook took his advice
and became a trial lawyer, building a successful practice in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. He was content practicing law until
1990, when the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait
touched off Operation Desert Storm.
the home of the
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“People were always asking me if I’d ever gone back to Vietnam. My answer
was that I’d never really left. In Vietnam, I learned the real meaning of words like
duty, honor, and integrity. I saw people who lived and died by those words.
Everything else I know pales by comparison.”— Col. Henry Cook
Col. henry cook
“A former Army buddy of mine called
my law office and said, ‘We’re going back
to war. Do you want to go?’” Cook recalls.
“I handed my office manager the keys and
left. I was 56 years old, and I never dreamed
I’d get to do anything like that again.”
For the next 18 months, Cook planned
classified missions in conjunction with
Operations Desert Storm and Desert
Shield. Col. Cook retired from the Army
in 1995, finally acknowledging that “the
next time my country gave a war, I probably wouldn’t be invited.”
Today Col. Cook is a judge pro tem
in Bay St Louis and a lobbyist for Soldiers’
Angels, a support organization for U.S.
service personnel. In 2008, he completed
a year of service as the national commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Henry Cook experienced many
triumphs and tragedies during his long
military career, but he still describes Vietnam as the defining period in his life.
“People were always asking me if I’d
ever gone back to Vietnam. My answer
was that I’d never really left,” Col. Cook
says. “In Vietnam, I learned the real
meaning of words like duty, honor, and
integrity. I saw people who lived and
died by those words. Everything else I
know pales by comparison.”
In 2009, Col. Cook returned to
Vietnam for the first time since 1970.
“Vietnam had changed me forever
and it had cost people like Van their
lives,” Col. Cook says. “Had it all been
worth it? I went back to find out.”
Col. Cook and a fellow veteran spent
26 days in Vietnam, exploring the cities,
villages, and remote jungles where they
once served. Col. Cook is quick to point
out that it was not a sightseeing trip.
“It was 114 degrees. I kept thinking,
‘how did I do this crawling around in all
that gear with someone trying to kill me?’”
Cook’s return trip brought a few experiences nearly as memorable as his first.
He was sitting in a diner near the location
of one of his former camps, showing the
old photos on his laptop to a taxi diver.
When the image of a young Vietnamese
woman who had served as the camp
secretary filled the screen, the taxi driver
exclaimed, “Co Hai!”
“Yes, her name is Co Hai,” Col. Cook
said. “You know her?”
The taxi driver nodded, then drove
Col. Cook to a nearby house, where he
was greeted by his former secretary.
After 40 years, Co Hai recognized Cook
at first sight.
Another memorable moment came
when Col. Cook and his fellow veteran
were invited to dinner at the home of an
elderly woman they met in a village. The
woman gathered her children and grandchildren around the table.
“She explained to her family that we
were American soldiers who had come
to their country years ago, and that they
had us to thank for their freedom,” Col.
Cook says. “This was the most rewarding part of going back to Vietnam – seeing that what I had done there had made
a difference. These Vietnamese people,
including some who had spent many
long, hard years in prison for helping
American soldiers, put their arms around
me and thanked me. They told me it as
worth it. My service was validated.”
Above: Col. Cook and Van, days before Van’s death / Col. Cook and members of the People’s Army of the Republic of Vietnam, 2009
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major chris thomas
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Growing Up in a Hurry
Major Chris Thomas ’06
Chris Thomas was a newlywed and
second-year law school student looking
forward to a summer clerkship and the
birth of his first child when the call came.
“The voice on the other end said
something like, ’the eagle is out of the
nest,’” Thomas recalls. “It was a coded
message telling me I was being deployed
to Iraq. You always know it’s a possibility, but when the call comes, it’s hard at
first to believe it’s really happening.”
In 2004, Thomas, then a captain in the
Mississippi Army National Guard, was
mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom, serving as commander for
Company C, 150th Combat Engineer
Battalion, 155th Brigade Combat Team.
“Iraq was a hornet’s nest. I knew this
wasn’t going to be a nice little mobilization,” Thomas says. “The deployment
was very hard on my wife. She understood the Reserves, but that was one
weekend a month and this was real. We
were newlyweds, she was pregnant, and
I was going to war.”
Thomas and his unit were sent to a
post 45 miles southwest of Baghdad,
where they conducted combat operations
in an area filled with insurgents and
Saddam sympathizers. Thomas’ company
ran patrols and conducted weapons cache
searches in this area, which was known
as a smuggling route for arms from Syria
to Baghdad and a hotbed for improvised
explosive devices (IED).
“This was deep in Saddam territory
and we were the only forces there. It was
like the Wild West and we were the only
law,” Thomas says. “My company was
very fortunate in that we had no casualties, but we did lose five guys out of the
battalion. I realized very quickly that real
war is not a 30-second news clip. You
knew these guys, and they were there one
day and gone the next.”
Thanks to modern communication
systems, Thomas was able to communicate with his wife, Kristi, by telephone
or e-mail every other day. He learned of
the birth of his son, Christopher Thomas Jr., over the telephone.
“It was a little surreal, thinking that
I was a father now,” Thomas says. “I
didn’t have a picture of him, and I didn’t
get very emotional, I guess because I
didn’t know what I was missing.”
Thomas saw just what he was missing
three months later, when he received an
early leave, arranged a surprise visit to the
States, and met his son for the first time.
“I swore everyone to secrecy and had
my brother-in-law pick me up at the
airport. When Kristi walked into the
kitchen and saw me standing there, she
almost dropped the baby. It was a reallife Hallmark movie moment.”
The Hallmark moment ended 10
days later, when Thomas headed back
to Iraq for six more months of dodging
roadside bombs.
“My company was very fortunate in that we had no casualties, but we did lose five guys
out of the battalion. I realized very quickly that real war is not a 30-second news clip.
You knew these guys, and they were there one day and gone the next.”— Major Chris Thomas
Chris and Kristi Thomas and sons Cullen (left) and Christopher Jr.
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A Few Good Men...and Women While they were still students at MCSOL, Cpt. Jennifer Bowersox and Cpt. Alex
Schneider argued a case before the United States Court of Military Appeals for the Armed Forces. The attorneys and
judges involved came to MCSOL in conjunction with the case of United States v. Harrow, in which Airman Harrow was
convicted of the unpremeditated murder of her infant daughter. Jennifer Bowersox recalls the experience of writing a brief
and arguing it before the judges of the highest military appeals court as “both exhilarating and nerve-wracking.” ✯ “I was
so nervous because I was the last person to argue,” Bowersox recalls. “But I distinctly remember the thrill when I heard
the U.S. Air Force JAG use my research from my brief in his argument. It was quite an honor and a rare opportunity.”
“My greatest fear was that I wouldn’t
come home and my son would grow up
without a father,” Thomas recalls. “My
other fear was having to write a letter to
someone else’s wife or parents explaining
why they wouldn’t be coming home.
Those last few days in Iraq, I was hypervigilant. I just kept telling myself and my
men not to do anything stupid that would
get us killed so close to going home.”
Thomas returned to Mississippi in
January of 2006, one week after MCSOL
classes had begun for the semester.
“A part of me hoped they would tell
me it was too late to enroll so I could take
a semester off and chill,” Thomas says with
a smile, “but they welcomed me back
and worked me right in. Nine days after
I left the desert and dodging roadside
bombs, I was sitting in an air-conditioned
law school classroom taking notes.”
Thomas found the hyper-vigilance
he’d cultivated in Iraq difficult to shake.
He was sitting in class one day when a
garbage truck dropped a dumpster with
a loud crash outside the window.
“I nearly came out of my seat. Sweat
broke out on my forehead. Fortunately, I
was on the back row and no one noticed.”
Thomas credits the MCSOL faculty
with helping ease his transition from the
battlefield to the classroom.
“I had tremendous support from the
faculty and staff at MCSOL from the day
I found out I was being deployed until
I came back,” Thomas says. “They went
out their way to help with all the logistics
of leaving law school and re-enrolling,
but they also gave me a lot of moral support. Professor Shelton Hand sent me
e-mails of encouragement while I was in
Iraq, and when I was home on leave,
Dean Rosenblatt called to check on me.
On Law Day Professor Jeffrey Jackson
asked the crowd to give a hand for Chris
Thomas and my classmates and the
faculty gave me a standing ovation. It
was overwhelming.”
Thomas is now a global business
recruiter with the Mississippi Development Authority. His position requires
him to travel, but when he boards a
plane today, Thomas knows he’ll be coming home to his family, including younger son Cullen, within a few days instead
of several months.
“More than anything, my time in Iraq
was a growth experience,” says Thomas,
who has since been promoted to Major
and has logged more than 22 years in the
National Guard. “When you’re responsible for 100 people and the enemy is trying to kill you, you grow up in a hurry.”
Cpt. jennifer bowersox
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The Bottom Line Up Front
Cpt. Jennifer Bowersox ’07
Jennifer Bowersox grew up dreaming of becoming an Army lawyer, but it
took a field training exercise to convince her to apply to law school.
“I thought I could be a better Army
lawyer if I understood the Army, so I
went in as an air defense officer for four
years,” Bowersox explains. “I decided to
follow through on my goal of becoming
a Judge Advocate General (JAG) during
a field exercise. I was lying in a hasty
fighting position at 0600 in all of my
chemical protective gear waiting for the
’enemy’ to attack our perimeter, and I
On the Battlefield or in the Courtroom
Cpt. Alex Schneider ’07
West Point graduate Cpt. Alex Schneider served in Germany prior to enrolling in law school.
Shortly after graduating from MCSOL magna cum laude, Cpt. Schneider was deployed to Baghdad,
Iraq, as a military prosecutor. Today, Schneider is the chief of federal litigation with the JAG Corps
stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. ✯ “Mississippi College School of Law equipped me to be a
better Army officer,” Schneider says. “Senior military commanders expect Judge Advocates to be
more than just legal counsel. We are trained as attorneys to think through problems analytically,
absorb large amounts of information and distill it, and come up with creative solutions to problems.
This is as valuable to the commander on the battlefield as it is to the attorney in the courtroom.”
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“The Army has so many fantastic career opportunities, but you have
to be able to give up on the idea of completely controlling your own life. I’ve realized,
however, that some of the best jobs I’ve had have been the ones I didn’t plan
on or ask for. As my mother told me, life isn’t about choices. It’s about living
with the choices you’ve made.” — Cpt. Jennifer Bowersox
thought to myself, this is not why I joined
the army. There is something more out
there for me than lying in the cold, wet
sand pretending the enemy is attacking.
Once that exercise was done, I started
putting my application packet together.
God has a funny way of showing you
which direction to take.”
Today Cpt. Bowersox is a Judge Advocate General working in the 3rd Heavy
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division in Ninewa Province, Iraq. As the
prosecutor for the brigade, one of Bowersox’s responsibilities is bringing cases
against terrorists through the Iraqi criminal system. She spends four days a week
in an Iraqi court discussing case status
with the judges or facilitating U.S. soldiers’ testimony against insurgents captured during searches or attacks. Bowersox is also assisting in the development
of the Rule of Law in Ninewa Province,
and working with Iraqi officials to improve
the legal system in their country. It’s a big
departure from a field exercise; Bowersox is actually helping to shape the laws,
and the future, of a nation.
“I’m working with the Provincial
Police Department and their legal department to assist in the development of the
law governing their court, the Ministry of
Interior court,” Bowersox explains. “I also
work with the Iraqi Army’s version of JAG
officers regarding building cases against
Iraqi soldiers who break their code.”
In 2010, Bowersox will return to the
Judge Advocate General’s School in Virginia for an additional year of schooling
in military law. She describes her future
career plans as “still coming into focus,”
but emphasizes that her goal is to make a
difference in whatever job she is assigned
to perform.
“The Army has so many fantastic
career opportunities, but you have to
be able to give up on the idea of completely controlling your own life,” Cpt.
Bowersox says. “I’ve realized, however,
that some of the best jobs I’ve had have
been the ones I didn’t plan on or ask
for. As my mother told me, life isn’t
about choices. It’s about living with the
choices you’ve made.”
Bowersox believes the choice she made
to join the Army before attending law
school paid off in the long run.
“I relied on the values and the discipline I learned in the Army to get me
through the long days of law school,”
Bowersox says. “My ability to communicate, which I learned as a platoon leader in
charge of more than 30 soldiers, helped
me stand up in class and make my point.
A basic principle of Army communication teaches officers to always state the
bottom line up front. That bottom line
up front is what law school professors
seemed to want when it came to their
brutal Socratic questions – especially those
asked by Professor Jeffrey Jackson.”
On a more serious note, the choice
she made to attend law school ultimately
led Bowersox to her current position in
Iraq, where the sand is hot and dry
instead of wet and cold and the enemy
isn’t just “pretending” to attack.
“The toughest part of my deployment
has been standing at a memorial ceremony listening to soldiers tell stories
about their fallen comrades,” she says.
“The 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team
has lost numerous soldiers to attacks by
terrorists in these months of deployment. Those are the heroes, the ones
who return to the States in a flag-draped
coffin because they donned the uniform
and deployed when they were told to by
the U.S. Army. They deserve the ultimate
respect of the entire nation, regardless of
personal politics, because of their sacrifice. They are the ones who gave their all
and must not be forgotten.”
An Issue of Confidence
Joey Comley ’09
Prior to attending MCSOL on the Army Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP), field artillery officer
Joey Comley was on active duty in Germany and in Iraq. He will next report to the 10th Mountain
Division in Fort Drum, New York. Comley, who participated on the MCSOL Moot Court Board and
on the MCSOL Law Review, found his military background to be both an advantage and a disadvantage
to his performance in law school. ✯ “Law school and Army service are similar in a few respects,” Comley
says. “Both require a great deal of hard work, endurance, patience, tolerance, and confidence. My time
in the Army both helped and hindered my success in law school. I had plenty of experience in refining
many of those five characteristics; however, an overabundance of confidence certainly had a part in my subpar first-year grades.”
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Col. michael turello
Just Another Day
at the Office
Col. Michael Turello ’96
As the commander of the 19th Special Forces Group, a National Guard unit
based in Utah with elements in nine
states, Col. Michael Turello commands
the nearly 1,900 personnel who make up
a headquarters, three battalions, a support
company, and a chemical recon unit. His
responsibilities include preparing units to
conduct Special Forces missions, including combat operations, and coordinating
efforts between the 19th Special Forces
Group, the United States Army Special
Forces Command, and the Utah Army
National Guard.
“It’s a distinct challenge working with
units in nine states and managing a
multi-million dollar budget and equipment when the 19th Group is literally
spread coast to coast,” Col. Turello says.
“But one of the things I enjoy about this
job is the variety. One minute you’re in
a meeting, and the next you’re jumping
out of an airplane. It’s definitely not your
normal office job.”
But then, Col. Turello has never
really had a “normal office job.” Michael
Turello joined the United States Marine
Corps in 1982 and upon graduating
from Millsaps College in 1983, received
his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. Turello served in a variety of positions, including company commander, prior to retiring from the Marine Corps in 1990 and
joining the Mississippi Army National
Guard’s Special Forces unit, also known
as the Green Berets.
Col. Turello enrolled in MCSOL in
1992, but his commitment to the military
often took precedence over law school.
He took a semester off to complete military training, including a winter mountain warfare course and ranger school.
He was mobilized for Operation Uphold
Democracy in Haiti, where he spent the
equivalent of two semesters. Upon his
return to Mississippi, he completed law
school while also serving as executive
officer for the 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group.
In October 2000, Turello returned
to active duty as a full time National
Guard Officer subject to worldwide
service. He has since worked at the
Pentagon, Army Guard HQ, Special
Operations Command Central, and
the United States Special Operations
Command, and has been deployed to
both Afghanistan and Iraq. Col. Turello’s
The Next Generation of Soldiers
Christopher Stump ’09 and Erik Mayo ’09
Erik Mayo and Christopher Stump survived both law school and ROTC training together,
dividing their time between 6:00 a.m. physical training three days a week, law school classes,
weekend training, studying for law school classes, and month-long schools in the summer.
Mayo and Stump graduated from MCSOL on May 15, 2009, and commissioned with the
Army later that same day. Mayo is headed for the 181st Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course
in February, while Stump will begin service as an infantry officer. ✯ The most immediate challenge for Mayo and Stump? Passing the bar exam.
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“As a commander, I am obligated to do everything I can to help these people
who are sacrificing themselves and their families for the benefit of their country.
Whether I agree or disagree with a policy, a cause, or a war, I respect the soldier who
puts it all on the line to do what’s right – serve others.”— Col. Michael Turello
many awards and decorations include
the Defense Meritorious Service Medal,
two Meritorious Service Medals, the
Joint Service Commendation Medal, the
Navy Commendation Medal, and the
Joint Service Achievement Medal.
Col. Turello assumed his current
position as Commander of the 19th Special Forces Group in June of 2008. While
he’s not practicing law, Turello says his
degree from MCSOL benefits him virtually everyday on the job.
“Issue spotting, problem solving, and
negotiating are skills common to both
the legal profession and the military,”
Col. Turello says. “Issue spotting and
problem solving are related events. From
a large set of facts or circumstances, you
need to be able to pick out the key concerns and solve them. What is relevant and
what do I have to do?
“You also spend a significant amount
of time negotiating or advocating a point
of view. There are limited resources to
apply to a vast array of problems. If you
want to get things done, you have to
clearly articulate why and be willing to
make a deal to get there. Getting support from higher headquarters can be as
hard or harder than getting a tribal elder
to do something.”
Col. Turello sees his greatest mission
as supporting the soldiers of the 19th
Special Forces Group.
“Taking care of the soldiers and their
families is the greatest challenge and most
rewarding part of the job,” Col. Turello
says. “As a Guard commander, you are
responsible for more than a civilian
employer. Right now, we have a battalion deployed to Afghanistan. As a commander, I am obligated to do everything
I can to help these people who are sacrificing themselves and their families for
the benefit of their country. Whether I
agree or disagree with a policy, a cause,
or a war, I respect the soldier who puts
it all on the line to do what’s right –
serve others.”
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The Cloak-and-Dagger
World of Military
Intelligence
Cpt. Clay Baldwin ’10
Clay Baldwin was commissioned as
a Navy officer in 1995. Two years later,
driven by a desire to be involved in intelligence, he requested and received a
transfer to the Army Military Intelligence branch.
Military Intelligence (MI) is responsible for all intelligence gathered or
learned during Army missions. MI officers are always out front, providing essential data and in many cases, saving soldiers who are fighting on the front lines.
Military Intelligence officers assess risks
associated with friendly and enemy courses of action, act to counter intelligence
threats, and use intelligence gathered to
reduce uncertainty of enemy, terrain, and
weather conditions for a commander.
A Soldier Serving Soldiers
Bruce Mayeaux ’10
Bruce Mayeaux’s deployment to Afghanistan ended just in time for him to begin law school at MCSOL
in 2007. As a participant in the Army Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP), Mayeaux is still on
active duty. After spending the summer of 2009 at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, Mayeaux will return to MCSOL
as a third-year law school student this fall. ✯ When Mayeaux arrived at MCSOL, he noticed that despite
the large number of students with connections to the military, there was no organization in place at the
law school that focused on issues related to military law. Mayeaux filled that gap by forming the Military
Justice Society. The student organization began by hosting symposiums geared toward attorneys interested in military legal issues, but Mayeaux, who brought 10 years of Army service to the table, found himself asking, “What do the
soldiers want?” ✯ Mayeaux’s determination to make a real difference in the lives of soldiers and veterans led the Military Justice
Society to partner with the Mission First Legal Aid Office to create a Veterans Advocacy Program. Military Justice and Mission
First recruited volunteer lawyers and law students and hosted a free, one-day legal clinic for veterans, helping about a dozen former
servicemen with everything from writing wills to creating a power of attorney. When Mayeaux returns to Jackson in the fall, one
of his first projects will be creating a mobile clinic that will bring legal aid directly to veterans and their families. ✯ Mayeaux knows
it won’t be easy juggling active Army duty, law school, a wife and two daughters, and the Veterans Advocacy Program, but he’s
determined to help the veterans who have sacrificed so much for their country. ✯ “Sometimes you have a calling,” Mayeaux
explains. “I feel this is something the Man Upstairs wants done, and if no one else is available to do it, it’s going to be me.”
amıcus | 37
the home of the
“Military Intelligence is a branch
within the Army just like infantry,
armor, military police, or others, but it
does require a security clearance and the
ability to maintain that clearance, and
for specific assignments, there are all
types of tests and psych evaluations,”
Baldwin says. “I felt a little like a lab rat
at times, but the military is also very
good at finding the right person to perform a specific task.”
The details of Baldwin’s assignments
with Military Intelligence remain classified, but he is able to share the following
highlights from his intelligence career.
Baldwin attended the Military Intelligence Officer Basic Course at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, then headed for Ft. Gordon, Georgia, where his first assignment
was as the leader of a signals intelligence
collection platoon. Signals intelligence
involves analyzing and reporting on foreign communications. A year later, Baldwin was selected
early for Command. He remained in
Command for two years, during which
time he was deployed to Haiti, where he
directed the force protection and counterintelligence operations for the military there. Baldwin was eventually promoted to captain and assigned to Ft.
Bragg, North Carolina, and U.S. Army
Special Operations Command. En route
to Ft. Bragg, Baldwin made a detour to
Ft. Benning, Georgia, for airborne training, where he learned how to “successfully fall out of an airplane and survive
the experience.”
Brave
Cpt. Clay Baldwin
While at Fort Bragg, Baldwin was
recruited into a specialized unit conducting human intelligence operations, which
refers to intelligence gathering through
interrogations, interviews, or conversations with people – friendly, neutral, or
hostile – who have access to pertinent
information. This is the “cloak and dagger’ aspect of military intelligence, often
involving secrets passed during clandestine meetings under the cover of darkness.
Baldwin’s several years of training
and operation with the unit included
a deployment to Afghanistan during
War and Peace of Mind
Cpt. Daniel Cummins ’08
In a few short months, Daniel Cummins went from president of the Law Student Bar Association at
MCSOL to legal assistance attorney for the 1st Cavalry Division and Multi-National Division-Baghdad in Iraq. Cummins provides legal services to some 30,000 soldiers, seeing 8-12 clients every day,
seven days a week. Their legal issues include divorce, custody and child support, and landlord/tenant
issues, taxes, and estate planning; since the soldiers he serves have come to Iraq from every corner of
America, Cummins is required to practice the laws of all 50 states. ✯ “These soldiers are under a lot
of stress, away from their families, and dealing with the realities of war. My main responsibility and
my greatest reward is alleviating some of that stress through the law,” Cpt. Cummins says. “I work with about 30 attorneys
here, and it’s a different environment than a typical law firm. There is a sense of selflessness that binds us together. These young
men and women have a lot going on here in Iraq. If we attorneys can give them some peace of mind, we’ve done our job.”
amıcus | 38
the home of the
Brave
“I was drawn to the law because of the similarities between the law and
intelligence,” Baldwin says. “Both offer a mentally stimulating environment that changes
often and great flexibility in areas of specialization that allow a person to move among
interests that other professions simply can’t match.” — Cpt. Clay Baldwin
Operation Enduring Freedom. He received the Bronze Star for his service
in Afghanistan. The citation reads, “for
meritorious achievement in the performance of outstanding service…while
conducting sensitive and high-risk operations directed against terrorist and
insurgency groups in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Captain Baldwin’s superb operational
skills, leadership, and commitment to
the mission contributed greatly to the
success of United States forces in Operation Enduring Freedom.”
Baldwin left active duty in 2004 and
spent three years circling the globe as an
operations officer in the clandestine
service of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), before enrolling in MCSOL
in 2007. Today he serves with the intelligence and security section at the Joint
Force Headquarters of the Mississippi
Army/Air National Guard and is a thirdyear law student at MCSOL.
“I was drawn to the law because of
the similarities between the law and
intelligence,” Baldwin says. “Both offer
a mentally stimulating environment
that changes often and great flexibility in
areas of specialization that allow a person to move among interests that other
professions simply can’t match.”
Baldwin hopes to channel the experience he gained working with businesses
and governments overseas into a career
in international business law.
“There was a time when only large
corporations operated internationally, but
that’s no longer the case,” Baldwin says.
“Small and medium-sized businesses must
face the reality of a globalized marketplace in order to succeed. These companies don’t typically have in-house counsel to guide them in areas that appear to
be pure business decisions, but can have
severe legal consequences. I intend to
fill that gap.
“Business transactional and regulatory
compliance law is not new in Mississippi, but the specialty of applying these
areas to Mississippi businesses in the
global market is a new concept emerging in the Mississippi legal arena,” Baldwin continues. “My ultimate goal is to
help Mississippi businesses enter the global marketplace and thrive. I get excited
just talking about it.”
While it may seem strange to hear a
former Military Intelligence officer describe corporate law as “exciting,” it’s not
the adrenaline rush, the danger, or the
covert operations that Baldwin misses
most about the military. Instead, it’s the
people with whom he served.
“The soldiers, noncommissioned officers, and officers I have served with over
the years are the best people I have ever
known,” Baldwin says. “There is a level
of respect, trust, and camaraderie that
comes only when people have sacrificed
and faced danger together. The military,
without a doubt, produces men and
women of the highest caliber.”
Baldwin is often asked whether the
cloak-and-dagger aspect of Military Intelligence portrayed in books and movies
is accurate.
“About 99 percent of intelligence
work is sitting in front of computers
and maps, and it involves a lot of writing, briefing, and planning,” he says.
“Then in certain areas, that last one
percent of the time, you get to step back
and say ’Wow, this is what they write
the books about.’”
Following a Legacy
Lt. Col. Thomas Ray ’85
Tom Ray served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps for 20 years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel and then serving as a senior trial attorney with the Army. As of June 2009, Lt. Col. Ray
is an administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration in Washington, D.C. Asked to
choose a most memorable moment from his military career, Ray describes the inspiration he drew
from those who served before him. ✯ “If you had asked me this while I was still on active duty I might
have pointed to that first murder case I prosecuted or to that big class action lawsuit that I had to
defend in federal court, but now, quite frankly, the most memorable and moving moments were the
staff rides,” Ray says. “Army officers go on staff rides to visit significant battlefields and discuss the troop movements, critical
decisions, and strategies of the battle. You see the places where men died for their country. You cannot help but be moved
and better appreciate the importance of our military and the sacrifices so many have made for our freedoms.”
amıcus | 39
the home of the
Brave
Mississippi College School of Law recognizes and thanks the following students and alumni who have
made personal and professional sacrifices to serve our country. If you are a student or alumnus who has served
in the military and your service is not recognized below, please send your service information to Dana Terry,
MCSOL director of communications and public relations, at dterry@mc.edu.
1962
Hugh C.
Montgomery, Jr.
Army
Wallace
Wayne Wood
Army
Alaskan Command
Headquarters
1966
Murray
McNeely
Army
1974
Roger Clapp
Air Force
J.Gary Massey
Army
Kenneth Hall
Air Force
1980
1989
Michael
McCollum
Air Force
Stephan Roth
Navy
Clarence Giles
Army National
Guard
David Trewolla
Navy
Okinawa and
Diego Garcia
1975
Mark Brewer
Army
JanButler
Army
Chu Lai, RVN
George Gunter
Army National
Guard
Patricia Bennett
Army Reserve
1980
Paul DeHoff
Army
1993
Brian Sullivan
Army
Ken Chennault
Army
1994
Iraq
Anthony O’Malley
Navy
Mediterranean Sea
Michael Turello
Army
Afghanistan and Iraq
1997
Deborah Haffey
Army Reserve
Kelly Dunbar
Army
1988
Daniel Baker
Army National
Guard
Qatar and Kuwait
1996
1986
1987
Thomas
Dickerhoof
Army
Thomas Cluff Jr.
Air Force
Korea
Germany
1999
Russell Lockey
Coast Guard
Birger Kristian
Rasmussen
Navy
Benjamin Wise
Naval Reserve
2000
Teresa Blount
Birmingham
Army
Kosovo
1998
Benjamin Henley
Air Force
2006
Damon Carpenter
Air Force
Tracy Chapman
Navy
Lacey Steven
Navy
Clifton Jeffery
Marine Corps Reserve
2002
Eric Jungbauer
Army
D. Christopher
Daniel
Naval Reserve
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
2003
Jonathan Bullock
Army
Afghanistan
Ted Lampton
Coast Guard
Allen McDaniel
Army National
Guard
Balkans
Chris Thomas
Army National Guard
Iraq
2007
Andrew Boysen
Army
Mark Majors
Army National
Guard
Iraq
Iraq
Ramona SeabronWilliams
Army Reserve
2004
2008
Chris Hennis
Marines
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
Danny Ruhl
Navy
2005
David Morrow, Jr.
Air Force
Stephen Brown
Marines
amıcus | 40
Persian Gulf
H. Rusty Comley
Army
Christopher
Gilbert
Marine Corps Reserve
Specific locations listed indicate combat tours.
Michael
Dickinson
Navy
Dennis DeBar, Jr.
Air Force
Rita Jones
Air Force
1995
Thomas Ray
Army
Herman O.
Turner, Jr.
Army
1979
Southeast Asia
Iraq
Henry Cook
Army
Various Locations
with the U.S.
Navy Seabees
Randy Patterson
Army
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
1978
Kurt Kilpatrick
Navy
1991
Michael White
Army
1985
Israel
Vietnam
Eduardo Martinez
Naval Reserve
1992
1983
Marcia Davis
Army
1976
Leopold Joh
Navy Reserve
1981
Dennis Smith
Army National
Guard
T. Frank Collins
Marines
1990
Southeast Asia
Patrick Shanley
Army
Walter Beesley
Navy
Jason Alexander
Navy
Persian Gulf,
Afghanistan, Kosovo, Western
Sahara
Daniel Cummins
Army
Iraq
Mel Williams
Army
Iraq
Maurice Joseph, Dean Jim Rosenblatt and Herman Hines
Honoring Those Who Opened Doors
Last November, Mississippi College
School of Law presented two longtime
friends of the law school with honorary
master of laws degrees in recognition of
their outstanding service to the law school.
Honoree Herman Hines was instrumental in coordinating and championing the fundraising effort that allowed
Mississippi College to purchase the Jackson School of Law in 1975. Hines attended the Jackson School of Law before
pursuing a career in banking. He is the
former CEO and chairman of Deposit
Guaranty National Bank. Hines continues to assist the law school with fundraising today and has also established
the Herman and Martha Hinds Scholarship at MCSOL.
“There has been no more faithful and
longstanding friend to Mississippi College School of Law than Herman Hines,”
said Dean Jim Rosenblatt. “We are pleased
to have associated with our law school a
gentleman who enjoys such respect in the
community. We are inspired by Herman
Hines’ leadership, his care for people,
and his wisdom.”
A master of laws degree was also
presented to Maurice Joseph, the founder of Maurice H. Joseph, Inc., a successful commercial real estate development
firm. Joseph was instrumental in ensuring
that the building on Griffith Street was
made available in a timely manner for the
law school’s occupancy. A lifelong Jackson resident, Joseph continues to support
the city’s cultural, educational, and industrial development. Joseph’s daughter,
Meril, graduated from MCSOL in 1980.
“I value the long relationship the law
school has enjoyed with Maurice Joseph,”
Dean Rosenblatt said. “In addition to his
efforts on behalf of MCSOL, he commands a wealth of information about
Jackson and its history and is always
pleased to answer my questions. Consistent with his business slogan, ‘Maurice
Jospeh knows real estate.’”
Former Recipients of the Master of Laws Degree Include:
Presented July 9, 2007 at First Baptist Church, Jackson: Mrs. Hayes Callicutt • Xavier M. “Mike” Frascogna Jr. ’72
Kenneth G. Perry • C. Robert Ridgway III ’37 • The Honorable James W. Smith ’72
Presented November 16, 2007 at MCSOL: D. Carl Black Jr. ’63 • Woods Eastland • M. L. “Matt” Holleman III
The Honorable Dan M. Lee ’48 • The Honorable Robert P. Sugg Jr. ’40
amıcus | 41
And the Award Goes to…
Mississippi College School of Law held its annual Law Day awards ceremony on April 17, 2009. MCSOL Dean
Jim Rosenblatt and Associate Dean Phillip McIntosh served as masters of ceremonies, acknowledging outstanding
achievements and commitment to the law school on the part of MCSOL students, faculty, and staff. “Law Day is a
wonderful tradition at the Mississippi College School of Law,” said Dean Jim Rosenblatt. “It’s an honor to recognize
our students for their academic and leadership achievements and to celebrate the generosity of our supporters. The long
list of honorees is a testimony to the success of not only those individuals honored, but of our law school as a whole.”
Faculty and
Staff Awards
Professor of the Year
Professor Jeffrey Jackson
Professor Shirley
Norwood Jones Faculty
Collegiality Award
Professor Carol West
Mississippi Defense
Lawyers Association Award
Professor Celie Edwards
Faculty Professionalism Award
Professors Chris Lund
and Greg Bowman
First Year Professor
of the Year
Professor Donald
Campbell
Adjunct Professor of the Year
Justice Jess Dickinson
and Ken Harmon
Staff Employee of the Year
Kristie Hairston
Contractor of the Year Award
Lt. Frank Alexander
of Pendleton Security
Student Awards
Mississippi Bar –
Fellows of Young Lawyers
Zandrea King
American Board of Trial
Advocates Award
Penny Lawson
Adams and Reese
Pro Bono Award
Brad Kerwin
ALI/ABA Award
Wells Griffith
amıcus | 42
Professor
Christopher Lund
Faculty Professionalism Award
Student Awards
Association of Legal
Administrators
Leigh Watkins
M. Judith Barnett ’99
Award
Jennifer Kizer
R. Jess Brown Award
Scherrie Prince
Center for Justice Awards
Erik Faries
Sarah Reese
Grace Skertich
John M. Colette ’85 Award
Bill Barrett
Judge John R.
Countiss III ’56
Memorial Scholarship
Award
Brittany Rosen
Judge Sebe Dale
Memorial Scholarship
Lauren Cliatt
Gwen and John Deakle ’75
Scholarship
Clint Martin
Lauren Cliatt
Justice Jess Dickinson
Frisby Griffing Marble
Scholarship
Adjunct Professor
of the Year
LSBA President’s Award
Brad Kerwin
Frisby Griffing Marble
Scholarship
Marcus Bryant
Misti Landry Bryant
Leon Cameron
Lauren Cliatt
Ben Morgan
Taylor Polk
Mississippi Bar
Foundation
John Dollarhide
Gary Thompson
Sarah Beth Wilson
Mississippi Bar
Section Awards
Business
Clay Baldwin
Joseph “Joey”
Wayne Phillips, Jr.
Memorial Award
Marc Bryant
Estates & Trusts
Matthew Courtner
Victor & Gayle Mavar
Scholarship
Mitch Owen
Brett Richards
Virginia Turnage
Garner Wetzel
Health
Jo Claire Yeter
McGlinchey
Stafford Award
Christopher Meredith
Real Property
Jesse Granneman
Sue Riggan Millette
Scholarship
Susan King
Carson Thurman
Family
Grace Skertich
Litigation
Gene Taylor
Nick Crawford
Mississippi Chapter
of the Federal
Bar Association – The
Robert Hauberg Award
John Dollarhide
Dean’s LSBA
Leadership Award
Wells Griffith
Mission First Legal Aid
Office Top Volunteers
Matthew Harris
Kristy Kleine
Pat Zimmerman
Peter L. Doran ’88
Memorial Scholarship
Pamela Grady
Mississippi Association of
County Board Attorneys
Clay Baldwin
John B. Farese Trial
Advocate Award
Keith Aiken
Bart Cannon
Mississippi Association
for Justice –
Roy Noble Lee Award
Brandi Denton
Mississippi Defense
Lawyers Association –
The Reginald Gray
Memorial Award
Lee Hill
Herman & Martha
Hines Award
Theresa Neyland
Mississippi Bankruptcy
Conference
William Ballard
Mississippi Women
Lawyers Association Award
Kimberly Cheatham
Mississippi College Law
Alumni Award
Krissy Casey
Ryan Revere
Mississippi Corporate
Counsel Scholarship
Morgan Holder
amıcus | 43
MLI Press /
Lenore Prather
Scholarship Awards
Leon Cameron
Charlie Carr
Paytreen Davidson
Evelyn Holden
Penny Lawson
Clint Martin
Jennifer Norris
Kimberly Sweeney
Crystal Welch
Personal Courage Award
Todd Thornburg
Phi Delta Phi Awards
Timothy Anzenberger
Andrew Speir
Dunbar Watt
Rankin County Bar
Association Award
Lee Hill
Regions Bank Award
Jeremy Clay
Ashley Nader
Kaytie Pickett
Celena Rouse
Sports & Entertainment
Society’s Most Valuable
Person Award
Chris Smith
Betty B. Tucker ’38 Award
Amanda Woodruff
Marie Upton Scholarship
Jim Myers
Jason Varnado
Sam Wilkins
Criminal Law Award
Chase Brown
Wright Law Firm
Family Law Award
Ryan Skertich
Gene Taylor
ys”
“The Good Old Da
Establishing Precedent
By Judge Mary Libby Payne
In the 1970s, the law school was
housed in the second floor of the Learning Resources Center of Speed Library
on the main Mississippi College campus
in Clinton with classes held in buildings
all over the place. Faculty offices lined
the sides of the law library and the
administrative staff offices were in a
square island toward the back of the
main room. That room served as the
reading room, the student center (without any possibility of food and/or coffee), a waiting room for visits with the
dean or faculty, and a general gathering
place for creating and spreading rumors.
It was a red-letter day when the law
school was given a copy machine by the
back stairway for its exclusive use.
Organized in the summer of 1977,
the Law Review was given a room at the
back corner of the law book stacks. The
room was sided on the north and west
by windowless outside walls. The south
side was a shelf of law books and the
east side of the “office” consisted of a
door attached to a bookshelf on one
side and to the north wall with chicken
wire on the other. The width of that
spacious room was the size of two bookshelves plus the aisle between them.
John Daniels ’79, a former managing editor of the Law Review, and I were
reminiscing about those good old days
not too long ago. I invited John to come
visit me sometime and gave him directions to my office. I told him, “I’m in the
new student center on Griffith Street
facing the patio. Go into the student
center, past the Starbucks, the vending
machine, and the ATM, then turn right,
then left, then right again, and come to
the second office on the left.”
John e-mailed back something like
this: “Gee, in my day we had never heard
of latte, had nothing resembling a vending machine, and certainly had no need
for an ATM (even if they had been invented) because none of us had any money.”
Today’s MCSOL students might feel
sorry for John and his classmates, who
suffered through law school in cramped
spaces with few amenities, until I add
that those class members paid approximately $58 per semester hour to attend
MCSOL. Our amenities at the law
school today are wonderful by comparison, but there is a reason they call it
“the good old days.”
Mary Libby Payne has been with the Mississippi College School of Law since 1975, serving as founding dean and professor of law.
She is currently the MCSOL Scholar in Residence and Professor Emerita.
amıcus | 44
Judge Shirley has dedicated
himself to making a difference in the
lives of young people while serving
as an example of judicial integrity.
You
Learn
Some–
thing
New
Every
Day
CLE Alumni Spotlight
Judge John N. Shirley ’88
The MCSOL CLE Office is Fortunate to have many knowledgeable and
effective volunteer presenters from the
Metro Jackson area, but when it comes
to attention to detail and willingness to
help others learn about his areas of
expertise, few compare to Judge John
N. Shirley ’88.
Judge Shirley began his career in the
field of computer science, but his decision to attend law school led him to his
true calling in life, which is ministering
to troubled youths and their families.
Whether it’s through his work with the
Mississippi Supreme Court Commission
on Domestic Abuse Issues and the Mississippi Council of Youth Court Judges
or providing services for the Mississippi
Commission on Judicial Performance,
Judge Shirley has dedicated himself to
making a difference in the lives of young
people while serving as an example of
judicial integrity.
Judge Shirley is the Youth Court
Judge for Pearl, Mississippi, and a
Rankin County Justice Court Judge but
he has not allowed his busy schedule to
preclude his willingness to serve the
community. Judge Shirley is always willing to assist MCSOL, not only judging
moot court arguments, but also recruiting many of his fellow judges for this
important service to the law school.
Virtually every time Judge Shirley visits
the MCSOL campus, he finds time to
talk with and mentor law students.
But of the many services Judge Shirley provides to MCSOL, his contributions to the CLE Office are perhaps the
most outstanding. Judge Shirley is pleased
to share his vast knowledge and experience with children and family issues with
guardians ad litem, juvenile defenders,
and others in need of practical, accurate
information on the prosecution of child
abuse, testimony by children, youth court
practice, mental and substance abuse
disorders, family law, and related topics.
Judge Shirley’s attention to detail,
knowledge of current laws and decisions,
and willingness to serve on planning
committees for CLE are without equal.
Anyone who attends one of his CLE
sessions leaves knowing several things
for certain – that Judge Shirley’s information has been thoroughly researched
and tested in the courts, that his life’s
work is centered around making the best
amıcus | 45
decisions for children and their families,
and that he is an outstanding example
of someone who has allowed nothing to
stand in his way when it comes to his
life’s mission.
Judge Shirley and his wife of 25 years,
Martha, have two daughters, Alisha and
Rachel. The Shirleys live in Brandon and
attend Pinelake Church.
Upcoming CLE Events
July 23
CLE Marathon
July 24
CLE Marathon
August 7
Mini CLE Marathon
August 14
Guardian Ad Litem Training
August 21
Juvenile Defender Training
September 11
Internet Resources
for the Practitioner
November 6
Guardian Ad Litem Training
TO BE ANNOUNCED
Law & Faith Symposium
Healthcare Symposium
Environmental Law CLE
MCSOL Alumni: Mention this coupon
25%
when registering for any CLE event
and receive a
discount.
Let the Good Times Roll
Alumni and Reunion Weekend
The good times were indeed rolling
at MCSOL Alumni and Reunion Weekend events held at the new Jackson Convention Complex April 17-18. More than
100 MCSOL alumni and guests attended this year’s gathering, taking advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with
old friends.
“We were very pleased with the success of this event,” said Whitney Whittington, MCSOL director of alumni
relations. “MCSOL has a unique group
of alumni who provide a great deal of
support to the school. We were excited
to see our alums, including several who
traveled a great distance to be here.”
This year marked the inauguration
of silent and live auctions as part of the
festivities. Alumni and guests placed their
bids on more than 40 items from trips
to artwork to special events with law
school faculty, with proceeds going to
MCSOL Annual Giving. One of the
highlighted items was an original watercolor painting of the law school created
especially for the event by renowned local
artist Wyatt Waters.
The law school welcomed back Professor Michael McCann as the guest speaker for the reunion dinner. McCann combined his two passions – sports and law
– in an informative and witty address.
“As lawyers, we’re confronted every
day with difficult choices that implicate
not only the law, but also the very core
meaning of professional responsibility,”
said McCann. “And bear in mind, just
like pro athletes, we, too, have been entrusted with the public’s confidence and
the obligation to preserve it.”
“Our goal was to
treat our alums to a
fun-filled event and also
to instill even more pride in
them as MCSOL graduates.
Based on the feedback
we’ve received, I think
this was a successful event
on both counts.”
Whitney Whittington,
Director of Alumni Relations
The evening concluded with the presentation of the Lawyer of the Year
Award to Bob Anderson ’84 and the
Young Lawyer of the Year award to
Tina Williamson ’04.
“I am very flattered to have received
this award,” said Anderson, senior counsel
with Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens &
Cannada, PLLC. “My motivation for giving time and resources to MCSOL is simple. MCSOL has helped me enjoy success,
and I want to be a part of the future suc-
cess of our law school and its students.”
“It’s a true honor to be recognized
by Mississippi College School of Law,”
said Williamson, director of corporate
compliance at Mississippi Children’s
Home Services. “I’m proud of my law
degree, in part due to the amount of
work and dedication it takes to obtain a
J.D., and also because of the excellent
reputation that MCSOL holds in the
legal and business communities in Mississippi and nationwide. I look forward
to watching our law school continue to
grow in stature from the ‘best kept secret
of the South’ to the ‘best law school you
can attend for professional development
and legal training.’”
Alumni and Reunion Weekend concluded the morning following the dinner, when alumni were welcomed back
to campus for a breakfast gathering with
Dean Jim Rosenblatt and several MCSOL
professors.
“This weekend was a chance not only
for old friends to get together, but also
for us to showcase everything that’s happening at the law school today,” Whittington said. “Our goal was to treat our
alums to a fun-filled event and also to
instill even more pride in them as MCSOL
graduates. Based on the feedback we’ve
received, I think this was a successful
event on both counts.”
Above: Lawyer of the Year, Bob Anderson; Local artist Wyatt Waters; Professor Michael McCann; Young Lawyer of the Year, Tina Williamson
amıcus | 46
alumni | gatherings
1
3
2
“Going back to law school at the age of 45 and
with a family to take care of didn’t seem realistic,
or even possible, but MCSOL helped me make
it happen. I attend alumni events not only to see
old friends, but also to show my appreciation to
the law school. Mississippi College School of Law
made it possible for me to earn a law degree and
enjoy a career I might otherwise never have had.”
— D. J. Horecky ’85
4
5
6
Thank Goodness It’s Wednesday
First Friday is now First Wednesday. All MCSOL
alumni are invited to the law school on the first
Wednesday of each month for a complimentary
luncheon. Join fellow MCSOL graduates and
professors for the chance to network and enjoy a
hot meal. First Wednesday kicks off on August 5
and runs through December 2.
1: Monroe, LA Alumni Gathering / 2: Gulfport Alumni Gathering / 3: Mobile, AL Alumni Gathering / 4: First Friday Alumni Lunch
5: St. Paddy’s Day Parade / 6: Tupelo Alumni Gathering
amıcus | 47
Hot Off
the
MLi Press
Mississippi Rules Annotated
2009–2010
Dean Mary Miller
$135.00
Mississippi Rules Annotated is the most
comprehensive compilation of case annotations for the civil procedure, evidence
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case annotations through November 1,
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arranged topically, making it easier to pinpoint cases that discuss a particular portion
of a rule.
Mississippi Limitations
of Actions 2009–2010
Thomas Walter
$99.95
Mississippi Limitations of Actions is a valuable reference source for attorneys faced
with possible time bars to actions. This publication covers all major changes in the law
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Rules Annotated, MS Chancery Practice,
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Damages Law for
Mississippi Trial Practice
John Corlew
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This publication addresses all elements of
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Districts and Federal Courts.
MLI Appellate Case
Update Bulletin
Dean Mary Miller
Fee varies
Mississippi Appellate Practice
Luther Munford
$295.00
This comprehensive guide to appellate
practice in Mississippi includes appeals to
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authorities and index. New features in this
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(contact the MLi office for specifics at
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MLi Press offers an e-mail subscription
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order form for all MLi Press Publications
❑ 2009-2010 Mississippi Rules Annotated ❑
❑ Damages Law for Mississippi Trial Practice ❑
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You may also order on line at www.law.mc.edu/mli/index.html
MLi Press / PO Box 1127 / Jackson, MS 39215
S&H FOR ALL PUBLICATIONS: $10 for 1 book / $16 for 2-4 books / $22 for 5-10 books / $40 for 11 or more books
amıcus | 48
class | action
Please send your Class Action
updates to Whitney Whittington
at wwhittin@mc.edu.
North Carolina magazine. The recognition
is based on surveys of more than 18,000
attorneys across North Carolina.
1990
Wendy Moore Shelton serves as municipal
judge in Bentonia, Mississippi.
1974
Dennis Carl Smith, longtime vice president and news director at WLBT-TV in
Jackson, was inducted into the Mississippi
Associated Press Broadcasters Association
Hall of Fame in April 2009.
Robert M. Morgan was appointed to the
executive committee of the Elder Law Section of the Florida Bar. He co-authored the
article Good Ethics = Good Business presented
at the 20th Annual National Academy of
Elder Law Attorneys Conference.
Tood Inman Woods was named one of the
“Legal Elite” for Corporate Council for
Lowe’s Companies in Business North Carolina magazine. The recognition is based
on surveys of more than 18,000 attorneys
across North Carolina.
1977
Gerald J. “Joey” Diaz Jr. is wrapping up
his term as the 45th president of the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association. Diaz was
named the association’s president during
the annual convention banquet in New
Orleans in June 2008.
1981
Phillip Wayne Broadhead was named a life
member of the Mississippi Public Defenders Association at the spring conference in
May 2009.
1983
Marcia Davis became a board certified civil
trial lawyer in 2006. She was appointed by
Governor Charlie Crist to Florida’s 8th Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Committee in 2008 and also serves as president of
the International Paso Horse Federation.
1985
Cynthia Lee Brewer was named a group
facilitator to a group of 13 new judges from
across the nation for the National Judicial
College in Reno, Nevada, in April. This is her
second time to serve as a student teacher.
Gerald A. “Jeb” Jeutter Jr. was named one of
the “Legal Elite” in bankruptcy in Business
1987
Robert G. “Bob” Anderson was named Mississippi College School of Law’s Lawyer of
the Year for 2008-2009.
1988
Gaston Charles “Chuck” Bordis IV was
appointed Chancery Court Judge for Jackson by Governor Haley Barber and will
serve through January 2011.
1989
Chuck D’Wayne Barlow won his case before
the U.S. Supreme Court, Entergy Corp. vs.
Riverkeeper, Inc., et. al. Barlow was on the
brief while outside counsel argued. Barlow
spoke at a national forum on “Greening The
Grid” hosted by Lewis & Clark Law School
in Portland, Oregon, in April.
Betty Ruth S. Fox has joined Watkins &
Eager as counsel.
James Trey Phillips has been appointed
director of the Public Protection Division
for the Louisiana Department of Justice,
Office of the Attorney General. He will
supervise a staff of 15 attorneys handling
litigation relating to class/mass actions, antitrust, unfair/deceptive practices, tobacco
settlement, housing discrimination, and
insurance receiverships.
1991
Julie Even Clancy was appointed by the
mayor and city council of Dallas, Texas, as
a judge for the City of Dallas. She lives in
Dallas with her husband, Danny Clancy
’91, and their children, Dylan, Ryan, and
Kylie Ann.
Jon Stephen Kennedy was the graduation
speaker for students receiving undergraduate degrees in the School of Business,
School of Education, the Cooper School
of Missions and Biblical Studies, and the
Winters School of Music at William Carey
University in Hattiesburg. An attorney with
Baker Donelson in Jackson, Kennedy specializes in the defense of product liability
suits against automobile manufacturers and
has participated in several trials resulting
in defense verdicts for these clients. He is a
member of the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association and the American Automotive Product Liability Subcommittee.
1992
David Lee Harrell is with the insurance regulatory practice group of Baker, Donelson,
Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC.
Calling The COP On Rob Hildum The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department
(MPD) presented District of Columbia Deputy Attorney General Rob Hildum ’91 with its prestigious
Chief of Police (COP) Medal of Merit award. • The COP Medal of Merit is given to outstanding individuals who work with law enforcement agencies other than the police department and whose actions
have significantly enhanced MPD’s ability to prevent crime and ensure public safety in the District of
Columbia. • In his position as deputy attorney general, Hildum has assisted the District’s efforts to
address juvenile crime issues and prosecutions through new legislation and civil litigation. He assisted
MPD in developing its general order on pretrial eyewitness identification, and was instrumental in establishing subpoena guidelines for MPD detectives to use at late hours when such usage will facilitate an
urgent criminal investigation. The MPD describes Hildum as “always making himself available at all hours of the day and night.
His dedication to the citizens and MPD has made Washington, D.C., a better place to live, work, and visit.”
amıcus | 49
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1995
Michael K. Graves has joined Walker Brown,
Brown & Graves. He will continue his practice in commercial and general litigation,
zoning and land use, and creditors’ rights.
Claudia Nancy
Cha-lian Lehrer
Lisa Aruini Lehrer, her husband, Brian,
and their five-year-old son, Colton Lewis,
announce the newest addition to their
family, Claudia Nancy Cha-lian Lehrer,
born July 19, 2007 in the Peoples Republic of China, Jiangxi Province, ShangRao.
Claudia was placed in her mother’s arms on
June 29, 2008 and arrived in the United
States on July 10, 2008. Lehrer has accepted a part-time position with Barrett Lazar,
LLC in Maywood, New Jersey, in order to
spend more time at home.
1993
Michael Edward Gieger’s legal department
with Quest was named the best legal department in the United States by Corporate
Counsel magazine. Last year’s winner was
General Electric. Quest topped McDonald’s
and Caterpillar in this year’s competition.
Wendy Walker Martin Simmons was named
Queen Jolliet XLIII for the Krewe of TriCities 43rd annual Carnival Ball on January 17, 2009 in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
1994
Todd Inman Woods was named one of
the “Legal Elite” in corporate council in
Business North Carolina magazine. The recognition is based on surveys of more than
18,000 attorneys across North Carolina.
Sophia and Anna
Caroline Hardy
Katharine M. Hardy writes “Two girls are
double the fun!” Pictured are her daughters,
Sophia (2) and Anna Caroline (1).
Manning Todd Russell was cast in the role
of Aslan in a theater production of Narnia
in December of 2008 in Montgomery, Alabama. His son, Andy, played the role of Edmund and his daughter, Ellie, was the fox.
1996
Mariano Javier Barvie and his wife welcomed
twins in October of 2008.
Andrea La’Verne Ford Edney serves as the
attorney contact for Brunini, Grantham,
Grower & Hewes’ new family law practice.
Stephen Louis Dillard was named a “Rising
Star” by Super Lawyers of Georgia. He is
employed with the James, Bates, Pope &
Spivey law firm in Macon.
E. Paxton Warner joined the United
States Attorney’s Office for the Southern
District of Texas, Brownsville Division, in
the Civil Division.
1997
Christi Gandy Anderson joined the Mississippi Bar staff as investigator.
Jeffrey Allan Styres was promoted to senior
associate counsel in the legal department
of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance
Company in Jackson. Styres serves as an
adjunct professor in Mississippi College’s
School of Business.
Stephen Smith Ashley Jr. was named one of
the “Legal Elite” in intellectual property for
Business North Carolina magazine. The recognition is based on surveys of more than
18,000 attorneys across North Carolina.
1998
Tricia Ann LoVerne Beale and her husband
celebrated the birth of a son, Blake, in
July 2008.
William Buckley Stewart was selected as a
shareholder with Copeland, Cook, Taylor
& Bush, P.A. in Ridgeland, Mississippi.
Jenny Tennyson and her husband, Robert,
welcomed a son, Isaac Lee Tennyson, on
September 25, 2008.
1999
Barry C. Campbell was listed as a 2008
Mid-South “Rising Star” by Mid-South
Super Lawyers.
Clair Williams Ketner was recognized as
one of Mississippi’s 50 leading businesswomen by Mississippi Business Journal.
Rebecca McRae Langston and her husband, Shane, welcomed a son on February
12, 2009.
Jeffrey Padgett has received his guardian
ad litem and juvenile defender certification.
Klingfuss Hits a High Note Jeff Klingfuss ’92, special assistant attorney general for the State
of Mississippi, received the President’s Volunteer Service Award bronze medal for community service.
Established in 2003, the award is given by the President of the United States and honors individuals,
families, and groups who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to volunteer service over a 12month period. • In 2008, Klingfuss volunteered more than 100 hours of service as a musician for two
churches, New Hope Lutheran Church and Alexander Memorial Presbyterian Church, both located in
Attala County, Mississippi. • “The satisfaction of assisting these congregations in fulfilling their ministry
in the community is rewarding in itself,” Klingfuss says. “To be presented with this award for meaningful work I enjoy doing is an added honor.” • In recognition of his service to the law school, Klingfuss was
also named MCSOL’s 2008-09 Volunteer of the Year. Klingfuss serves as an adjunct professor and is a
regular presenter at CLE courses. • “Jeff consistently earns the most favorable comments from students and CLE attendees,” says
MCSOL Dean Jim Rosenblatt. “I could listen to him speak on any topic.”
amıcus | 50
class | action
William Clinton Pentecost and his wife
celebrated the birth of a son, Jonathan Trey
Pentecost, on February 9, 2009.
Thomas James Evans opened his own practice, Law Offices of Timothy J. Evans, in
December 2008.
Bobby “Joey” Hood and his wife welcomed a
son, Jonah, on July 3, 2008. Hood recently
opened a law office in Ackerman, Mississippi.
Joseph Anthony Sclafani was named one of
Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 40 Under
40 in 2009.
David Lee Gladden, Jr. and his wife, Whitney Warner Gladden ’07, celebrated the
birth of their son, Tucker David Gladden,
on December 5, 2008.
John Wimberly Kitchens and his wife welcomed a son, John W. “Jack” Kitchens, Jr.
in June 2008.
2000
Walker Reece Gibson was selected as a
shareholder with Copeland, Cook, Taylor
& Bush, P.A. in Ridgeland, Mississippi.
Benny M. “Mac” May has joined Dunbar
Monroe, P.A. Attorneys at Law.
Michelle Barlow Mims and her husband,
Jon Jerdone Mims ’01 welcomed a daughter, Kara Paige Mims, on May 20, 2008.
Michael Earl Phillips was selected for shareholder status at Wilkins, Stephens & Tipton, P.A. in Jackson, Mississippi.
2001
Garrett P. LaBorde was appointed the ABA
Young Lawyers Division 2009-2010 law
practice management vice-chair.
Laura McKinley Glaze was elected secretary-treasurer of the Hinds County Bar
Association.
Angela Johnson Hulsey and her husband,
Brad, welcomed a son in March.
James Joseph McNamara IV was named
one of Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 40
Under 40 in 2009.
Matthew Warren Kitchens joined the Van
Winkle Law Firm’s construction and professional design group.
Kevin Alan Rogers and his wife, Amy, welcomed a daughter, Brianna Katelin Rogers, on August 4, 2008. She joins big sister
Victoria Haley Rogers.
Jennifer Garvin Rush and her husband,
John, welcomed their second daughter, Kate
Loflin Rush, on July 31, 2008.
2004
Amanda Green Alexander was elected president of the Mississippi Women Lawyers
Association (MWLA), a statewide organization founded to enhance and develop
the image of lawyers in Mississippi, promote fellowship among the members of
the legal community, and advance women
in the legal profession.
Addison G. Tatum
Grace Tyler Baker
Gwennetta LaVon Holloway Tatum and
her husband, Joe ’96, welcomed a daughter,
Addison G. Tatum, on October 20, 2008.
Jennifer Tyler Baker and her husband, Roy,
welcomed a daughter, Grace Tyler Baker, on
February 12, 2009. Jenny serves as president
of the Harrison County Bar Association and
was elected director of the Bar’s Young Lawyers Division for Coastal District II.
John Alexander Purvis was elected director
of the Bar’s Young Lawyers Division for the
Jackson, Hinds Post VI.
Sylvia Thomas McDaniel and her husband,
Michael, celebrated the birth of twin daughters, Ruby Sinclair McDaniel and Charlotte
Reeves McDaniel, on December 17, 2007.
Jon Jerdone Mims and his wife Michelle
Barlow Mims ’00 welcomed a daughter,
Kara Paige Mims, on May 20, 2008.
Charles “Charlie” Russell and his wife, Ashley, welcomed a daughter, Isabel Beasley
Russell, on February 9, 2009.
2002
Kristin Burnett Barber and her husband
welcomed a daughter, Anna McKinley Barber, on June 25, 2008.
2003
John Adams Feild and his wife celebrated
the arrival of a son, Adams Feild.
Alexander Heads Mississippi Women Lawyers Association Amanda Green Alexander
’04 is serving as president of the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association (MWLA) for 2008-09. MWLA
is a statewide organization founded to enhance the image of lawyers in Mississippi, promote fellowship
among the members of the legal community, and advance women in the legal profession. • “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to serve as president of MWLA during this exciting time,” Alexander says.
“Our theme for this year is ’MWLA: Leading and Inspiring Change in Our Community.’ We’re working
to inspire great things in our community and profession.” • A key MWLA project in 2009 has been the
Inspiring Readers Program, through which the organization provided summer reading books to children
in low-income families. • Alexander is a member of both the Mississippi Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. A shareholder with the Jackson-based firm Alexander & Watson, P.A., she represents businesses
and organizations in the areas of worker’s compensation and labor and employment law, and also practices family law, including wills
and estates. Alexander is an adjunct professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Jackson State University.
amıcus | 51
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David Christian Brown and Kristi Rae
Rogers ’05 were married June 13, 2009 in
New Orleans.
Shunda Lakeshia Pounders and Toney Anthony Baldwin were married June 20, 2009.
Patrick Alexander Vogel was inducted to the
Cambridge Who’s Who Executive, Professional, and Entrepreneurial Registry for
showing dedication, leadership, and excellence in all aspects of legal services. He is
an attorney with O’Neil, Parker & Williamson, PLLC in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Bethany Williamson Walker and David
Walker ’08 welcomed a son, William Pace
Walker, on Friday, August 1, 2008. He was
9lbs. 2oz. and 21 ½ inches long.
Madison Elizabeth Reso
Melissa Ann Nunley Reso and her husband, Michael, welcomed a daughter, Madison Elizabeth, on January 15, 2009. She
weighed 7lbs., 4oz.
Katina Seymour “Tina” Williamson was
named director of corporate compliance
with Mississippi Children’s Home Services.
She was also named Mississippi College
School of Law’s Young Lawyer of the Year
for 2008-2009.
2005
Benjamin Russell Henley and his wife, Lindsey, welcomed a son in December, 2008.
Kristi Rae Rogers and David Christian
Brown ’04 were married June 13, 2009 in
New Orleans.
2006
Jason Scott Gilbert and his wife, Caroline,
welcomed their first child, Garrett Jackson Gilbert, on October 19, 2008.
Bryan Sinclair Hawkins and his wife
celebrated the birth of their first child,
Cooper Sinclair Hawkins, on January
26, 2009.
Alexander Dunlap Kassoff and his wife
welcomed a daughter, Mariel Kassoff, in
2008.
Matthew W. Kitchens has joined The Van
Winkle Law firm in Asheville, NC. He is
a part of the firm’s construction and professional design group.
Callee Roberts
Joshua Jamison
Swords Jr.
Jay Harper Korsak
Joshua Jamison Swords and his wife, Kim,
welcomed a son, Joshua Jamison Swords
Jr., on October 27, 2008.
Dean Wayne Korsak and his wife welcomed their first child, Jay Harper Korsak, on March 11, 2008.
Dianne Roberts and her husband welcomed a daughter, Callee, on August 29,
2008. She weighed 5lb. 14oz. and was 18
inches long.
MCSOL Alumni Named Outstanding Women Lawyers
Two MCSOL graduates were the top honorees at the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association’s 15th Annual Outstanding Women
Lawyers awards ceremony in May. • In recognition of her tireless work for those in need, Patti Gandy ’98 was named the 2009 Outstanding Woman Lawyer of the Year. Gandy is the founding director of the Mission First Legal Aid Office, which provides legal
services to low-income residents in the Jackson area. A graduate of Mississippi College, Gandy operated a legal support employment agency prior to
enrolling in law school. In 2006, Gandy gave up a prestigious partnership
track position with Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC, the
largest law firm based in Mississippi, and took a hefty pay cut to become the
director of the Legal Aid Office, a joint effort of MCSOL and Mission First,
a neighborhood outreach ministry. • U.S. Federal Magistrate Judge Linda
Anderson ’85 was presented with the MWLA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The first African American female appointed to the federal bench in the
Southern District of Mississippi, Anderson worked as a secretary and a public school music teacher prior to enrolling in law school in 1981. Her illustrious legal career includes service as a law clerk for the
Mississippi Supreme Court (1985-87), district attorney for the Seventh Judicial Court District (1987-99), and assistant United States
attorney (1996-2006). As assistant U.S. attorney, Anderson worked primarily in the criminal division, where she was coordinator of
Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national initiative mandated by the President to reduce gun violence. • Congratulations to Patti Gandy
and Judge Linda Anderson for their service to and success in the legal profession and recognition they bring to MCSOL as alumni.
Above: Patti Gandy and Judge Linda Anderson
amıcus | 52
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2007
Kelly Nappier Clay and her husband welcomed a child in 2008.
Whitney Warner Gladden and her husband, David Lee Gladden Jr. ’02, welcomed
a son, Tucker David Gladden, on December 5, 2008.
Ryanne Elizabeth Duffie appears every
other week on Jackson’s WLEZ FM at
100.2 from 5:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on
“Film Club Radio” as the show’s resident
entertainment attorney. The show is also
broadcast online at www.wlezfm.com.
William D. Edwards accepted a position
at Holbrook Peterson & Smith in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Leslie Townsend Foster was named an
associate at the law firm of Spears, Moore,
Rebman & Williams, P.C. in Chattanooga,
Tennessee.
Nicolas L. Haigler
Nicolas L. Haigler was elected to the board
of directors of the popular Carolina Carillon Holiday Parade. This annual holiday
event in Columbia features the Miss Carolina Carillon Pageant, a 5K race, and the
downtown parade, which showcases dozens of floats, marching bands, drill teams,
and live performances.
Pamela Marcengill Hitchcock and her husband celebrated the birth of a daughter, Taylor Anne Hitchcock, on May 1, 2009. She
weighed 7lbs., 8oz. and was 20 inches long.
Amanda Grace Kisner and her husband
welcomed a son, Holden, on December
18, 2008.
Stephen L. Thomas was named a “local
litigation star” by Benchmark Litigation,
2009 Edition.
Marshall Allen Hollis and Erin Elise Brown
’09 were married May 30, 2009 at First
Baptist Church in Weaver, Alabama.
Thomas William Ikard attended tax school
at the University of Florida.
Francis Draper Ingram and her husband,
Russell, celebrated the birth of their son,
Pierce Nelson Ingram, on July 21, 2008.
He weighed 8lbs. and was 21 inches long.
Lindsay Conway Thomas joined McGlinchey Stafford as an associate in the firm’s
Jackson office. She practices in the commercial litigation section.
David Lee Walker and his wife, Bethany
’04, welcomed a son, William Pace Walker,
on August 1, 2008.
2009
Erin Elise Brown and Marshall Allen Hollis ’08 were married May 30, 2009 at First
Baptist Church in Weaver, Alabama.
Beverly Nicole Walker passed the Arizona
Bar exam in 2008.
2008
Joslyn Anthony passed the Illinois Bar in
2008.
David Ford Berry married on June 14,
2008. He is employed with Deaton &
Daniel in Flowood, Mississippi.
Lisa Jenkins Chandler is a partner at Murray
& Chandler at Law in Natchez, Mississippi.
Keating Simmons Coleman is engaged to
marry Patrick Haynes Lowery on July
18, 2009.
Linda Faye Cooper joined Wise Carter
Child & Carraway, where she practices in
the areas of commercial litigation and
appellate practice.
Tyson Charles Bryant
Marcus “Marc” Charles Bryant and his
wife, Mandy, celebrated the arrival of a son,
Tyson Charles Bryant, on April 30, 2009.
Todd Martin Thornburg and his wife, Valerie, welcomed a daughter, Cecile Helen
Thornburg, on May 7, 2009.
2010
Victor Benjamin “Ben” Tremonte and his
wife, Molly, celebrated the arrival of a son,
Michael Nicholas Tremonte, on December 16, 2008.
amıcus | 53
In Memoriam
1948
Grover C. Clark, Jr. passed away on January 16, 2009. Mr. Clark graduated from
Millsaps College, where he served as president of the senior class, was voted captain
and most valuable player of the football
team, was president of the “M” Club, and
was a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa
and Sigma Rho Chi fraternities. Mr. Clark
taught math and science and was also
employed by Universal Credit Co. before
being commissioned into the Navy as an
ensign in 1943. He served as a lieutenant
aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bennington,
participating in the battles of Iwo Jima and
Okinawa. Following World War II, Mr.
Clark earned his J.D. from the Jackson
School of Law and was admitted to the
State Bar in 1948. He worked in the consumer finance business, serving as an executive officer of White System of Jackson,
Inc., and was a founding member of the
Board of Directors of Consumer National
Bank. Mr. Clark attended Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church. He was a
charter member and past president of the
Sertoma Club of Jackson, treasurer of the
Jackson Jaycees, the 1968 Millsaps Alumni Fund Chairman, and a member of the
Colonial Country Club. Mr. Clark is survived by his wife of 69 years, Frances, and
his children and grandchildren.
Theodore G. Huffman passed away on
Thursday, May 7, 2009 in Woodlands,
Texas. Mr. Huffman had retired after many
years of service at the Veterans Administration in Jackson, Mississippi. He received
his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from
the University of Mississippi, then earned
his J.D. from the Jackson School of Law.
Mr. Huffman served in the Army and later
in the Air Force Strategic Air Command
both during WWII and the Korean War,
and remained in the Reserves until 1959,
retiring as a captain. Mr. Huffman worked
as a rating specialist for the Veterans Administration in Jackson before retiring and
relocating to the Houston area to be near
his grandchildren. He is survived by his
wife of 69 years, Frances, and his children
and grandchildren.
class | action
1949
Robert A. Biggs, Jr. died September 7,
2008. Mr. Biggs graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois,
with a master’s degree in music. He worked
as a basketball coach, school band director,
and educator in Metropolis, Illinois; years
later, the citizens of Metropolis bestowed
upon him the title of “Honorary Superman.” Mr. Biggs enlisted in the U.S. Army
Air Corps during World War II and was
stationed in the Pacific theatre, where he
served as a pilot and ultimately rose to the
rank of captain. After the war, Mr. Biggs
earned his J.D. from the Jackson School
of Law, practiced law, and became the
president and CEO of the Jackson and
Greenville plants of Barq’s Bottling Company and the executive director and general counsel of the Mississippi Soft Drink
Association. He also served the state of
Mississippi as ad valorem tax commissioner during the term of Gov. John Bell
Williams. He was a member of the Mississippi Bar Association and of First Presbyterian Church, where he was a member of
the choir. He was married to the late Lady
Rachel Conner Biggs and is survived by
his children and grandchildren.
Robert Chadwick passed away on February
18, 2009. A World War II veteran, Mr.
Chadwick is survived by his wife, Helen.
1954
Joe G. Moss passed away on March 22,
2009. Mr. Moss was a combat veteran of
World War II, serving in the 281st Combat Engineer Battalion of the U.S. Third
Army and earning three battle stars for his
service in France, Belgium, Germany, and
Austria. Mr. Moss served in the Mississippi
House of Representatives from 1956-1974,
chairing the Education Ways and Means
and Public Utilities committees, as well as
serving on the State Building Commission
and PEER Committee. In 1978, he was
elected Chancery Judge for the 5th Chancery Court District, where he served as
Chancellor-senior status. Moss was named
Mississippi College School of Law’s Alumnus of the Year in 1985 and Hinds Community College’s Alumnus of the Year in
2004. He was a deacon of First Baptist
Church of Raymond.
1959
John Harris “Bubber” White Jr. passed away
on April 7, 2009, in McComb, Mississippi,
where he was a lifelong resident. Mr. White
graduated from the University of Mississippi
School of Business and earned his J.D.
from the Jackson School of Law. Prior to
enrolling in law school, he served two years’
active duty in Korea as a member of the
National Guard. Mr. White practiced law
for 46 years, during which time he also
served as a selectman for the City of McComb, the McComb city judge, and the
Summit town judge, as well as launching
the Work Program for Youth, which has
since been adopted by many cities in Mississippi. In 1966, Mr. White received the
McComb Jaycees’ Distinguished Service
Award as the Outstanding Young Man of
the Year. He was a member of the Main
Street Association, the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, and the United Givers,
and served on the McComb/Pike County
Economic Development Board. He was a
member and a Paul Harris Fellow of the
McComb Rotary Club, and had 45 years’
perfect attendance. Mr. White served as an
elder and a deacon of J.J. White Memorial Presbyterian Church, where he taught
the men’s Bible class for 37 years. He also
served as moderator of the Session, trustee
for the church, and chairman of the Judicial
Committee for the Presbytery. Mr. White
served the legal profession as president of
the Pike County Bar Association, president
of the Mississippi Judges Association, president of the Mississippi Municipal Attorneys Association, and a member of the
Mississippi Board of Bar Commissioners.
He was an ombudsman for the Mississippi
National Guard and received the Seven Seals
Award for his service as the state assistant
ombudsman for the Employer Support of
the Guard and Reserve. Mr. White is survived by his wife, Sue, and his children
and grandchildren.
1966
Carl Ferdinand André of Jackson passed
away on July 23, 2008. Mr. André was a
writer and retired attorney, and had been
a resident of Jackson, Mississippi, since
the conclusion of his Air Force service in
1955. He earned his B.A. degree at the
amıcus | 54
University of Mississippi and his master’s
in journalism from Louisiana State University. Mr. André worked for the Mississippi
Attorney General’s office, and retired as risk
manager for the University of Mississippi
Medical Center. He was a member of the
Rotary Club of North Jackson. For many
years he was a communicant of St. Andrew’s
Cathedral, where he served on the Vestry.
In recent years he became a member of St.
Philip’s Episcopal Church.
1968
Leman Gandy of Greenwood, Mississippi,
passed away on March 25, 2009. Mr. Gandy served in the U.S. Marines and as a
Mississippi state trooper. In the late 1970s,
he was instrumental in helping establish
D’Iberville as a city. He was a member of
Valley Hill Baptist Church in Greenwood.
1971
Jerry Blakeney passed away on May 6,
2009. Mr. Blakeney served in the National Guard’s 114th MP for eight years.
While working full time and raising a family, he received his Juris Doctorate from
the Jackson School of Law in 1971. He was
an executive vice president with Andrew
Jackson Life and later formed The Planning Group, LTD, specializing in estate
law and financial planning. Mr. Blakeney
was a lifetime member of the Million
Dollar Round Table and a member of the
National Association of Life Underwriters,
Financial Planning Association, Mississippi
Bar Association, and American Bar Association, and was named Distinguished
Faculty Associate in the LSU School of
Insurance. Mr. Blakeney served as a board
member of Rankin Medical Center, Hinds
General Hospital, and Hinds Community
College. He was a member of Oakdale
Baptist Church. Mr. Blakeney is survived
by his wife Joan, and his children, grand
children, and great-grandchildren.
1973
Tommy A. Horne passed away December
31, 2008, in Lonoke, Arkansas. Mr. Horne
was a graduate of the University of Southern
Mississippi and Mississippi College School
of Law and was a practicing attorney until
his retirement. He was a Christian, Mason,
Shriner, a veteran of the United States Army
class | action
and Navy, and served in the Mississippi
State Legislature for 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and his children and grandchildren.
1974
William H. Gray passed away on August
8, 2008.
1978
John Luther Hathcock passed away on
September 19, 2008. Mr. Hathcock graduated from Delta State University in 1969
and attended law school while flying for
Braniff Airlines as a commercial pilot. He
practiced law in Jackson, Mississippi, then
moved to Houston, Texas, in 1982 to work
in the oil and gas industry. Mr. Hathcock
also worked for Continental Airlines and
as a private pilot while in Texas. In 1989,
he joined Federal Express. Mr. Hathcock
relocated to Little Rock in 1992 and continued working for 19 years, flying 727s
and MD11s and serving as an instructor
of classroom and simulator training. A
veteran of the United States Air Force,
Mr. Hathcock flew missions in Vietnam.
He is survived by his wife, Mary, and his
children and grandchildren.
1979
Horace S. Scruggs passed away on April
29, 2009 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Mr.
Scruggs was a Vietnam veteran, having
served in the U.S. Navy. He was an avid
sailor and a member of the Bay-Waveland
Yacht Club. He is survived by his wife,
Charleen Benigno.
1987
Penny Jones Alexander passed away July
12, 2008. Ms. Alexander graduated from
the University of Southern Mississippi with
highest honors and received her J.D. from
Mississippi College School of Law. While
attending law school, she was employed by
the Office of the Attorney General of the
State of Mississippi in the Criminal Appellate Division. Ms. Alexander practiced law
in the city of Petal for 20 years and was a
member of the Mississippi Bar, South Central Bar, and Women’s Bar Association. She
served two terms on the Board of Alderman for the City of Wiggins, was a member of the Stone County Jaycettes and the
Petal Kiwanis Club, and served as treasurer of Beta Sigma Phi. She served on the
board of directors of the Pine Belt Area
Girl Scouts, Gulf Coast March of Dimes,
and the Pine Burr Country Club, and on
the Forrest County Democratic Executive
Committee. She also served as organist for
the Wiggins Presbyterian Church for 12
years. She is survived by her daughter.
2007
Brian Jay Evans passed away on September 4, 2008. Following his high school
graduation, Mr. Evans enlisted in the Navy
and completed naval intelligence school
in Norfolk, Virginia. During the course of
his enlistment, he was stationed in San
Diego and Lemoore, California. Following
his honorable discharge, Mr. Evans attended Georgia Southern University, Atlantic
Armstrong State University, the University
of Georgia, and Savannah State University,
graduating with a bachelor of science in
history in 2004. He received his J.D. from
Mississippi College School of Law in 2007,
then practiced criminal law in New Orleans.
His is survived by his fiancée, Rachel Yasbeck, and his parents.
Legal Rendering
Renowned artist Wyatt Waters
captures a picture-perfect
day on the MCSOL campus
in this original watercolor
painting, now available as
a limited edition print.
24” w x 18” h
Each print signed and
numbered by Wyatt Waters
$100.00 plus $5.00 shipping
All proceeds benefit the
Annual Giving Program.
To order, please call
Whitney Whittington in the
Alumni Office at 601.925.7175
or order online at http://law.
mc.edu/wyattwaters.html.
amıcus | 55
closing | statement
You Can Handle the Truth
by Thomas M. Ray
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired)
Judge Advocate General’s Corps
Ask the average civilian what they
know about the The Judge Advocate
General’s Corps (JAG Corps), the legal
branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and
they’ll probably share something they’ve
seen in a movie, TV show, or even a
commercial. As a retired Army Judge
Advocate General, I’d like to answer
some of the questions I’ve been asked
about what JAG service is really like.
First, are those recruiting ads true?
Believe it or not, yes. JAG officers get a
lot of responsibility right off the bat. I
walked into my first office and was told
on the first day that I would be one of
only two attorneys prosecuting a murder
case. That case was tried within six months
of my arrival and I took care of direct
testimony and cross-examination of over
20 witnesses, including several experts.
Does JAG duty take you to exciting
locations? Yes, it can. I have worked as a
lawyer on four continents. My jobs included flying by helicopter over the mountains
of Sinai, Egypt, to visit clients (I have a
photo of my boots hanging out the open
door); driving on the autobahn at over
110 miles an hour (legally) to check up on
subordinates in offices throughout Germany; working near the demilitarized
zone in South Korea and stepping into
the usually forbidden North; and deploying to Israel to provide legal services to our
Patriot missile crews during the Gulf War.
Is the legal work different than that
of civilian lawyers? There are some unique
customs and procedures, but that is true
of most courts. I spent a lot of my time
in the JAG Corps working criminal cases and civil litigation. The military rules
of evidence are almost identical to the
federal rules of criminal evidence. It’s true
that courts-martial do not require unanimous verdicts, but neither do the criminal courts of my home state of Louisiana. As for civil litigation, the federal rules
are the rules that we use as we work in
Federal Court. I must say there were times
when I simply forgot I was in the military
because the legal work was so similar and
I was so busy doing it.
I have been asked if being a JAG is as
exciting as it is portrayed on television or
in the movies. Did I mention I sometimes
flew to work in a helicopter? One of my
civil cases was used as the “inspiration”
for an episode of the “JAG” television
series. While I was working as a prosecutor, a TV producer came to my office to
ask about the court-martial process. Alas,
I didn’t get to see my name in lights, as
they decided the way we handled courts
was too similar to the civilian world.
They ended up with a portrayal that they
thought would be more interesting, but
that was also completely inaccurate. So,
was it really exciting? Well, let’s just say
that I joined thinking I would only serve
three years, but I stayed for 20.
Finally, isn’t it dangerous? As a JAG
one is not just a lawyer, one is also a military officer. That comes with many
privileges and benefits, but also with
many responsibilities and challenges.
JAGs have served and are serving now in
dangerous places around the world.
They do so with great pride that they are
supporting their country. They also know
that they are working with great people.
I have worked for outstanding people
that I would follow anywhere, including
dangerous places. I just don’t say that. I
have done that and I would do it again
– without a TV camera in sight.
amıcus | 56
Thank You.
MCSOL
annual Giving report 2009
Dear Alumni
and Friends of MCSOL,
Thank you for your support of Mississippi College School of Law.
Over the last three years as Annual Giving Chairman, I have seen
the amazing generosity of this community grow. We are fortunate
to have the support of alumni, parents, students, and friends who
John England
believe in MCSOL.
I am proud of what my law school has accomplished and what it will continue to do in the
future. I have enjoyed serving as your Annual Giving Chairman. It has been a rewarding
challenge as I have seen my classmates and colleagues give back to our institution. I am
pleased to announce Lucien Bourgeois ’80 as my successor. I have complete confidence that
he will take our Annual Giving Program to new levels.
Thank you again for your support to the 2008-2009 Annual Giving program. I appreciate your
commitment to making MCSOL great.
With many thanks,
John England ’91
Annual Giving Chairman
j annual GIVING report j
Honor Roll of Donors
1937
C. Robert Ridgway, III
1947
Harry D. Owen
1949
Lee R. Spence
1957
Joann Pettit Neil
1964
The Honorable Thomas P. Givens
Eugene C. Tullos
1966
James W. Abernethy, Jr.
1968
C. Mitchell Fikes
1969
David L. Cobb
The Honorable Ray H.
Montgomery
Forrest W. Stringfellow
1971
David C. Barton
Byron W. Hughes
1973
The Honorable Thomas H. Bates
1974
The Honorable
Roger Clifford Clapp
Sharon P. Leggett
Hugh C. Redhead
Dennis Carl Smith
1975
Herbert Courtney
1976
Ann M. Hopper
1977
Gerald Joseph Diaz, Jr.
Charles Luther Guest, Sr.
Victor Jerald Roberts
1978
Frank Mell Ferrell
Lt. Col. Andy K. Hughes
Chester Ray Jones
Rowan H.Taylor, Jr.
Marvin Lee Waldrep
1979
Professor Patricia W. Bennett
Beth C. Clay
Lee W. Cline
Hugh Dennis Keating
Danny G. Schulman
1980
Vic C. Bailey, III
Lucien L. Bourgeois
James N. Bullock
Merrida P. Coxwell, Jr.
Jan D. Garrick
Charles E. Griffin, II
Marie W. Halvatzis
George Scott Luter
Billy Ray Ready
David A. Yost
1981
Henry J. Applewhite, II
A. Scott Cumbest
James R. Hartzog
1982
N. Lester Clark, Jr.
Sanford Cole Thomas
Robert Hansford Tyler
1983
Jameson Lewis Gregg
1988
1997
1989
1998
Bobby Lloyd Dallas
Trent D. Laviano
Joan E. Myers
James Bruce Bryant
Sandra Miller McDaniel
1990
Timothy C. Kramer
Christopher H. Negem
Dr. William R.Townsend, Jr.
1991
John Frederick England
Professor Angela Mae Kupenda
Lynn Plimpton Ladner
Leigh Ann Herman Prine
1992
Nathan S. Farmer
John Christopher Klotz
Lisa A. Arduini Lehrer
Kurt Lundgren
Joan Marie Malbrough
Hubert Wesley Williams, III
1993
William C. Dimitri
William Jon Gardner
The Honorable Tomie T. Green
Dennis John Gruttadaro
Dennis W. Miller
William Carl Borgersen
Katrina Bibb Gibbs
Alicia Anne Schweigert
Hedelund
George M. Snellings, IV
John Robert Still
Todd Nathan Thriffiley
1985
1994
1984
Bruce Kevin Adamski
The Honorable
Anthony Rex Gabbert
Dorothy Griffin Horecky
Gerald A. Jeutter, Jr.
J. Paul Laughlin
Lt. Col. Thomas M. Ray
The Honorable
Linda A. Thompson
1986
Paul E. Rogers
1987
Marvin John Bobinger, III
The Honorable
James Kent McDaniel
Timothy Kevin Byrne
Yvonne Woodard Jicka
Patricia Dawn Green
Mueller
James Ashley Ogden
Dana Kendall Phillips
James Richard Schnurr
Jerrold John Scholtens
Christopher Collins Van Cleave
Jeffrey Brian Austin
Meta Swain Copeland
William Easom Jones, III
Dr. Victoria Ann
Stringfellow Lowery
John Lewis Pannier
Vann Keith Parrott
Patrick Brian Shanley
Kristina Joelle Dabbs Stewart
Morgan Stuart Templeton
1999
Delicia Bryant Arnold
Anthony Bradley Berner
Christa Rouse Bishop
Mary Jacqueline Watson Easley
Claiborne Hambrick Ferguson
J. Wriley McKeown
Susan Durham McNamara
Bridgforth Rimes Rutledge
John GordonSims, III
Louwlynn Vanzetta Williams
2000
Jeffrey Allen Davis
Susan Leah Roberts
2001
J. Kyle Fulcher
Lee Joseph Hunter
Mary Michelle Largent Purvis
Jeffrey Raymond Worley
2002
Jonathan Kirk Clark
David Christopher Daniel
Sheryl Stryker Johnson
Thornton Russell Nobile
Linda Dixon Rigsby
Mark Allan Rowe
Olivia Taylor Rowe
2003
Timothy Douglas Gray
Jennifer James Selby
Seth Magill Hunter
Rebecca Ann Keith
Daniel Wesley Kitchens
Stacy Louise Neames
1996
2004
1995
Danielle Karie Brewer
Rajeev Kumar Chopra
The Honorable Mark
Wayne Reeves
Jennifer Tyler Baker
Paul Eric Bond
Lora Morgan Gipson
Amber DePriest Massengill
j annual GIVING report j
Honor Roll of Donors
2004
Lee Carter Massengill
Cory Louis Radicioni
Katina Seymour Williamson
2005
Walter Fred Beesley
Charles Gray Blackwell, Jr.
George Sammons Clark Burrow
Krista Celeste Rhemann
William Patton Vines
2006
Ian Lawrence Baker
Ryan Matthew Berry
Julian Byron Brackin, III
Hugh Ruston Comley
Alexander Dunlap Kassoff
Shannon Coghlan Kuykendall
2007
Christopher Daniel Adams
Jamie Hardison-Edwards
Ashley Buckman Schepens
Stacy E. Shurman
2008
Clifford Barnes Ammons, Jr.
David Ford Berry, IV
Lisa Ray Colonias
Carolyn Mae Gramlich
Nancy-Jane McMichael Karam
Matthew Wayne Lynch
April Nicole Walker
Wendy Michelle Yuan
2009
Leon Phillips Cameron
Lincoln Reese Hodges
Juan Ricardo McCullum
Seth Michael Moyers
Jessica Suzanne Pitts
Kristy Diana Shelton
Amanda Murray Terry
MCSOL Scholarship News
Mississippi College School of Law is pleased to announce the
establishment of the M. Judith Barnett ’99 Endowed Scholarship
Fund which will allow the Law School to make an award at Law Day
each year to a student who is a single parent with financial need.
Judy Barnett (left) was pleased to present the first award to
second-year law student Jennifer Kizer ’10 at the Law Day
ceremony on April 17, 2009.
Friends of the Law School
Clifford B. Ammons, Sr.
Peter H. Barrett
Brehm T. Bell
Boackle Law Firm
Julian B. Brackin, Jr.
Dean John C. Brown
Thorne G. Butler
Robert L. Carroll
Beth C. Clay ’79
Sandra T. Commiskey
Paulette Katherine Cook
Deaton & Daniel, PA
Dobbs & Dutro
Dorothy L. Blossman Charitable
Foundation
Dorcas Dunlop
Dean Patricia H. Evans
Dr. Harry Lee Hetherington
Lincoln Rees Hodges
Daniel L. Kessler, Jr.
Tim Lawrence
Holly S. Markham
Teresa Jerell Milstead
Denise Morgan
Joe Owen
James C. Parks
Kathleen O. Petchel
Robert M. Morgan & Associates
Stephen W. Rosenblatt
Franklin Rosenblatt
The Honorable Leslie H.
Southwick
Tatum & Wade PLLC
Ruth Teague
Robert S. Tew
The Northrop Gumman
Foundation
TWORDC Foundation
Tammy T. Upton
Hope B. Weaver
Whitney Keene Whittington
Hilary J. Zimmerman
Level of Giving
151 Club
($1-$151)
Christopher Daniel Adams ’07
Clifford B. Ammons, Jr. ’08
Delicia Bryant Arnold ’99
Jeffrey Brian Austin ’98
Vic C. Bailey, III ’80
Jennifer Tyler Baker ’04
The Honorable
Thomas H. Bates ’73
Walter Fred Beesley ’05
Brehm T. Bell
Anthony Bradley Berner ’99
Ryan Matthew Berry ’06
David Ford Berry, IV ’08
Christa Rouse Bishop ’99
Charles Gray Blackwell, Jr. ’05
Boackle Law Firm
Paul Eric Bond ’04
William Carl Borgersen ’93
Julian Byron Brackin, III ’06
Dean John C. Brown
James Bruce Bryant ’89
James N. Bullock ’80
George Sammons Clark Burrow ’05
Leon Phillips Cameron ’09
Robert L. Carroll
N. Lester Clark, Jr. ’82
Lee W. Cline ’79
Sandra T. Commiskey
Meta Swain Copeland ’98
Jeffrey Allen Davis ’00
Deaton & Daniel, PA
William C. Dimitri ’84
Dorcas Dunlop
Mary Jacqueline Watson Easley ’99
Dean Patrica H. Evans
Frank Mell Ferrell ’78
The Honorable
Anthony Rex Gabbert ’85
William Jon Gardner ’84
Katrina Bibb Gibbs ’93
Lora Morgan Gipson ’04
Carolyn Mae Gramlich ’08
The Honorable
Tomie T. Green ’84
Jameson Lewis Gregg ’83
Charles E. Griffin, II ’80
Marie W. Halvatzis ’80
Jamie Hardison-Edwards ’07
James R. Hartzog ’81
Alicia Anne
Schweigert Hedelund ’93
Lincoln Rees Hodges ’09
Lee Joseph Hunter ’01
Seth Magill Hunter ’03
Yvonne Woodard Jicka ’94
Sheryl Stryker Johnson ’02
Chester Ray Jones ’78
William Easom Jones, III ’98
Nancy-Jane McMichael Karam ’08
Rebecca Ann Keith ’03
Daniel Wesley Kitchens ’03
Dr. Angela Mae Kupenda ’91
Shannon Coghlan Kuykendall ’06
Lynn Plimpton Ladner ’91
Trent D. Laviano ’88
Sharon P. Leggett ’74
Lisa A. Arduini Lehrer ’92
Dr. Victoria Ann
Stringfellow Lowery ’89
Kurt Lundgren ’92
George Scott Luter ’80
Matthew Wayne Lynch ’08
Holly S. Markham
Amber DePriest Massengill ’04
Lee Carter Massengill ’04
Juan Ricardo McCullum ’09
Sandra Miller McDaniel ’89
J. Wriley McKeown ’99
Susan Durham McNamara ’99
Teresa Jerell Milstead
The Honorable Ray
H. Montgomery ’69
Seth Michael Moyers ’09
Joan E. Myers ’88
Stacy Louise Neames ’03
Christopher H. Negem ’90
Joann Pettit Neil ’57
John Lewis Pannier ’98
Vann Keith Parrott ’98
Dana Kendall Phillips ’94
Jessica Suzanne Pitts ’09
Mary Michelle Largent Purvis ’01
Cory Louis Radicioni ’04
Billy Ray Ready ’80
Krista Celeste Rhemann ’05
Susan Leah Roberts ’00
Paul E. Rogers ’86
Franklin Rosenblatt
Mark Allan Rowe ’02
Olivia Taylor Rowe ’02
Bridgforth Rimes Rutledge ’99
Ashley Buckman Schepens ’07
Jennifer James Selby ’95
Abe Quint Shafer ’95
Kristy Diana Shelton ’09
Stacy E. Shurman ’07
John Gordon Sims, III ’99
Dennis Carl Smith ’74
Lee R. Spence ’49
Ruth Teague
Morgan Stuart Templeton ’98
Amanda Murry Terry ’09
Dr. William R.Townsend, Jr. ’90
Tammy T. Upton
William Patton Vines ’05
April Nicole Walker ’08
Hope B. Weaver
Whitney Keene Whittington
Louwlynn Vanzetta Williams ’99
Jeffrey Raymond Worley ’01
Wendy Michelle Yuan ’08
Solicitors Club
($152-$249)
Henry J. Applewhite, II ’81
David C. Barton ’71
Rajeev Kumar Chopra ’96
Jonathan Kirk Clark ’02
David L. Cobb ’69
Lisa Ray Colonias ’08
Hugh Ruston Comley ’06
Paulette Katherine Cook
Herbert Courtney ’75
David Christopher Daniel ’02
Nathan S. Farmer ’92
Jan D. Garrick ’80
Dennis John Gruttadaro ’84
Ann M. Hopper ’76
Byron W. Hughes ’71
Timothy C. Kramer ’90
J. Paul Laughlin ’85
Thornton Russell Nobile ’02
Leigh Ann Herman Prine ’91
Hugh C. Redhead ’74
Linda Dixon Rigsby ’02
Robert M. Morgan & Associates P A
Jerrold John Scholtens ’97
j annual GIVING report j
Level of Giving
Barrister’s Society
($250-$999)
James W. Abernethy, Jr. ’66
Clifford B. Ammons, Sr.
Ian Lawrence Baker ’06
Peter H. Barrett
Dr. Patricia W. Bennett ’79
Marvin John Bobinger, III ’87
Danielle Karie Brewer ’96
Thorne G. Butler
Timothy Kevin Byrne ’94
The Honorable
Roger Clifford Clapp ’74
Merrida P. Coxwell, Jr. ’80
A. Scott Cumbest ’81
Gerald Joseph Diaz, Jr. ’77
Dobbs & Dutro
Claiborne Hambrick Ferguson ’99
C. Mitchell Fikes ’68
J. Kyle Fulcher ’01
The Honorable
Thomas P. Givens ’64
Charles Luther Guest, Sr. ’77
Dr. Harry Lee Hetherington
Dorothy Griffin Horecky ’85
Lt. Col. Andy K. Hughes ’78
Dr. Jeffrey Joseph Jackson
Alexander Dunlap Kassoff ’06
Hugh Dennis Keating ’79
Daniel L. Kessler, Jr.
John Christopher Klotz ’92
Joan Marie Malbrough ’92
The Honorable
James Kent McDaniel ’86
Dennis W. Miller ’84
Mississippi Association for Justice
Harry D. Owen ’47
James C. Parks
Lt. Col. Thomas M. Ray ’85
The Honorable
Mark Wayne Reeves ’96
Victor Jerald Roberts ’77
Stephen W. Rosenblatt
James Richard Schnurr ’97
Danny G. Schulman ’79
Patrick Brian Shanley ’98
George M. Snellings, IV ’93
Kristina Joelle Dabbs Stewart ’98
John Robert Still ’93
Forrest W. Stringfellow ’69
Tatum & Wade, PLLC
Robert S. Tew
Sanford Cole Thomas ’82
Todd Nathan Thriffiley ’93
Robert Hansford Tyler ’82
Marvin Lee Waldrep ’78
Hubert Wesley Williams, III ’92
Katina Seymour Williamson ’04
David A. Yost ’80
Hilary J. Zimmerman
Associate Law Fellows
($1,000-$2,499)
Bruce Kevin Adamski ’85
Bobby Lloyd Dallas ’88
Dorothy L. Blossman Charitable
Foundation
John Frederick England ’91
Timothy Douglas Gray ’95
Gerald A. Jeutter, Jr. ’85
Tim Lawrence
Denise Morgan
Patricia Dawn Green Mueller ’94
Kathleen O. Petchel
C. Robert Ridgway, III ’37
Dean James H. Rosenblatt
Rowan H.Taylor, Jr. ’78
The Honorable
Linda A. Thompson ’85
Christopher Collins Van Cleave ’97
Wayne Parker Investments
Law Fellows
($2,500-$4,999)
The Northrop Gumman
Foundation
TWORDC Foundation
Deans’ Circle
($5,000-$9,999)
Lucien L. Bourgeois ’80
Julian B. Brackin Jr.
Joe Owen
The Honorable Leslie H. Southwick
Eugene C. Tullos ’64
John Raymond Tullos ’73
The Capital Circle
($10,000 and above)
The Clay Firm
James Ashley Ogden ’94
The following donors have given generously to one of our legal aid programs, Mission First or Children’s Legal Aid
Carroll Warren & Parker PLLC
Christian Legal Society
Computer & Communications
Industry Association
Mr. David Christopher Daniel ’02
Mr. Dean Michael Johnson ’05
Ms. Ann Gilda Lawson
Mr. John Richard Lewis ’92
Mississippi Bar Foundation, Inc.
Mississippi Court Advocacy
& Justice Institute, Inc.
The following donors have given to Law School Funds or Scholarships, which include: the Betty B. Tucker Scholarship Fund, the
Butler Snow Scholarship Fund, the Hearin Law Fund, the Herman & Martha Hines Scholarship Fund, the Margaret Graham Patterson
Scholarship Fund, the Moller-Miller LRAP Fund and the Honorable John R. Countiss III Scholarship Fund.
Adams and Reese LLP
American Board
of Trial Advocates
Mary D. Applewhite
Association of Legal
Administrators, MS Chapter
AT&T Mississippi
Baker, Donelson, Bearman,
Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
Balch & Bingham LLP
Mary Judith Barnett ’99
Barvie Law Firm
Bradley Arant Rose & White LLP
Brunini, Grantham, Grower &
Hewes, PLLC
Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens
& Cannada, PLLC
Robert A. Colavolpe
John Mark Colette ’85
Copeland, Cook, Taylor
& Bush, P.A.
John R. Countiss, IV
David Christopher Daniel ’02
Dr. Cecile C. Edwards
Farese, Farese & Farese, P.A.
Stacie Gardner
Dr. Daniel Cannon Hall
Heilman Kennedy Graham, P.A.
J. Herman Hines
Seth Magill Hunter ’03
Jeffery P. Reynolds PA
Dean Michael Johnson ’05
Sheryl Stryker Johnson ’02
Dr. Shirley Norwood Jones
Lori Keeton
Fredna Kilcommins
McGlinchey Stafford PLLC
Samuel Martin Millette, Jr. ’87
Mississippi Association for Justice
Mississippi Bar
Foundation, Inc.
Claudia Moon
Mississippi Association of County
Board Attorneys
Mississippi Bankruptcy
Conference, Inc.
Mississippi Bar Fellows of the
Young Lawyers
Mississippi Bar Sections Fund
Mississippi Chapter Federal
Bar Association
Mississippi Corporate
Counsel Association
Mississippi Defense
Lawyers Association
The Honorable Mary Libby Payne
Rankin County Bar Association
Regions Bank
Robert F. Wilkins
Law Firm, PLLC
Robert M. Hearin Foundation
Watkins & Eager, PLLC
Watkins Ludlam Winter &
Stennis, P.A.
Katina Williamson ’04
Wise Carter Child & Caraway, P.A.
Women Lawyers Association
Wright Law Firm
j annual GIVING report j
MCSOL Alumni Gathering Hosts
Julian Byron “Buddy” Brackin, Jr.
Peter H. Barrett
Amy (Lawhon, ’98) and Joseph Greenwald ’97
Reeve G. “Jay” Jacobus ’84
Rebecca (McRae, ’99) and Shane Langston
Raymond A. McCleod ’80
Janelle and George (’93) Snellings
The Hon. Robert H. Walker ’78
MCSOL Alumni Auction Participants
The Alluvian Hotel
Amerigo
Robert G. Anderson ’87
Back Yard Burgers
Crystal J. Bender ’09
Monti Caldwell Bishop ’95
Lucien L. Bourgeois ’80
Craig E. Brasfield ’81
Ashley Carole Buckman ’10
Thorne G. Butler
Camp Skyline
Professor Donald E. Campbell,
II ’01
Char
Shannon Collins ’06
Cooke, Douglass, Farr, Lemons
Courthouse Raquet
and Fitness Club
Covey Rise Lodge
The Dancing Rabbit Golf Club
Michelle Daniel
David Christopher Daniel ’02
Jess Dickinson
Billy Duckworth
John F. England ’91
Dean Patricia Evans
Deborah B. Foley
Patricia C. Gandy ’98
Dr. and Mrs. Bill Godfrey
Preston Wells Griffith, III ’09
Gluckstadt Dental Group
Pamela L. Hancock ’97
George Healy ’85
DJ Horecky ’85
Professor Jeffrey Jackson
Pam Jacobus and Jay Jacobus ’84
Juniker’s Jewelers
Brad Kerwin ’09
Proffessor Victoria
Stringfellow Lowery ’98
LSBA
Governor Ray Mabus
Matthew T. Mallory ’03
Mike Maloney ’80
The Malouf Family
David N. McCarty ’04
C.R. McCord
Juan R. McCullum ’09
MCSOL CLE
Mark Millet
Derek Milner
Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
MLI Press
Bobby Moak
Paul Moak
Nil’s and Angela’s Gallery Jewelers
The Old Capitol Inn
The Parker House
Wayne Parker
Marie Quinn
Rankin First Development
Authority
Reunion Country Club
Krista C. Rhemann ’09
Judge Samac Richardson ’75
Linda Robertson
Dean Jim Rosenblatt
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
Bridgforth Rutledge ’99
Debbie Shands
Kim Sims
John Gordon “Trae” Sims, III ’99
Justice Jim Smith ’72
Springwater Ranch
Leigh Ann Tabor-Gentry ’08
Gwennetta Halloway Tatum ’01
Joe Nathan Tatum ’96
Dana Terry
The Honorable
Linda Thompson ’85
Tico’s Steakhouse
Dr. William R. Townsend, Jr. ’90
Cynthia C. Tyler ’86
Jerry R. Wallace ’81
Wyatt Waters
Bryan Williamson
Katina Seymour Williamson ’04
Miller Woods
The following gave generously to The Building Campaign
AT&T Higher Education/
June DeHart ’81
Professor James Larry Lee ’65
Phelps Dunbar, LLP
Cultural Matching Gift Program
Walter William Dukes ’78
The Honorable Tom S. Lee ’63
Linda Orlansky Posner ’92
Proffessor Meredith Blair Aden
Andrea La’Verne Ford Edney ’96
Professor Victoria Ann
Prudential Foundation
Kelly Riley Blackwood ’99
Entergy Corporation
Stringfellow Lowery ’98
Proffessor Gregory Wells Bowman
Jonathan Michael Farris ’98
Hunter W. Lundy ’80
R and Z Investments, LTD
Brunini, Grantham, Grower
Robert Morris Hadden ’97
Mississippi Bar Sections Fund
& Hewes, PLLC,
Proffessor Shelton N. Hand, Jr. ’65
The Honorable
Professor Donald
Douglas E. Hassell ’78
James Kent McDaniel ’86
Eugene Campbell, II
Eric Wynn Hospodor ’05
Dean Phillip Lee McIntosh
Proffessor Deborah Challener
Professor Jeffrey Jackson
Charles V. McTeer
Copeland, Cook, Taylor
Bettie Ruth Johnson ’81
Mid State Construction
& Bush, P.A.,
Proffessor Judith Jones Johnson
Harold D. Miller, Jr.
Cosmich, Simmons
William Easom Jones, III ’98
Dennis W. Miller ’84
Keith Whiteman Turner ’98
& Brown, PLLC,
Proffessor Shirley Terry Kennedy ’91
John D. Moore ’97
Wayne Parker Investments
Daniel, Coker, Horton
Proffessor Gregg W. Kettles
James Ray Mozingo ’78
Michael Wayne White ’92
& Bell, P.A.,
Proffessor Angela Mae Kupenda ’91
Dr. Melinda M. Mullins
James G. Wyly, III ’80
Jerry Dale Riley ’88
Dean James H. Rosenblatt
Joseph Anthony Sclafani ’99
Dean Clinton Wesley Shinn
Tabor, Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A.
Nina S. Tollison ’82
William Farley Travis ’80
The Capital Circle
Membership in the Capital Circle represents the highest level
of giving recognition at Mississippi College School of Law.
The Capital Circle at Mississippi College School of Law is an annual recognition (June 1 – May 31) of those
alumni and friends who support the law school with contributions of $10,000 and above to any fund.
To join the Capital Circle, contact Thorne Butler, Director of Alumni & Development,
at tbutler@mc.edu or 601.925.7172.
AT&T Mississippi
Mississippi Bar Foundation, Inc.
Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC
Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC
James Ashley Ogden ’94
Beth C. Clay ’79
Phelps Dunbar, LLP
Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, P.A.
R and Z Investments, LTD.
Entergy Corporation
Robert M. Hearin Foundation
John Richard Lewis ’92
Dean James H. Rosenblatt
Hunter W. Lundy ’80
Wayne Parker Investments
The Heritage Society
On the Cover:
MCSOL honors the men
and women who serve
in the courtroom and
on the battlefield.
credits
Mississippi College
School of Law
Mississippi College School of Law offers its students a broad based legal education in
a supportive, collegial environment. Theoretical teaching is complemented by experiential
learning and skills training. Our new downtown campus in the state capital allows our students
to interact with attorneys and judges. Applicants are automatically considered for generous
academic merit scholarships and your tuition is guaranteed not to increase during law school.
Come for a visit, attend a class, meet our students, and see the opportunities awaiting you. Call
our admissions office at 601.925.7152, email lawadmissions@mc.edu, or visit www.law.mc.edu.
www.law.mc.edu
Accr e d i t e d by t h e Am e r i c a n B a r A s s o c i a t i o n a n d a member of the Association
o f Am e rican Law Scho o ls a n d t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l A s s o c i a t i o n o f L a w Sc h o o l s
The MCSOL Heritage Society honors those who make planned gifts to the law school,
including provisions for MCSOL in wills, life insurance policies, and other types of gifts that
become effective at the end of a donor’s lifetime. • Mark Sledge ’80, a partner in the Jacksonbased firm of Grenfell, Sledge and Stevens, is one of the Heritage Society’s newest members.
Sledge made a gift of $100,000 to MCSOL through life insurance. • “By using the money that
I was gifting to MCSOL on an annual basis and purchasing a life insurance policy benefitting
the law school, I was able to substantially increase the overall value of my gift,” Sledge
explains. “I’m happy to make a planned gift today that will benefit the law school tomorrow.
• “I would recommend that every alumnus who has not visited the law school in several
years make a visit to see the great transformation that has occurred there,” Sledge continues.
“A short visit will make them proud of their school and want to become actively involved.”
MCSOL Heritage Society Members: D. Carl Black, Jr. ’63 • Thorne G. Butler • Lee Cline ’79
Herman Hines • The Honorable Rex Gabbert ’85 • Robert L. Lyle ’88 • David McCarty ’04 • J. Michael
Maloney ’80 • Dean Jim Rosenblatt • Mark Sledge ’80 • Professor J. Allen Smith (deceased) • Lowell Stephens ’56
Amicus
Summer 2009
Dean
Jim Rosenblatt
Editor/Director
of Public Relations
Dana Terry
Director of
Annual Giving and
Alumni Relations
Whitney Whittington
Director of Alumni
and Development
Thorne Butler
Contributing Editor
Marlo Kirkpatrick
Designer
Alecia Porch
Photography
Robby Followell
Greg Jenson
Jay Thomas
Hubert Worley
Copy Editor
Sissy Yerger
Contact Amicus
151 East Griffith Street
Jackson, MS 39201
601.925.7148
amicus@mc.edu
The Charitable Gift Annuity
A Gift to MCSOL that Returns the Favor to You
You’ve heard the old adage that it’s
better to give than to receive. But with a
charitable gift annuity, you do yourself
a favor when you contribute to Mississippi College School of Law.
A charitable gift annuity provides
annuity payments to you for your entire
life in exchange for a gift to MCSOL.
After your lifetime, the balance is available to help support the law school. We
use the annuity rates recommended by
the American Council on Gift Annuities. These rates are the same for men
and women and are slightly lower for
two annuitants of the same age.
Here’s an example of how a charitable gift annuity works. John, age 75, has
long wanted to make a significant gift to
Mississippi College School of Law, but
he doesn’t want to give up the security of
receiving income payments from his assets.
With a charitable gift annuity, John can
make a charitable gift and still receive a
steady stream of income. With a gift of
$10,000 to Mississippi College School
of Law, John sets up an annuity that pays
him $630 annually in quarterly installments (6.3 percent of his $10,000 gift).
As a result of his generosity, John
will also be able to claim a charitable
deduction of $4,170 on his income tax
return in the year he makes the gift.* At
John’s 28 percent annual income tax rate,
this saves him $1,168, making his outof-pocket cost for the gift only $8,832.
Taking into account his tax savings, with
each annual annuity payment of $630,
he is actually receiving 7.1 percent of his
out-of-pocket cost.
Assuming John lives to his life expectancy of age 87, nearly three-fourths of
the annuity installments he receives will
be non-taxable. To realize the same
after-tax amount to spend or reinvest,
an all-taxable return would have to be
9.2 percent on net cost for these years.
Perhaps best of all, John is celebrated
as a major donor to MCSOL.
* This figure is calculated using quarterly
payments and a 2.4 percent charitable midterm federal rate, a figure used by the IRS in
determining the future value of a gift.
One Life
your rate of
age return
50
4.4%
55
4.8%
60 5.0%
65
5.3%
70
5.7%
75
6.3%
80
7.1%
85
8.1%
90+
9.5%
Two Life
your rate of
ages return
50/55 3.9%
55/60 4.4%
60/65 4.8%
65/70 5.0%
70/75 5.3%
75/80 5.8%
80/85 6.5%
85 7.5%
90/95+ 9.0%
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Jackson, MS
Permit #967
A CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
Mississippi College School of Law
151 East Griffith Street
Jackson, Ms 39201
amıcus
M i s s i s s i pp i C o l l e g e S c h o o l o f L a w / s u m m e r 2 0 0 9
The Home
of the
Brave
MCSOL Salutes
Our Students
and Alumni in
the Military
Mark Your Calendar
First Friday
is now First
Wednesday
Join us for lunch with
Dean Jim Rosenblatt
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
in the MCSOL
Student Center
August 5
September 2
October 7
November 4
December 2
Family Day
February 19, 2010
MCSOL
Campus
Alumni and
Reunion Weekend
April 30 – May 1, 2010
Location TBA
Area Alumni
Gatherings
To find out when Dean
Rosenblatt will be in your area,
visit http://law.mc.edu/alumni/
upcoming_events.htm
To RSVP or for
more information
about these
events, contact:
Whitney Whittington,
Director of Annual Giving and
Alumni Relations at 601.925.7175
or wwhittin@mc.edu