Accelerated law programs at JSU, Ole Miss, MS State and MS College
Marcus L. Thompson, president of Jackson State University, shares his goals.
Jackson State University President Marcus L. Thompson shares his goals for the university during a press conference on campus.
Four Mississippi universities have announced partnerships to enable students to participate in an accelerated law program that will enable them to earn their law degree in six years instead of seven.
The Accelerated Law Program, also known as 3+3, allows students to shorten the time it would take them to earn a bachelor’s degree and a law degree by a full year by combining the final year of their undergraduate studies with the first year of law school.
Students accepted into the program complete three years of undergraduate study at a university before moving on to a law school’s Juris Doctor program for an additional three years.
Mississippi State University and Mississippi College are partners in the law program
On Thursday, college administrators announced that Mississippi State University and Mississippi College School of Law signed an agreement Wednesday that will allow qualified MSU students to enter MC’s Juris Doctor program before fully completing a bachelor’s degree at MSU.
According to official information, MSU students who have completed 75% of the courses required for a bachelor’s degree are eligible for admission to the MC. After the student successfully completes the first year of the JD program (30 hours), MSU awards the corresponding bachelor’s degree. After meeting the requirements for the JD degree, the MC awards the professional diploma.
MC accepts applications from September 1 to March 31 for admission to the first year of study in the following fall semester, which begins in August.
According to a press release, MSU President Mark E. Keenum and MC President Blake Thompson said the new accelerated degree program for students who want to enter the legal profession and become lawyers “will benefit not only the students and institutions, but the entire state.”
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“Mississippi State and Mississippi College share similar values and a commitment to community, and I am thrilled that we have been able to partner with President Thompson and his leadership team to develop this accelerated academic pathway,” Keenum said. “It is an extraordinary opportunity for students, our institutions and the state of Mississippi.”
Thompson said the new offering is good for both institutions and students.
“This new partnership between MSU and MC Law allows us to better serve Mississippi by bringing together our state’s largest land-grant university and its only law school in a capital city,” Thompson said. “The agreement provides tremendous benefits to students at both institutions and will help retain our most promising future lawyers in the state.”
Jackson State University and University of Mississippi Partnership Program in Law
MSU’s announcement comes nearly a month after Jackson State University administration announced that the University of Mississippi’s historically Black college and law school will offer JSU students the opportunity to “accelerate their path to a legal career” while “significantly reducing the financial burden” of continuing education.
Executives of both partner institutions signed an agreement on June 27 to launch the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program.
According to a JSU press release, the streamlined Pathway to Law School program not only offers a “diverse and enriching academic experience,” but also gives JSU undergraduate students the opportunity to shorten a year of their education by beginning law school in their senior year.
JSU officials said that for the first time, JSU students will be able to complete both their bachelor’s and law degrees in six years.
The application period for JSU students to study law begins in fall 2024. The administration said the initiative includes an application fee waiver for students applying to the University of Mississippi School of Law.
JSU officials said the program is one of four initiatives that JSU First Lady LaToya Redd Thompson plans to implement at Jackson State.
“As an attorney and proud graduate of the University of Mississippi Law School, the partnership between Jackson State’s law preparatory program and my alma mater is particularly dear to my heart,” said Redd Thompson. “I embrace this opportunity to help Jackson State students enter the legal field that I am so passionate about through the very institution that shaped my own career. I am grateful to President Thompson, Chancellor Boyce and others for supporting this initiative and am optimistic about the positive impact this program will have on our students.”
JSU President Marcus Thompson described the accelerated law degree as more than just an initiative: He called it “a path to success and a bridge to the future.”
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“It’s a testament to the power of collaboration,” Thompson said. “Access to the legal profession is critical, especially for students from historically black colleges and universities. With programs like this, we’re breaking down barriers and providing our students with a clear, attainable path to achieve their dreams.”
According to the press release, Jackson State is the first state public institution to partner with the University of Mississippi’s accelerated law program, which Chancellor Glen Boyce said is the driving force among the graduate and professional programs offered at Ole Miss.
“We are very, very proud of that,” Boyce said. “We have fantastic clinical programs in a variety of areas to prepare students for the real world where they can pursue all of their academic obligations. We are consistently ranked as one of the best regional law schools for African-American students and are a leader in access.”
