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Investiture Ceremony Set for MC Law Dean Wendy Scott


Dean Wendy Scott

Ceremonies to install Wendy B. Scott as the new dean of the Mississippi College School of Law are set for September 10.

Members of the state’s legal community and MC leaders are expected to attend Scott’s investiture. The event begins 5:30 p.m. that Thursday at First Baptist Church Jackson.

On August 11, 2014, Scott became the 8th dean of the MC School of Law and the institution’s first African-American leader.

A graduate of Harvard University and the New York University School of Law, she succeeded Jim Rosenblatt, who served with distinction for 11 years. The Natchez native helped build MC Law’s regional and national reputation. Rosenblatt continues to serve as a professor at the law school in downtown Jackson.

Ceremonies spotlighting Dean Scott are among major events of MC Law’s 40th anniversary celebration. Mississippi College purchased the old Jackson School of Law in 1975 and held its first classes on the Clinton campus.

The keynote speaker at the investiture will be Blake D. Morant, dean of the George Washington University Law School. Morant serves as president of the Association of American Law Schools.

The September program will help kick off festivities noting four decades of success at MC Law.

“MC Law School has a rich history to reflect on and celebrate,” Scott says. “We also plan to use this occasion to plan for how we can be most effective in responding to the structural changes taking place in legal education.”

The lineup of events will include special lectures and other programs addressing key issues in Mississippi. The programs also will showcase the achievements of MC Law faculty, students and alumni, Scott said.

Before coming to MC Law, Scott taught at the North Carolina Central University School of Law for eight years. During her tenure, she worked as the school’s associate dean for academic affairs from 2009 until 2012. In addition, Scott served as a professor at the Tulane Law School in New Orleans for 17 years. And she worked as the school’s vice dean for academic affairs.

After one year on the job, Dean Scott’s work as MC Law dean is receiving positive reviews from faculty members.

“Dean Scott is a phenomenal asset for the law school,” professor Matt Steffey says. “The fact that we were able to recruit a scholar, teacher and administrator of her caliber to lead the law school speaks to the school’s rapid growth under President Royce and Dean Rosenblatt.”

Addressing students with the MC Law School Class of 2018 at Tuesday’s orientation, Royce said that Scott provides “exceptional leadership,” and applauds her as a committed Christian.

Scott’s Christian values are clearly evident, Steffey says. It is seen in her “commitment to expanding our ability to serve the local community through legal clinics and other outreach programs.”

In terms of scholarship, Dean Scott has written extensively on the desegregation of public colleges and universities. Early in her career, she served as an attorney with the Legal Action Center of the City of New York.

Away from the academic world, the MC Law dean has faithfully served in several positions with Baptist institutions alongside her husband, Rev. Eddie Scott. They are the parents of Christian Scott who will graduate from high school in 2017.