Skip to main content

Wendy Scott Installed as Mississippi College School of Law Dean


MC Law Dean Wendy Scott is joined by students following her investiture at First Baptist Church Jackson on September 10.

Mississippi College School of Law students, faculty and members of the state’s legal community are among the greatest admirers of new dean Wendy B. Scott.

Many of her biggest supporters attended ceremonies at First Baptist Church Jackson to install Scott as MC’s Law’s 8th dean.

Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice William Waller, Jr., Attorney General Jim Hood, MC President Lee Royce, and other guests in the sanctuary Thursday night applauded her accomplishments.

The law dean’s family members and friends traveled from as far away as New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for her investiture.

After one year on the job, Scott continues to impress with her leadership skills, strengths as a legal scholar and commitment to serve others as a Christian role model. Her passion for students is immense.

“She’s a great asset to the school, someone who truly cares about students and our success,” says 2nd-year MC Law student Ladarion Ammons, 23, of Jackson. “She shows up and supports us. It’s great to have someone like her.”

Guest speaker Blake D. Morant, dean of the George Washington University Law School, told the audience that Scott brings extraordinary skills to her new assignment. A graduate of Harvard and New York University Law School, she also brings an enormous heart.

“Dean Scott is a true luminary in this profession,” says Morant, president of the Association of American Law Schools. “She looks for opportunities to enrich society.”

Scott is a former professor at Tulane Law School and the North Carolina Central University School of Law. She succeeded Jim Rosenblatt as dean in August 2014 after his 11 years of distinguished service to build MC Law’s national reputation. Scott is the first African-American dean in MC Law’s history.

It’s not an easy time to serve as an American law dean these days. Jobs are scarce at law firms since there are more than one million lawyers practicing nationwide. Law schools everywhere are grappling with shrinking enrollments. Since America’s recession first hit in 2008, it’s been a rocky road for the economy, with campuses in all 50 states struggling to raise money.

“All of higher education is challenged now,” says Morant, whose group represents 179 USA law schools.

But Scott is fully aware of the difficult challenges. The dean continues to press forward to enhance MC Law that enrolls more than 400 law students on its downtown Jackson campus.

She sees her role as a leader working hard to produce the next generation of ethical community leaders.

As MC Law celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, Scott says she will continue raising funds to build student scholarships, promote more opportunities for faculty research and reach out to new alumni. But at the center of her work is her deep faith, and MC’s mission as a Christian university.

“We must never lose sight of our Christian heritage,” Scott said in her September 10 address. It is the duty of MC Law School, she added, to “protect the vulnerable and work for the cause of Christ.”

MC Law must be the “salt and light” in Jackson, Mississippi and across America, the dean said. As she spoke, her husband, Rev. Eddie Scott, and the couple’s 17-year-old son, Christian, proudly looked on.

Worship teams from First Baptist Church Jackson and First Baptist Church Natchez embellished the atmosphere in the huge sanctuary with their lively praise hymns, including “Jesus, You’re the Center of My Joy.”