Mississippi Christian University School of Law Dean Named Among 2026 Top 50 Legal Innovators in Academia
Mississippi Christian University School of Law (MC Law) Dean John P. Anderson has been named one of the 2026 Top 50 Legal Innovators in Academia by The National Law Review, recognizing academic leaders who are advancing legal education through innovation, technology, research and new initiatives.
The recognition highlights Anderson’s leadership in preparing law students for a legal profession increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. In particular, The National Law Review recognized MC Law’s groundbreaking decision to become the first law school in Mississippi and the Southeast to require all first-year students to complete a certification in AI and the law. The certification provides students with foundational instruction and hands-on experience with AI-powered legal tools while addressing the ethical, regulatory and professional issues surrounding their use.
For Anderson, the honor reflects the work of the entire MC Law community.
“With the launch of our Center for AI Policy and Technology Leadership (CAPTL) and other next-generation-technology initiatives, MC Law is looking to set the pace for legal education in this space,” Anderson said. “I am honored and humbled by this Top 50 Innovators recognition, but our dedicated faculty, staff and students are the true innovators!”
Anderson’s recognition comes as MC Law continues to expand its leadership in artificial intelligence and legal education. In 2025, MC received a $723,000 Mississippi AI Talent Accelerator Program grant to launch the Center for AI Policy and Technology Leadership (CAPTL), an interdisciplinary initiative between MC’s School of Law and School of Business focused on responsible and innovative applications of AI. This grant was followed by a $1 million private gift that created a professorship at the law school and a professorship at the business school.
Additionally, MC Law’s location in downtown Jackson gives CAPTL a unique opportunity to connect legal education with policymakers, attorneys, businesses and institutions confronting emerging technology issues.
Anderson’s focus on innovation extends beyond AI. Since becoming dean in 2023, he has championed initiatives designed to strengthen MC Law’s distinctive student-centered approach while preparing graduates for an evolving legal profession.
A nationally recognized scholar and longtime MC Law professor, Anderson has received numerous teaching honors, including MC’s Distinguished Professor of the Year award and multiple MC Law Professor of the Year honors. His scholarship spans securities regulation, white-collar crime, business ethics, constitutionalism, human rights, and law and philosophy.
Ultimately, Anderson said, MC Law’s approach to innovation is about preparing students to lead.
“Our graduates will leave MC Law ready to practice and lead in an AI-powered world.”
The National Law Review recognition places Anderson among a group of academic leaders working to redefine legal education. It reflects MC Law’s growing role in preparing the next generation of lawyers for a rapidly changing profession.
Anderson has also shared his expertise with audiences beyond the law school, including Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s In Legal Terms, a weekly program examining legal issues and helping Mississippians better understand the law. To hear Anderson discuss AI in education, visit the In Legal Terms podcast: http://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-ai-in-education.
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