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Mississippi College School of Law Welcomes Advocates International Leader


Brent McBurney, president and CEO of Advocates International

A prominent leader in the international struggle to press for religious freedom and justice for the poor will be the guest speaker at the Mississippi College School of Law.

Brent McBurney, president and CEO of Advocates International, will deliver the keynote address at the Mary Libby Payne Lecture Series on September 19. The Alexandria, Virginia resident will discuss how Christian lawyers are transforming scores of nations around the globe.

His speech begins at 11:45 a.m. that Thursday on the MC Law School campus in downtown Jackson.

“He has devoted his professional life to the preservation of religious liberty and is an effective advocate for that cause,” said MC law dean Jim Rosenblatt. “We are fortunate to be able to gain his perspective on current events in this changing world.”

McBurney’s organization is linked to 100 national Christian lawyer groups that work with 165 nations around the globe. The non-profit group assists churches, orphans, refugees, prisoners in Russia and many others.

A Colorado native, McBurney is a 1992 Baylor University graduate with a law degree in 1999 from George Mason University.

The Mary Libby Payne Lecture Series is named for the founding dean of the MC School of Law and retired judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Payne retired after serving on the court from 1995 through 2001. A longtime Pearl resident, the Mississippian served as an assistant state attorney general and was executive director of the Mississippi Judicial Commission.

“We are pleased to be able to both honor our founding dean, Mary Libby Payne, with this lecture series, but also bring to this community a world-class speaker,” Rosenblatt said. “With the support of many sponsors and donors, this lectureship will continue to offer the MC Law community a renowned speaker each year.”

For additional information, contact MC Law School director of communications Dana Terry at 601.925.7148.