New Mississippi College Law Students Learn About Ethics

There were 161 new students at Mississippi College of Law School attending a seminar on the Clinton campus Tuesday to learn about ethics and professionalism. There were more than 50 lawyers and judges around the state giving them valuable lessons on the topics.

New students at the Mississippi College School of Law learned lessons on ethics and professionalism from some of the distinguished leaders in the state’s legal community.

“We want to impress on the students the need for professionalism and civility from day one,” MC Law Dean Jim Rosenblatt said at Tuesday’s orientation on the Clinton campus.

The 161 new students at MC Law School in downtown Jackson come from 26 states and represent 35 different undergraduate schools. Fourteen of the first-year law students are Mississippi College graduates. “They are a very diverse class and they come well-qualified,” Rosenblatt said during a break in the program at the B.C. Rogers Student Center.

Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller, Jr. led things off with a morning address followed by breakout sessions between the law students and more than 50 judges and lawyers statewide. The sessions explored hypothetical ethical dilemmas that lawyers could face as they launch new careers.

“I want to emphasize the importance of lawyers adhering to the highest ethical standards in providing legal services for the citizens of the state and nation,” Waller said.

The August 13 event at Mississippi College is the annual James O. Dukes Law School Professional Program. The program is named for the late James O. Dukes of Gulfport, a former Mississippi Bar president. The Bar will present its professionalism seminar to new students at the University of Mississippi School of Law in Oxford on August 22.

“This is a great partnership between the two law schools and the Mississippi Bar,” said Larry Houchins, executive director of the Jackson-based organization. “This is an opportunity to start off with the first day to stress ethics and professionalism.”

Other speakers at Mississippi College Tuesday included Mississippi Bar President Guy Mitchell III, the attorney for the city of Tupelo since 1974.

Lawyers including LaVerne Edney, a member of the MC Board of Trustees, Leonard Van Slyke, Jr. of Jackson, an instructor at the MC School of Law in recent years, and Hinds Circuit Court Judge Winston Kidd were among those meeting with the students at Mississippi College.