Mississippi College School of Law

Introduction to MC Law School

Mississippi College School of Law (MC Law) is in downtown Jackson, Mississippi, and serves as a state-of-the-art legal center for the mid-South. Jackson is the state capital, boasts a metropolitan population of 480,000, and is the political, cultural, and commercial center of Mississippi. Forty-eight percent of all Mississippi attorneys work in the Jackson metro area.

MC Law's attractive campus includes an administrative building, a modern classroom building, electronic courtrooms, a nationally recognized law library, a student center, and a new Advocacy Center. A safe and convenient student parking lot adjoins the law school. Within walking distance of the law school lies the state legislature, federal and state administrative agencies, and federal and state courts.

MC Law is part of Mississippi College—a university located in nearby Clinton, Mississippi, that has a liberal arts undergraduate program, nursing school, graduate school, physician assistant school, business school, and law school. MC Law is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, the International Association of Law Schools, and the American Society of Comparative Law. Graduates of MC Law are eligible to take the bar examination in all 50 states.

Admission Procedures

When admitting students, the Admissions Office uses a "whole-person" concept and considers undergraduate GPA, LSAT score, and personal or academic achievements and honors. Every applicant must take the LSAT and register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) prior to being considered for admission. There is no application fee if an online application is used. The school makes admission decisions on a rolling basis to permit early notification. Decisions are made without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, orientation, age, military service, or national origin. A summer start program is available. The application deadline is June 15. When an applicant is accepted, a deposit of $250 is required to reserve a seat in the entering class. A second deposit of $250 is required at a specified date. Upon enrollment, these nonrefundable payments are credited to the applicant's tuition. Tuition is locked in so that a student pays the same tuition throughout law school with no subsequent increase. All applicants are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships that exceed $2 million.

Dynamic Learning Environment

The diversity of the student body adds to the learning environment. Over 60 percent of our students come from outside Mississippi. Many students have work experience, military service, or advanced degrees. This diversity fosters an exciting exchange of ideas inside and outside the classroom. Our students receive one-on-one attention and interaction with professors that extend beyond the classroom. The school is dedicated to maintaining a supportive learning environment. Because of our size and collegial atmosphere, students form lasting relationships with one another, collaborate on team projects, and are active in a variety of cocurricular and extracurricular activities.

Curriculum and Course Offerings

MC Law offers a broad curriculum which integrates the theoretical aspects of the law with practical, hands-on training. First-year law students are required to take fundamental courses that focus on the major doctrinal areas of law, as well as development of legal writing and research skills. MC Law offers a broad range of second- and third-year elective courses. Our curriculum emphasizes the following disciplines: litigation and dispute resolution, family law, business and tax law, bioethics and health law, international law, and advocacy. MC Law offers a Louisiana Civil Law Certificate program for those who want to practice in Louisiana or to study comparative law. The law school operates on a semester basis. Students may begin their studies in June or August. Summer and intersession terms are available to second- and third-year students who wish to accelerate or enrich their studies. An Executive Program allows students to attend on a part-time basis.

Faculty

Teaching is our strength. Our faculty members have impeccable credentials and are leaders in their fields of study. From insurance to international law and from constitutional law to ethics, our professors are regularly cited in courts, scholarly journals, and the media. MC Law is renowned for the extraordinary level of interaction between faculty and students. Because of our strategic location, federal and state judges and some of the best legal practitioners teach as adjunct professors, giving our students valuable practical training and helpful networking opportunities.

Legal Centers at MC Law

MC Law maintains legal centers to allow a subject area to be developed through course offerings, speakers, moot court teams, student organizations, externships, and cocurricular activities. MC Law supports these centers: Family and Children's Law, Bioethics and Health Law, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Business and Tax Law, Public Service Law, and International and Comparative Law.

International and Comparative Law Center

The International and Comparative Law Center permits our students to take a global focus in their legal education. In addition to the international law-related courses the center oversees, students can participate in legal studies in Merida, Mexico; Seoul, South Korea; and Berlin, Germany. The Center coordinates a series of speakers and programs with an international theme.

Externship Skills Training Program

At MC Law, classroom theory and practical application go hand in hand. In addition to courses in legal doctrine, a wide range of instruction in the skills of modern practice is offered to second- and third-year students. Student externs work alongside practicing attorneys in government offices and public interest organizations. Depending on the particular externship, students present cases in court, interview witnesses, prepare pleadings, take depositions, negotiate with opposing parties, research legal issues, and draft court opinions. This program allows students to practice in the real world what they have learned in more traditional law school classes and gain experience prior to graduation. Students may take an externship in their home state. Many students secure employment as a result of this extern program.

Student Activities

The Mississippi College Law Review is a legal journal edited and published by law students who are selected on the basis of grades and the ability to do creative scholarly research and writing. Membership on the Law Review staff is recognized as both an honor and a unique educational experience. The law school also provides an appellate advocacy program administered by the Moot Court Board, composed of second- and third-year students. This required program provides students with instruction and practice in both brief writing and oral argument. The school's legal aid office allows students to acquire client interviewing skills and substantive practical experience while providing a valuable pro bono service.

The Law Student Bar Association is the organized student government of the law school. Other student activities include two national legal fraternity chapters, Phi Alpha Delta and Phi Delta Phi; student chapters of the Mississippi Association for Justice and the Defense Lawyers Association; the Women's Student Bar Association; the Federal Bar Association; the Black Law Students Association (BLSA); and the Environmental Law Association.

Career Services

The Career Services Office assists in job placement and career development. In addition to the traditional on-campus interviews, the law school participates in regional interviews and offers a series of workshops throughout the year. Students are encouraged to work in local or national public interest or government agencies through the MC Law/Federal Work-Study public interest program. Graduates are employed by major law firms, corporations, and government agencies throughout the United States, with a primary focus in the Southeast. Students have received clerkships with the United States Court of Appeals, United States District Courts, and the appellate and trial courts of various states. A number of graduates serve as JAG officers in the military services.

Minority Student Program

The law school offers a variety of programs to assist minority students: scholarships/stipends, student organizations, and an academic support program. Minority students are strongly encouraged to apply, and each applicant's entire record will be carefully considered. We are interested in students who have overcome challenges in life and who are the first in their family to attend law school. The BLSA chapter is an active contributor to student life and reaches out to the local community.

Library

The law library has a collection of more than 360,000 volumes and is committed to acquiring materials for both the immediate and the long-term needs of the law school. Emphasis is placed on development of the collections of statutes, legal periodicals, federal and state legislative materials, reports of federal and state appellate courts, federal administrative agency materials, specialized loose-leaf services, and microforms and treatises that support our teaching and scholarship. The library is a member of the American Association of Law Libraries. The technology division supports a Wi-Fi system and a computer help desk for students. Newly constructed study rooms and a coffee bar are available for group use.

Advocacy

MC Law sends 25 teams to regional and national trial and appellate advocacy moot court competitions. Preparation for these competitions flows from intraschool competitions in the 1L year and a required appellate advocacy course in the 2L year. These programs give MC Law students skills and confidence that serve them well in practice. MC Law's advocacy program has received national recognition and is well known in the legal community.

Applicant Profile

Mississippi College School of Law

This grid includes only applicants who earned 120–180 LSAT scores under standard administrations.

	GPA
LSAT Score	3.75+	3.50–3.74	3.25–3.49	3.00–3.24	2.75–2.99	2.50–2.74	2.25–2.49	2.00–2.24	Below 2.00
LSAT score 175–180	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible
LSAT score 170–174	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible
LSAT score 165–169	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible
LSAT score 160–164	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible
LSAT score 155–159	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 150–154	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 145–149	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 140–144	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 135–139	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 130–134	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 125–129	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 120–124	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely

Good  = Good Possibility

Possible  = Possible

Unlikely  = Unlikely