Jackson State University students will be able to earn law degrees after just six years in higher education under a historic partnership between the historically Black university in Jackson, Miss., and the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss.
LaToya Thompson, the wife of Jackson State University President Marcus Thompson, is the driving force behind the Pathway to Law School program. The new program represents a step forward for one of her initiatives as first lady of the institution. Thompson, who earned her law degree from the University of Mississippi, still actively practices law.
“I have four things that I’m working on and one of them is to bolster our pre-law program and to support our pre-law students in a stronger way,” she said. “We have a pre-law program dedicated to them. We are not looking to replace that at all but to supplement it and make it as strong as we can from the perspective of visibility.”
The new program will allow Jackson State University students to begin taking law courses as early as their senior year of undergraduate study. Students can complete the fast-tracked bachelor’s degree and law degree program in three years—one full year less than it would take to earn the two degrees independently. University of Mississippi officials said that the joint degree will allow students to explore options in law “such as concentrations in business law, air and space law, sports and entertainment law, and criminal law.” JSU officials added the program can also significantly reduce the financial burden of continuing education.
“The law is so vast,” LaToya Thompson said. “You can work at a firm. You can work in government. You can work for a nonprofit. You can go into business. You can use a law degree in so many ways. And some people need a lot of time after law school to explore and settle into what we believe is a calling. So this gives you time to figure out what you really want to do with your law degree.”
Jackson State students participating in the Accelerated Law Program, also referred to as the 3+3 program, will receive an application fee waiver to the University of Mississippi but are not guaranteed entry into the University of Mississippi law school. Thompson said that JSU is putting supports in place to help ensure students are ready for the application process.
“For LSAT prep admissions applications, there are already some tools that the Pre Law Center utilizes for the students who participate in the pre-law program to help them with LSAT and that sort of thing,” LaToya Thompson said. “But we’ve had several local attorneys from different fields express interest in being a direct support of this program and spending time with the students to make sure they have what they need to get admitted through this program.”
University of Mississippi and JSU officials signed a memorandum of understanding for the program on June 27.
Jackson State is the first public historically black college and university invited to partner with the University of Mississippi. UM also partners with Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Miss., for a similar program.
“It is a testament to the power of collaboration. Access to the legal profession is crucial, especially for students from historically Black colleges and universities. Through programs like this, we are breaking down barriers and providing a clear, attainable path for our students to achieve their dreams,” Jackson State University President Marcus Thompson said in a press conference on June 27.
First Lady Thompson’s initiative will include a lecture series that will bring University of Mississippi law experts to the Jackson State campus to speak to undergraduate students. The series will feature talks about current legal controversies and new ideas in law. Students will also participate in a Historically Black Colleges and Universities Law Preview Day at the University of Mississippi. During the visit to the Oxford campus, JSU students will meet UM’s law school professors and students. She also hopes to create a University of Mississippi School of Law scholarship for students who need financial assistance to utilize the programs.
“This historic partnership provides Jackson State University students the opportunity to engage in legal topics and the law school application process through the lecture series we will offer and to better prepare themselves for the academic rigors of law school,” University of Mississippi Law School Dean Fred Slabach said in a press release. “Their preparation will, in turn, benefit the University of Mississippi School of Law by making sure our admitted students are equipped to develop the critical thinking, legal reasoning and creative problem-solving skills necessary to be successful members of the legal profession and provide access to justice for all.”
LaToya Thompson hopes that the partnership and increased access for Jackson State students will increase the number of minority lawyers in the state.
“What I’m hoping is that this program will foster a love for different geographic places in Mississippi, different cultures in Mississippi (and) different experiences in Mississippi and that between the relationships that people form at Jackson State and the relationships that people form at University of Mississippi law school, it will foster their love for Mississippi,” she said. “I’m hoping that a lot of these students will want to stay in Mississippi, pay it forward, perpetuate the program and be here to help other students in the area to be successful in the practice of law.”
