MSU, UM partner for accelerated law degree program

University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce, left, and ��Ƶ President Mark E. Keenum celebrate a new agreement allowing qualified MSU students to enter UM’s Juris Doctor program before fully completing an MSU bachelor’s degree, accelerating the total length of undergraduate studies plus law school by one full year. A similar agreement is in place between MSU and Mississippi College's School of Law. (Photo by Beth Wynn)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—��Ƶ students who aspire to become attorneys now have a new accelerated pathway into the legal profession thanks to a new university partnership with the University of Mississippi.

��Ƶ and UM’s School of Law formally signed an agreement Thursday [Nov. 21] allowing qualified MSU students to enter UM’s Juris Doctor program before fully completing an MSU bachelor’s degree, accelerating the total length of undergraduate studies plus law school by one full year.

MSU has a similar agreement with the School of Law at Mississippi College.

MSU President Mark E. Keenum and UM Chancellor Glenn Boyce signed the Memorandum of Understanding along with MSU Executive Vice President David Shaw, UM Provost Noel Wilkin, UM School of Law Dean Frederick G. Slabach, and UM School of Law Asst. Dean Joseph Tucker.

“We are excited about this important collaboration with the University of Mississippi School of Law. These accelerated academic pathway agreements significantly benefit MSU students who want to pursue law degrees in their home state,” Keenum said. “It’s an exceptional opportunity for students, our institutions, and the state of Mississippi.”

MSU students must meet all academic and application requirements for the School of Law and complete three-fourths of their undergraduate coursework before admission to the law program to be eligible.

As part of the agreement, UM will waive application fees and other costs for MSU students applying to law school. The program will also kick-start a joint lecture series hosted by ��Ƶ that features faculty and alumni from the law school.

Students from MSU made up 10% of the incoming class of 2027 at the School of Law, Dean Fred Slabach said. Now those students will have the option to expedite their progress through the 3+3 Accelerated Law Degree program.

“Here at UM law, our goal is to provide students with a quality education, so they are prepared to practice law, promote the cause of justice, serve the public and enhance the legal profession,” Slabach said. “That includes students from ��Ƶ.”

The accelerated MSU-UM program meets requirements of the American Bar Association and will launch in 2025.

“Through this partnership, students have the unique opportunity of receiving a joint education from two of Mississippi's universities,” said Tucker, assistant dean in the UM School of Law. “Each year, the law school receives a number of students from ��Ƶ, so we are excited to formalize a partnership.”

Learn more about the University of Mississippi’s School of Law at .

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