Four MS universities to allow students to enroll in fast-track law degree program

Four Mississippi universities have announced partnerships that would allow students to be admitted into a fast-track law degree program, where students can receive their law degrees in six years instead of seven.

The Accelerated Law Program, also known as 3+3, allows students to trim a full year off of the time it would take to earn both a bachelor and a law degree independently by combining the last year of undergraduate study with the first year of law school.

Students admitted to the program will spend three years completing their undergraduate degrees at a university before transitioning into a law school's Juris Doctor program for another three years.

Mississippi State University, Mississippi College partners in law program

On Thursday, higher education administrators revealed Mississippi State University and the Mississippi College School of Law signed an agreement Wednesday allowing qualified MSU students to enter MC’s Juris Doctor program before fully completing an MSU bachelor’s degree.

According to officials, MSU students who have completed 75% of the coursework required for a bachelor’s degree will be eligible for admission to MC. After the student successfully completes the first year of the J.D. program (30 hours), MSU will award the appropriate bachelor’s degree. Then, after completing requirements for the J.D. degree, MC will award the professional diploma.

MC will accept applications Sept. 1-March 31 for admission to the entering class for the following fall semester, which begins each August.

According to a press release, MSU President Mark E. Keenum and MC President Blake Thompson said the new accelerated pathway for students who plan to enter the legal profession and become attorneys will “benefit not only the students and institutions, but the entire state.”

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“Mississippi State and Mississippi College share similar values and a commitment to serve, and I’m so pleased we have been able to work with President Thompson and his leadership team to develop this accelerated academic pathway,” Keenum said. “It’s an exceptional opportunity for students, our institutions, and the state of Mississippi.”

Thompson said the new offering is good for the institutions as well as the students.

“This new partnership between MSU and MC Law allows us to better serve Mississippi by pairing our state’s largest land-grant university and its only capital city law school," Thompson said. "The arrangement offers a tremendous benefit to the students of both institutions, and it will help to keep our brightest future lawyers in the state."

Jackson State University, University of Mississippi partner in law program

MSU’s announcement comes nearly a month after administrators with Jackson State University revealed the historical Black college and the University of Mississippi School of Law are providing JSU students with an opportunity to " expedite their path to a law career " while “significantly reducing the financial burden” of continuing education.

Leaders from both partner institutions signed an agreement June 27 to launch the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program.

According to a JSU press release, the streamlined “Pathway to Law School” program not only offers a “diverse and enriching academic experience” but also gives JSU undergraduate students the opportunity to remove a year off their education by beginning law school courses in their senior year.

JSU officials said for the first time, JSU students will be able to complete both their undergraduate and law degrees in six years.

Applications for JSU students for the law program began in Fall 2024. Administration said the initiative will include a waived application fee for students applying to the University of Mississippi Law School.

JSU officials said the program is one of four initiatives that JSU First Lady LaToya Redd Thompson, is dedicated to implementing at Jackson State.

“As a lawyer and proud alumna of the University of Mississippi Law School, the partnership between Jackson State’s pre-law program and my alma mater holds a special place in my heart,” Redd Thompson said. “I am embracing this opportunity to help Jackson State students enter the legal field, which I am deeply passionate about, through the very institution that shaped my own career. I am grateful to President Thompson, Chancellor Boyce, and others for supporting this initiative, and I’m optimistic about the positive impact this program will have on our students.”

JSU President Marcus Thompson described the accelerated law program as something more than an initiative, calling it “a pathway to success and a bridge to the future.”

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“It is a testament to the power of collaboration," Thompson said. "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.”

According to the press release, Jackson State is the first state public institution to partner with the University of Mississippi’s accelerated law program, which Chancellor Glen Boyce said is the leading force among the graduate and professional programs that Ole Miss offers.

“We’re very, very proud of it," Boyce said. "We have fantastic clinical programs in a wide range of fields to get students real world preparation where they pursue all their academic responsibilities. We’re consistently ranked as one of the best regional law schools for African American students and a leader in access.”

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Four MS universities to allow students to enroll in fast-track law degree program