University of Mississippi School of Law

Welcome to the University of Mississippi School of Law! Located in the charming town of Oxford, Mississippi on the Most Beautiful Campus in the United States, according to Newsweek, Ole Miss Law is the perfect place to earn your law degree.

We are committed to providing our students with a first-class legal education while supporting career development. Our students leave here with the tools they need to succeed in their future careers.

The Strategic Planning Process

In the spring of 2015, the Law School began an intensive strategic planning process emphasizing the governance values of inclusion and deliberation. Over the summer, a seven-person strategic planning group engaged in research: holding weekly meetings, reading strategic planning materials, interviewing senior staff, and conducting a series of seven faculty-staff summer surveys.

In the fall, the strategic planning research group organized six joint faculty-staff meetings to discuss the Law School’s strategic priorities. The research group also involved other core stakeholders in the process—students and alumni—conducting surveys and organizing discussion events, including a student focus group, a student forum, and an alumni forum.

In the late fall, the research group was reconstituted as a drafting group with the addition of new members. The drafting group met regularly and drafted a strategic plan to reflect the vision and values of the Law School stakeholders participating in the process. The strategic plan endorsed five flagship goals and ten areas of strategic priority.

In the early spring of 2016, the proposed strategic plan was discussed in a joint faculty-staff meeting, revised in light of comments, and then endorsed in a series of votes by faculty and staff.

Implementation and Assessment of the Strategic Plan

The implementation and assessment of the strategic plan is the ultimate responsibility of the Dean’s Office. The Dean will designate personnel (e.g., an associate dean, advisory group, or committee) to assist with implementation and assessment. The Dean will also ensure that regular progress reports are made to faculty and staff each semester by the appropriate personnel. The Law School will follow this strategic plan through the year 2020 or until revised. The plan contemplates a review and revision following the 2018-2019 ABA site visit.

Mission

As an outstanding public law school, the University of Mississippi School of Law leads, excels, and inspires by preparing students for the practice of law in a changing global marketplace, expanding the horizons of legal knowledge through scholarly research, and serving diverse communities in the state, region, nation, and world. As it pursues its mission, the Law School also has a special responsibility to the State of Mississippi as the State’s only public law school and a central component of its flagship university.

The Law School graduates innovative, practice-ready lawyers who enhance the legal profession, promote the cause of justice and serve the public. The Law School empowers students to reach their highest potential through a curriculum centered on doctrinal courses, legal research and writing, skills training, clinical instruction, externships, and professional ethics. As a state school, the Law School has a special commitment to educating state residents and train lawyers who will serve the needs of the State of Mississippi.

The Law School advances legal knowledge through the publication and presentation of original scholarly research. The Law School’s support for scholarship and vibrant culture of inquiry provide a crucial foundation for the teaching and service components of the Law School’s mission—in addition to the intrinsic value of the expansion of knowledge.

The Law School serves diverse communities through its programs and personnel in order to transform lives and promote access to justice, legal professionalism, progress, reform, and the public interest. The Law School’s clinics, centers, institutes, and programs are essential to the Law School’s service mission, which has a special emphasis on Mississippi communities.

Values

In pursuing its mission, the Law School:

• Affirms its purpose as a professional school.
• Strives for excellence in teaching, research, and service.
• Provides affordable and outstanding legal education.
• Offers a wide array of high-quality and innovative programs.
• Embraces a “students-first” philosophy of education and empowerment.
• Promotes a rich culture of scholarship and intellectual inquiry.
• Serves the public interest and the cause of justice.
• Strives for diversity, inclusion, and outreach—with a special focus on historically underrepresented and excluded groups.
• Protects academic freedom and integrity.
• Cultivates a civil community of mutual respect and shared governance.
• Practices good stewardship of resources.
• Commits to energetic engagement with alumni.
• Affirms its commitment to the University of Mississippi Creed.

The University of Mississippi Creed

The University of Mississippi is a community of learning dedicated to nurturing excellence in intellectual inquiry and personal character in an open and diverse environment. As a voluntary member of this community:

• I believe in respect for the dignity of each person.
• I believe in fairness and civility.
• I believe in personal and professional integrity.
• I believe in academic honesty.
• I believe in academic freedom.
• I believe in good stewardship of our resources.
• I pledge to uphold these values and encourage others to follow my example.