101 new attorneys admitted to practice law

101 new attorneys admitted to practice law

October 2, 2026

One hundred and one new attorneys took oaths to practice law during two ceremonies at the Mississippi Supreme Court in Jackson on Oct. 1.

Mississippi Christian University School of Law and the University of Mississippi School of Law were evenly matched with 42 graduates each, and 17 people graduated from a dozen out of state law schools. They were a mostly Mississippi crowd, with 83 hailing from Corinth to the Gulf Coast; 18 people live in other states.

In the ceremony that marked the start of legal careers, the state’s top judges and bar leaders offered advice on professionalism, civility, honesty, integrity and fairness, and urged them to step up to community leadership roles and provide pro bono service.

Mississippi Bar President A. Kelly Sessoms III of Pascagoula told the new lawyers, “This privilege you have earned does not mean you’re better than others, but it does mean that you are better suited to help others, and that’s what our profession is all about, helping others.” That includes helping businesses, prosecuting or defending individuals, and providing advice in a wide range of matters. “Lawyers are the trustees of our justice system. It is our job to be sure that all persons are given equal access to justice and that their rights are protect-ed.” Sessoms also reminded them “that no case or client is too important for you to risk your reputation for honesty and truthfulness.”

Christina M. Seanor of Jackson, President of the Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar, said that while every generation experiences change, none before have seen today’s pace of technological change with the use of artificial intelligence. “I think the profession is on a precipice of a new chapter. It’s not been written yet, and it’s far from inevitable, but as newly minted members of this profession, you get to help write it.” She told them that they have a responsibility to help guide the legal profession through this technology “because no matter how sophisticated a machine becomes, it cannot do the things that lawyers are licensed and entrusted to do. It cannot exercise professional judg-ment, it cannot bear ethical responsibility, and it cannot stand beside a client who is frightened or grieving or angry or uncertain and help them make one of the most important decisions of their life. And it cannot take an oath like you did today.”

Board of Bar Admissions Chairman Michael C. McCabe Jr. of Gulfport told the new lawyers, “You are on the cusp of doing important things.” The future includes challenges, some uncertainty, losing as well as winning, disappointment, making mistakes and maybe feeling overwhelmed. The legal profession will continue to test lawyers in ways beyond classroom tests and the bar exam. “Honesty, fairness, loyalty and responsibility are qualities by which you will continue to be judged throughout your career,” he said before reading the names of out-of-state law school graduates.

Mississippi’s two law school deans read the names of their graduates.

Dean Frederick G. Slabach of the University of Mississippi School of Law reminded the new attorneys that with the privilege of practicing law come obligations and responsibilities. “We take an oath to uphold the Constitution, and part of that Constitution is the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. The United States is a beacon of freedom throughout the world,” he said.

Dean John P. Anderson of Mississippi Christian University School of Law asked for a blessing upon all before announcing the names of graduates.

The En Banc Courtroom was crowded with friends, parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, cousins, spouses and children, some too young to grasp what the big day was about. Parents included a few veteran lawyers and judges who welcomed sons and daughters to the legal profession.

Jones County Court Judge M. Wayne Thompson of Laurel was admitted to the bar 31 years ago, to the day. He said with a smile, “I’ve always kind of dreamed of this moment, and here we are.” Taylor Paige Thompson, the oldest of his three children, was admitted to the bar. She is a new associate at the firm of Hagwood and Tipton.

Attorney Perry Phillips of Hattiesburg said, “It means I’ve got someone coming back to help me.” His son Perry W. “Payne” Phillips Jr. joins the family firm. Payne Phillips said that he grew up in the law office.

Chelsea Boone Webb of Cleveland also grew up in her parents’ law office. She helped out after school. She said, “It’s just an honor now” to join the family practice with her father, attorney Levi Boone III, and her mother, a para-legal.

Chloe S. Owens of Jackson was surrounded by relatives from Mississippi and Alabama. “It’s a special day, being a first generation attorney,” she said. Her mother, Sylvia Owens of Jackson, said that her daughter stayed home to take care of her grandmother during COVID, delaying law school. “It’s so special to see her at this momentous occasion,” Sylvia Owens said.

Hinds County Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin asked relatives and friends to stand and be recognized during the ceremony. She spoke of the new lawyers’ years of study and preparation. “But guess what? You didn’t get here alone. None of us make it here alone.”

Before she gave the oath to practice in state trial courts, Judge Wise Martin spoke about obligations, accountability, temperance and humanity. She said, “You are entering a profession that carries tremendous responsibility. Your clients will trust you with some of the most important matters in their lives, their families, their children, their businesses and even their futures. Never take this trust lightly.”

Everyone makes mistakes, she said. “And when you do, own them, correct them, and most importantly, learn from them.” Reputations are not built just on winning or losing, but on whether one can be trusted to keep one’s word. “Your credibility is one of the most valuable things you will possess as an attorney. Protect it.”

In the adversarial arena, “adversarial does not mean disrespectful. You can disagree without being disagreeable.” She said that they can advocate passionately without becoming personal, be confident without being arrogant, and be strong without attempting to diminish someone else.

And she told them, “Never become so consumed with the practice of law that you forget the people behind the cases.”

The newest member of the Supreme Court, Justice Amanda Jones Tollison of Oxford, swore in new lawyers to practice before the Mississippi Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. She told the crowd that she was sworn in as a lawyer 30 years ago, almost to the day, and four and a half weeks ago as a new Justice. “So I’m also embarking on a new career, just as a judge, and I share your excitement for the future.”

Justice Tollison asked new lawyers to remember the words of their oath long after they recited them. The oath includes, in part, “that I will demean myself as an attorney and counselor of this court according to the best of my learning and ability and with all good fidelity as well to the court as to the client, that I will use no falsehood, nor delay any person’s cause for lucre or malice, and that I will support the Constitution of the State of Mississippi and the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.”

Some, but not all of the new lawyers also took oaths to practice before the U.S. District Courts of the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi.

U.S. District Judge Robert P. Chamberlin of Hernando emphasized that lawyers were involved in every major event in the history of the country, and the new ones get to carry the profession forward. “You get to decide if it’s going to remain an honorable profession.” He also told them to look in the mirror every day and ask if they are doing the right thing.

U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III of Jackson during the morning ceremony quoted from Ecclesiastes 3:22. “There’s nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work.” And he told them not to take things personally, whether dealing with the wrongs committed by a client or the advocacy of opposing counsel. That approach carries less stress. “If you become emotional about your case, you’re going to lose objectivity,” Judge Jordan said.

U. S. Magistrate Judge LaKeysha Greer Isaac of Jackson during the afternoon ceremony called for service beyond earning a living as a law-yer. “Don’t let your career become just about what you can accumulate for yourself,” she said. “Serve in the bar. Take that pro bono case. Mentor the student who’s never known a lawyer before they met you. Volunteer in the school. Join the board. Help the nonprofit. Show up in your neighborhoods, your community, your churches. Lawyers are part of the civic backbone of our communities.”

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