OXFORD, Miss. – More than 60 students from historically black colleges and universities flocked to the University of Mississippi School of Law last week for the fourth annual HBCU Law Preview Day.
The preview day – which began in 2021 – offers students from HBCUs across the south the opportunity to tour the School of Law, learn about resources available to them and to introduce them to faculty and staff in the school.
“As the law school pursues its mission, we have a special responsibility to expand access to legal education,” said Frederick G. Slabach, dean of the School of Law. “The HBCU Law Preview Day is our commitment to creating an educational environment that reflects the broader society and its varied perspectives, people and principles.”
The purpose of the preview day is to strengthen the flagship university’s connections to HBCUs across the South and to provide opportunities and resources for students who have not been traditionally represented in the legal profession, said Joshua Quinn Tucker, the inaugural assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at the law school.
“HBCU Preview Day is one of many strategic initiatives in effort to strengthen relationships with Mississippi’s HBCUs, create a diverse law school and help build the legal profession in Mississippi to be more reflective of the state as a whole,” Tucker said.
“It is a unique opportunity from students from various institutions and states to engage in meaningful conversations with the law school and explore the many exciting opportunities and programs that we offer.”
Joining Mississippi’s four HBCUs – Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University and Rust College – were students from Morehouse College, Tuskegee University and the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, among others.
“It’s a collaboration with our universities where students get opportunities to engage with faculty and see themselves in law school,” said Charles Irvin, director of the Bob Owens Pre-Law Center at Jackson State University. “It gives students a chance to see what it really looks like – the admissions process, the classes, the atmosphere. The august nature of the law school really brings things into focus.”
Colby Moore, a sophomore from the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, said he has been trying to figure out if law school – at Ole Miss or elsewhere – is right for him. After preview day, he said he feels more sure of his decision.
“I’ve been trying to see if law school is right for me,” he said. “So far, I think it’s going great. What struck me was the hands-on approach of the professor in the class we had. He threw a lot at us, and he really dove into detail.”
During lunch, the group also listened to keynote speaker and UM alumna Conisha T. Brumfield, chief of staff in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. Brumfield posed the question, “Why law school?” and spoke with students individually and as a group about her experience with the School of Law.
For Ira Jackson, a UM freshman from Charleston majoring in law studies, law school has always been a dream, but not always one that seemed possible.
“I’ve been on the outside looking in,” Jackson said. “I knew I was capable of going to law school, but I didn’t really know what that looked like.”
After spending the day learning about law school among peers, Jackson said he had a new dedication to his goal of becoming a lawyer.
“I’ll say, I had it in my sights before,” he said. “But now I know I want to be here.”
By: Clara Turnage