Law School Names Class of 2022 Business Law Scholars

The 2022 Class of Law School Business Law Scholars are (front row, left to right) Dawn Jackson, Kennedy Gerard, Hattie Burdin, Morgan Weeks, Hannah Kent, and Madison Gray, and (back row, left to right) Colin Haley, Mary Caroline Newman, Cassidy Dearman, Holdon Guy, Oliver Samples, Winston Lee, Hayden Park and Tyler White. Photo by Christina Steube/UM School of Law

OXFORD, Mississippi — The University of Mississippi School of Law has named 14 first-year law students as 2022 Business Law Scholars.

The new scholarship recipients are: Hattie Burdin, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Cassidy Dearman, Leakesville; Kennedy Gerard, Laplace, Louisiana; Madison Gray, Monticello, Arkansas; Holdon Guy, Johnson City, TN; Colin Haley, Charlotte, North Carolina; Dawn Jackson, Baldwyn; Hannah Kent, Dyersburg, TN; Winston Lee, Grenada; Mary Caroline Newman, Memphis, TN; Hayden Park, Corinth; Oliver Samples, Pulaski, Virginia; Morgan Weeks, Decatur, Ill.; and Tyler White, Flora.

The Business Law Fellowship is a unique program at Ole Miss Law School. It enables first-year law students with an interest in business and corporate law to kick-start their careers by spending a summer in the general law offices of large corporations.

“The continued success of the Business Law Fellowship program sets us apart as a leader in business law education,” said Susan Duncan, Dean of the School. “Through our corporate partners, our students gain invaluable experience through an opportunity that would typically take years of legal practice.

“A goal of UM Law is to prepare our students for the practice of law in the real world, and this program does just that.”

Partner companies include FedEx, C Spire, International Paper and Ingalls Shipbuilding.

To apply, freshmen submit a written essay and complete a competitive interview process. The scholarship continues beyond working for a large company during the summer. Fellows are also placed in advanced business courses, including corporations, mergers and acquisitions, business law writing, and accounting for lawyers.

The school also hosts guest speakers as part of the Business Law Scholars Speaker Series.

“As a business owner, I wanted to apply for the scholarship because I love business in general, and the opportunity to work with businesses is a rare opportunity that you really can’t get as a 1L, so it creates this unique opportunity that was really exciting,” said White, who specialized in integrated marketing communications at UM.

White started his own company, Stay Anchored Apparel, in 2016. As demand grew for custom apparel orders, he created a subsidiary, TeeWhites, to help other businesses advertise through apparel. personalized and promotional products.

As his business grows, his desire to learn more about the legal side of business also increases.

“I’m really looking forward to getting hands-on experience with real-world businesses,” he said. “I hope to take the knowledge gained from the summer internship and put it into my legal experience toolbox”

Jackson earned her undergraduate degree in international business from Mississippi State University and her focus is helping small businesses solve legal problems.

“This opportunity felt like a good way for me to meet other people interested in business and people already in the legal field who can help me learn the basics of business law,” she said. .

Dearman earned her undergraduate degree in accounting at UM, so she wanted to stick to the business side of law. She is particularly interested in contracts, mergers and acquisitions.

“My family has always been involved in business, so it was the natural path for me to take,” she said. “The Business Law Fellowship will guide me towards pursuing my goal of entering the corporate world by giving me the opportunity to collaborate with people in the field of business law.

The scholarship began in 2019 and is part of the school’s business law program. National Jurist magazine consistently recognizes Ole Miss as one of the best business law schools.

The university strives to be a resource and partner for industry. To learn more about the university’s industry engagement initiative, contact Hughes Miller at hughes@olemiss.edu and 662-915-2885 or visit https://industry.olemiss.edu.

Nancy I. Romero