Photo: Mississippi Christian University School of Law. Presidents Blake Thompson (left) and Frank Neville after signing the agreement.
Mississippi Christian University School of Law, known as MC Law and formerly Mississippi College School of Law, has partnered with Millsaps College on a 3+3 accelerated program that lets students earn a bachelor's degree and a Juris Doctor in six years instead of the usual seven. The two Jackson institutions announced the "Pathway to Law School" initiative on 7 July 2026, a day after signing the agreement. Our congratulations to both.
How it works
Under the program, a qualifying Millsaps undergraduate spends three years on their bachelor's degree and then enters MC Law, with the first year of law school counting toward the final year of the undergraduate degree. The result is a bachelor's plus a JD in six years rather than seven, saving a full year of time and tuition. Millsaps is the sixth institution to sign a 3+3 agreement with MC Law, joining Mississippi State University, Mississippi University for Women, Troy University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and William Carey University.
"By establishing a faster, more affordable path to earning both a bachelor's and a law degree, we're giving our students a head start on their careers," said Frank Neville, president of Millsaps College. John Anderson, dean of MC Law, framed it as keeping quality while cutting cost and time: "By creating a streamlined pathway to the Juris Doctor, we are reducing both the time and cost required to earn a law degree while upholding the rigor and excellence of the MC School of Law." MC President Blake Thompson added that the partnership helps "ensure that future lawyers can pursue their calling and build their careers right here in Mississippi."
Why it matters
The cost and length of the path to a law degree keep many capable students away from the profession. A 3+3 program is a direct answer: a year less of tuition, a year sooner into practice, without lowering the bar for the law degree itself. For a state with only two law schools, widening that pipeline is a meaningful step.
For MC law students
MC Law students and alumni have complimentary access to LegalAlphabet, where they can search legal jobs and internships worldwide. Visit the MC Law campus page, browse current openings on the United States legal jobs board, or read more from our Law School News desk.
Sources
This report is based on the announcement published by Mississippi Christian University. Quotations are drawn from that announcement.
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