The University of Mississippi School of Law offers several specialized academic programs. Its strengths include air and space law, coastal resources, and sports and entertainment law.
This guide walks you through how to get into Ole Miss Law.
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1. Ole Miss Law Admissions Numbers and Statistics
Ole Miss Law Class of 2028:
- LSAT: 75th: 160 | Median: 157 | 25th: 155
- GPA: 75th: 3.87 | Median: 3.68 | 25th: 3.44
Ole Miss Law Class of 2027:
- LSAT: 75th: 159 | Median: 157 | 25th: 153
- GPA: 75th: 3.88 | Median: 3.64 | 25th: 3.41
The 2025 entering class had 160 students, all full-time, following 958 applications and 402 offers. The LSAT median held at 157, but the 25th percentile rose two points. GPA moved upward at the median and lower quartile. Do not mistake a stable median for an unchanged applicant pool.
Aim to be at or above at least one median to be competitive. Above both puts you in a stronger position. Below both medians, this is a prayer, not a reach.
For context on how medians affect your strategy, see How to Build a Smart Law School List.
2. Ole Miss Law Application Essays
Personal Statement (required)
The school's instructions:
“Your personal statement gives us an opportunity to get a sense of your voice, perspective, and experiences. You may elaborate on your significant life experiences; meaningful intellectual interests and extracurricular activities; your inspiration for pursuing a legal education or your particular career goals; significant hardships you have encountered and how you responded to them; your special talents or skills; or your educational path or employment history. As you consider potential directions for your Personal Statement, please know that you do not have to tell us everything. You may develop a single theme with authentic and genuine information about yourself that will aid us in reaching a thoughtful decision. For example, you might explain your interest in the University of Mississippi School of Law and why we are a good fit for you culturally, academically, or professionally. Alternately, you could describe a challenge, failure, or setback you have faced, explaining how you confronted that challenge and what you might have done differently. Importantly, this may include the manner in which you have overcome obstacles. Or you could write about how the place you come from has shaped who you are today. You may explain what has motivated you or inspired you to assume a leadership position or attain a particular goal. You may have been inspired or motivated by your identity, heritage or culture, a particular area of interest or past experience, including any struggles, successes, mistreatment or discrimination. You may describe how a mentor, role model, or former professor inspired or motivated you. Another possibility is for you to tell us how an acquaintance might describe you and whether their superficial description would be the truth. If you feel your academic credentials do not reflect your potential for success, consider using the Personal Statement to explain your capabilities. Alternatively, you may submit an addendum addressing this issue as part of your application. While we do not impose a page or word limit for the Personal Statement, we value clear and concise writing. Most Personal Statements range from two to four pages. For ease of reading, please double-space and use at least an 11-point font.”
For more on how to write a personal statement, see my Personal Statement Examples and Personal Statement Guide.
Community Essay (required)
The school's instructions:
“Please Select Either Topic A or B
While we do not impose a page or word limit for the Community Essay, we value clear and concise writing. For ease of reading, please double-space and use at least an 11-point font.
Topic A All students at the University of Mississippi have the responsibility to uphold the Creed:
The Creed of The University of Mississippi
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. Why do you want to join a community bound together by these commitments?
Topic B The University of Mississippi School of Law is a community committed to creating an educational experience that values a multiplicity of viewpoints. Such a range of views is vital to the education of our students and to the role we play in shaping the legal profession. We embrace our obligation to promote a justice system that provides equal access to all people and eliminates bias, discrimination, and racism in the law. Our law school community is committed to creating and nurturing an academic environment where all people feel welcome, all voices are heard, and together we undertake the serious pursuit of knowledge and growth. Why do you want to join this community?”
For more on how to write a Why X essay, see my Why X Essay Guide.
For more on how to write a diversity or perspective statement, see my Diversity Statement Examples and Diversity Statement Guide.
For more on making all of these essays work together, see my Cohesive Narrative Guide.
Addenda and Character & Fitness Resources
I'll be publishing a guide to addenda and character and fitness.
3. Ole Miss Law Resume Requirements
List college-level leadership and extracurricular experience in reverse chronological order. Emphasize sustained commitment and responsibility rather than high-school activities, keeping the presentation concise and organized.
For more on preparing your resume, see my Resume Examples and Resume Guide.
4. Ole Miss Law Letters of Recommendation
Ole Miss prefers at least two academic letters of recommendation through CAS. Applicants who have been out of school for years may use employers or others who can assess intellectual ability. Family and friend endorsements do not replace substantive evaluations.
For more on recommendations, see my LOR Guide (Applicants) and LOR Guide (Writers).
5. Ole Miss Law Interview Process
A campus visit includes a 30-minute tour with an ambassador or admissions staff member, followed by an opportunity to ask admissions questions about the program and your fit.
6. Ole Miss Law Deadlines and Decision Options
Testing Policy
Ole Miss requires the LSAT and uses the highest valid score from the preceding five years. The April LSAT is accepted when the application and every other required item arrive by April 1. That exception does not extend the deadline for essays, transcripts, or recommendations.
Application Dates and Fees
- Application opening: September 15 on the annual admissions calendar.
- Regular deadline: April 1 for summer and fall entry.
- Later applications: Considered as space permits.
- Application fee: $40. Applicants with an LSAC fee waiver can send the approval to admissions for a school fee waiver.
Summer and fall applicants are evaluated under the same standards. Build your schedule around a complete file, not merely the day you open the application. Request transcripts and recommendations early, and give the two required essays enough attention that the April testing option does not leave the rest of your application unfinished.
7. Ole Miss Law Scholarships and Financial Aid
Estimated annual tuition is $20,970 for residents and $28,100 for nonresidents, with total attendance budgets of $49,110 and $56,240. Those totals include living allowances, not just the bill from the school.
During 2024-2025, 87% of students received grants, and the median grant was $7,000. The school's 2025 ABA disclosure reports no academic scholarship conditions beyond maintaining good academic standing.
Compare the actual annual award, renewal language, and remaining living costs. Ole Miss reduced its nonresident fee to $7,000 per year beginning in 2026-27. A lower nonresident charge can change the calculation substantially, but a tuition reduction is not an additional scholarship you can subtract a second time. Ask for the full multi-year cost of a joint degree before committing to it.
For more on scholarship strategy, see How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships.
8. Ole Miss Law Joint Degree Programs
- JD/Master of Accountancy and JD/Master of Taxation: Each combines law with the Patterson School of Accountancy in 108 total credits rather than 120 separately. Six credits count in each direction, leaving 84 nonduplicative law credits and 24 accountancy credits. Admission to both programs is required. Concurrent students are not eligible for Patterson graduate assistantships, fellowships, or scholarships.
- JD/MA in Higher Education: The School of Education publishes a four-year plan, with graduate coursework beginning in the summer before 2L. Apply separately to the graduate program and submit a statement of interest in the joint degree.
- JD/MBA: The School of Business Administration provides the business component of this concurrent path. The combination connects legal training with graduate study in management and business.
9. Ole Miss Law Employment Outcomes (Class of 2025)
Ole Miss Law Class of 2025 employment outcomes (reported to the ABA, status as of March 16, 2026):
- Full-time, long-term bar-passage-required employment (ABA): 81.8%
- BigLaw (firms with 101+ attorneys): 10.2%
- Federal clerkships: 5.7%
- Public service (including government): 19.3%
Mississippi was the largest employment market, followed by Florida and Tennessee. Large firms and federal clerkships were part of the class’s results, but not the dominant outcome. Build your plan around a realistic regional market and the work you actually want to pursue.
10. Ole Miss Law Areas of Study and Specializations
Air and space law: A 27-credit JD concentration connects aviation, space, and related regulatory coursework with intensive study. The Center for Air and Space Law adds research and specialist publications.
Business and transactional law: The business concentration combines foundational courses with advanced work and an intensive component. The Transactional Clinic adds a different perspective: legal assistance for entrepreneurs and nonprofits in the Mississippi Delta, where access to counsel affects economic development.
Criminal law: The 24-credit criminal-law concentration includes evidence and criminal procedure alongside intensive work. The Innocence Project and MacArthur Justice Clinic offer distinct approaches to criminal-system problems, from an individual wrongful conviction to broader civil-rights litigation.
Environmental and natural resources law: This 24-credit concentration links environmental and administrative law with coastal or natural-resources coursework. The National Sea Grant Law Center and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program give the school additional grounding in coastal and marine legal issues.
Sports and entertainment law: The 24-credit concentration includes amateur and professional sports, entertainment, and intellectual property, plus intensive work. The Mississippi Sports Law Review provides a writing outlet.
11. Ole Miss Law Clinics and Experiential Learning
Clinics
- Family and Child Advocacy Clinic: Students assist parents and children with matters involving custody, support, divorce, domestic violence, and child welfare. Work includes interviewing, investigation, drafting, discovery, negotiation, and court participation under supervision and applicable student-practice authorization.
- George C. Cochran Innocence Project: Students work on claims of wrongful conviction involving Mississippi prisoners. The work requires patient investigation and careful assessment of evidence, not simply an abstract interest in criminal justice.
- Housing Clinic: Representation addresses eviction, foreclosure, unlawful lockouts, and predatory lending. Students can interview clients and witnesses, prepare motions, and participate in court proceedings while learning how housing problems develop into litigation.
- MacArthur Justice Clinic: Students assist with civil-rights litigation involving policing, detention, bail, fines, and juvenile justice. Assignments can include case development, legal research, discovery, witness preparation, and assistance with trial work.
- Transactional Clinic: The clinic serves low-income entrepreneurs and nonprofits in the Mississippi Delta. Its economic-development focus lets students connect legal representation with the practical needs of organizations and communities seeking access to resources.
Pro Bono and Experiential Learning
- Clinical Externship Program: Second- and third-year students can earn three to twelve credits in approved government, judicial, and public-service placements during the academic year or summer. The program does not place students in for-profit law offices.
- Pro Bono Initiative: Separate from the in-house clinics, students volunteer alongside attorneys to assist people navigating the legal system. Use this route to contribute through supervised service without confusing volunteer work with a particular clinic enrollment or credit award.
12. Ole Miss Law Notable Faculty and Journals
Faculty
- Michelle L.D. Hanlon: Assistant Professor of Practice and Executive Director of the Center for Air and Space Law. Her work addresses space governance, commercial activity, and heritage protection; she co-founded For All Moonkind.
- Tucker Carrington: Professor of Law, Associate Dean of Clinical Programs, and Innocence Project director. He co-authored The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist and brings public-defense experience to wrongful-conviction work.
- Desiree Hensley: Professor of Law and Housing Clinic director. Her teaching and scholarship address property, housing security, and eviction prevention, informed by earlier public-interest representation of low-income tenants.
- Cliff Johnson: Clinical Professor of Law Instruction and MacArthur Justice Center director. He supervises civil-rights litigation and clinic students; his prior experience includes federal prosecution and private practice.
Journals
The flagship Mississippi Law Journal publishes scholarship and supports the peer-edited Federal Courts Law Review (scholarship on federal courts) through an editing partnership. The school also houses the student-run Mississippi Sports Law Review (legal issues in college and professional sports), Journal of Space Law (space law scholarship), Journal of Drone Law and Policy (law governing uncrewed aircraft systems and their airspace integration), and Sea Grant Law and Policy Journal (legal issues in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resource management). Their editorial structures differ; they are not interchangeable student-run law reviews.
13. Ole Miss Law Culture and Student Life
Ole Miss Law’s community includes more than 30 student organizations. The Student Bar Association organizes speakers, service, social events, and intramural teams. Groups such as the Air and Space Law Society connect academic interests with classmates, alumni, and practitioners rather than leaving specialization entirely inside the classroom.
The Robert C. Khayat Law Center includes group study rooms, student-organization space, a café, and moot courtrooms. Oxford’s downtown Square adds bookstores, coffee shops, and restaurants to daily life. Visit while classes are in session and ask students how they balance that setting with coursework, clinic commitments, and recruiting.
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Related Reading
→ How to Build a Smart Law School List
→ Should You Apply Early Decision to Law School?
→ How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships
→ 6 Proven Steps to Get Off a Law School Waitlist
→ How to Get Into Law School Below Both Medians
→ What Holistic Law School Admissions Really Means
→ Blog Directory
Note: While I try to keep this guide up to date, always verify deadlines, requirements, and policies at the Ole Miss Law website before applying.
Think you spotted an outdated requirement or something that doesn't look right? Email moshe@sharperstatements.com with the school and a link to the current information.