Mississippi College School of Law :: Patricia W. Bennett

Patricia W. Bennett
Professor of Law

Email: pbennett@mc.edu

PH: (601) 925-7154

Education:

Judicial Clerkships :

Circuit Judge for Hinds County Drug Court Diversion Program, January 2001 - October 2001.

Areas of Expertise:

Military Exerience:

Captain and Trial Judge Advocate in Judge Advocate General Corps, Mississippi Army National Guard Reserve and United States Army Reserve, 1984-1992.

Teaching Experience:

Visiting Professor, Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Program, October 1990, January 1993, and September 1995.
Visiting Professor, Emory University School of Law Trial Techniques Program, Summer 1992, Summer 1993, Summer 1995, Summer 1996, Summer 1999, and Summer 2000.
Visiting Professor, University of Arkansas School of Law at Little Rock , Summer Trial Advocacy Program, Summer 1991, Summer 1992, Summer 1993, Summer 1994, and Summer 1996.
Instructor, National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), 1993 - present. (Southern Regional Program and Florida Regional Program).

Law Practice:

Special Assistant District Attorney, Hinds and Yazoo Counties , Mississippi . Served by special appointment to try noteworthy felony cases for the State of Mississippi, 1993-1998.
Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi , United States Department of Justice, Jackson , Mississippi . Appointed as a special prosecutor to try a highly publicized case ( U.S. v. Winn) charging a defendant with extortion and conspiracy to kidnap, January 1990.
Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi , United States Department of Justice, Jackson, Mississippi, 1987-1989.
Assistant District Attorney for Seventh Circuit Court District (Hinds and Yazoo Counties ), State of Mississippi, 1982-1987.
Special Assistant Attorney General, Justice Department, State of Mississippi, 1980-1982.

Publications:

After White v. Illinois : Fundamental Guarantees To A Hollow Right To Confront Witnesses , 40 Wayne L. Rev. 159 (1993).
Mississippi Practice Series , Encyclopedia of Mississippi Law, Chapter 23, Criminal Law (authored with Mary Miller and Donald E. Campbell) 2001.

Professional Memberships:


	Member	The Mississippi Bar Association; American Bar Association; Fifth Circuit Federal Bar Association; Magnolia Bar Association; Mississippi Women Lawyes Association, Metro Jackson Black Women Lawyers Association, and Hinds County Bar Association.


	President	Hinds County Bar Association, 2001-2002.

	Governor	Fifth Circuit Federal Bar Association, 2001 - present.

	President-Elect	Fifth Circuit Federal Bar Association, 2005.

	Trustee	The Mississippi Bar Foundation, 2000-2003.


	Fellow	The Mississippi Bar Foundation, 1997.

	Member	Supreme Court of Mississippi Task Force on Gender Fairness, 1998 - present.


	Member	Mississippi Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Rules, 2000 - present.

	Member	The Mississippi Bar Court Liaison and Judicial Administration Committee, 2000 - present.

	Member	The Mississippi Bar Resolution of Fee Dispute Committee, 2004 - present.

	Board	Leadership Jackson Alumni Association, 2004 - present.

	Member	Executive Committee of American Inns of Court, Charles Clark Chapter, 1999 - present.

pRESENTATIONS:


	Lecturer	Mississippi Prosecutors Association Annual Conference, The Use and Effectiveness of Expert Witnesses, April 2005.


	Lecturer	Mississippi Prosecutors Association Annual Conference, Miranda: Confessions, Self-incrimination and a Right to Counsel , October 2003.

	Lecturer	Mississippi Supreme Court CLE Seminar for Court Attorneys, Update on Criminal Law and Procedure, December 2001, July 2002, June 2004, and May 2005.

Honors:

Received a Fifth Circuit Bar Association, Distinguished Board Service Award, 2004.
Received the Hinds County Bar Association, Outstanding Service Award ,2002-2003.
Received a Mississippi Bar Foundation, Appreciation Award for Service as Trustee, 2003.
Received the Mississippi Bar, Women in the Profession Committee, Susie Blue Buchanan Lifetime Achievement Award , 2002.
Received the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association, Outstanding Woman Lawyer of the Year Award , 2002.
Received the Mississippi College Alumni Association, Lawyer of the Year Award , 2001.
Received the NAACP, Jack Young Legal Award , 1997.
Lecturer in Law - Butler , Snow, O'Mara, Stevens & Cannada Lectureship in Law, 1995-1997.
Received the Mississippi College School of Law, Professionalism in the Field of Law Award, 1990.
Honored as a Woman of Achievement by Mississippi Women for Progress, 1988.