Contact:

 

Areas of Expertise:

  • Criminal Procedure
  • Evidence
  • Federal Courts
  • Criminal Law
  • Criminal Practice
  • Trial Practice
  • Expert Witness Seminar
  • Pretrial Practice
  • Extern Program

 

Patricia W. Bennett

 

Professor of Law

 

Education:

  • Mississippi College School of Law, J.D., 1979.
  • Tougaloo College , B.A., 1975.

 

Judicial Experience:

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

 

Military Experience:

  • 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, September 1995
  • Visiting Professor, Emory University School of Law Trial Techniques Program, Summer 1992, Summer 1993, Summer 1995, Summer 1996, Summer 1999, 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, 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:

  • The Mississippi Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Fifth Circuit Federal Bar Association
  • Magnolia Bar Association
  • Mississippi Women Lawyers Association
  • Metro Jackson Black Women Lawyers Association
  • Capitol Area 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
  • Supreme Court of Mississippi Task Force on Gender Fairness, 1998 - present
  • Mississippi Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Rules, 2000 - present
  • The Mississippi Bar Court Liaison and Judicial Administration Committee, 2000 - present
  • The Mississippi Bar Resolution of Fee Dispute Committee, 2004 - present
  • Board, Leadership Jackson Alumni Association, 2004 - present
  • Executive Committee of American Inns of Court, Charles Clark Chapter, 1999 - present

 

Presentations:

  • Mississippi Prosecutors Association Annual Conference, The Use and Effectiveness of Expert Witnesses, April 2005.
  • Mississippi Prosecutors Association Annual Conference, Miranda: Confessions, Self-incrimination and a Right to Counsel, October 2003.
  • Mississippi Supreme Court CLE Seminar for Court Attorneys, Update on Criminal Law and Procedure, December 2001, July 2002, June 2004, 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.