Skip to main content
Academics  ⟩  Clinics

The Guardian ad Litem Clinic

Work directly in the court room serving as guardians ad litem, advocation for children involved in Chancery Court proceedings.

Act As a Guardian ad Litem For Children in the Mississippi Court System.

Admitted to the limited practice of law under the close supervision of a faculty member, law students enrolled in this clinic have the opportunity to work directly in cases and serve as guardians ad litem for children.

Students conduct investigations and prepare reports for the Chancellor, as well as make court appearances as the attorney for the child’s best interest. Students build experience interviewing parties in the case as well as the children involved. The courtroom experience includes questioning witnesses in addition to serving as a witness in the case.

Students also study the substantive and procedural laws governing cases of child custody, child support, visitation, termination of parental rights, adoption, guardianship, grandparents’ visitation rights, and similarly related matters.

A multi-disciplinary approach allows social work students from Mississippi College to partner with these clinical law students for home visits to the parents and children involved in these court cases.  The social work students also attend the court hearings with the law students.

Contact The Mississippi College School of Law Guardian ad Litem Clinic.

Shirley Terry Kennedy

Professor Shirley T. Kennedy 

Director of Child Advocacy 
email: skennedy@mc.edu 
phone: 601-925-7180