In Memory of Crystal Welch

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” — Romans 8:15

It is with profound sadness that the Mississippi College and School of Law family mourns the passing of Crystal Welch, Associate Clinical Professor at the Mississippi College School of Law. The thoughts and prayers of our leadership, faculty, staff, and students are with Crystal’s family in this difficult time.

“Crystal was a great proponent of community service and a steadfast, compassionate advocate for youth,” said Mississippi College President Blake Thompson. “She will be sorely missed."

“Crystal's presence touched the lives of many within and beyond our university and the legal community,” said John Anderson, Dean of the Mississippi College School of Law. “Her legacy will forever inspire us to strive for excellence and to uphold the principles of justice and compassion that she championed throughout her career.”

Welch was a graduate of Bowdoin College and received her J.D. at the Mississippi College School of Law. She was committed to community service and to advocacy for youth through her practice and teaching of adoption law and youth court law. Beyond her professional endeavors, Welch’s spirit of service extended to various community organizations, where she dedicated her time and expertise to causes close to her heart.

In difficult times such as this, it is important to utilize available mental health resources. As we struggle to cope with this news, students, faculty and staff have been directed to those services through Jenny Crutchfield (mentalhealth@mc.edu or 601-925-7790).

The school is in the process of finalizing plans to honor the memory of Crystal on our campus.

Information on Services for Crystal Welch

The visitation for Professor Crystal Welch were held at Westhaven Memorial Funeral Home on 3580 Robinson Rd., Jackson, MS, on Wednesday May 29. The funeral for Crystal, her mother (Ida Welch), and sister (Vicky Welch) was be held Thursday, May, 30 at New Hope Baptist Church, 1555 Beasley Rd, Jackson. The burial was at Garden Memorial.

Prayer Vigil

On Wednesday, May 29 at 7pm, an online prayer vigil to honor the memory of Professor Crystal Welch was organized by MC Law students and members of the community. A resolution in memory of Professor Welch created at the vigil is available to view. Click the image to view it larger.

Download the prayer vigil agenda here.

We have received a number of requests from people and organizations whose lives have been touched by Professor Crystal Welch and who wish to give to the Law School in her memory. Crystal’s passion and life’s work focused on serving families and children through our clinics. We have therefore set up the following link to donate to support MC Law's family law clinic programs in honor of Crystal Welch. All donations made to this fund will be used exclusively for the support of our family law clinic programs.

Make a Donation