The Mississippi Judicial College is the training arm of the state’s judiciary, housed within the University of Mississippi School of Law. It designs the mandatory education programs, administers the competency examinations, and maintains the benchbooks and practice resources that Mississippi’s judges, clerks, and court personnel rely on. If you sit on a Mississippi bench or work in a Mississippi courthouse, your continuing education hours, your certification, and in some cases your paycheck run through the MJC.
Who the College Trains
The MJC was founded in 1970 by Judge Noah S. “Soggy” Sweat Jr. and operates as a division of the University of Mississippi School of Law. Its programs reach an unusually broad range of court officers: supreme court justices, court of appeals judges, chancery and circuit court judges, county court judges, justice and municipal court judges, youth court judges and referees, court administrators, court clerks, and court reporters.1Ole Miss. Mississippi Judicial College Few states put one institution in charge of training across that many court levels.
The mission has three parts and has stayed the same since 1970: educate court-related personnel, provide technical assistance to the courts, and supply current information to the Mississippi Legislature about what the courts need.
Justice Court Judge Training
Justice court judges face the most detailed statutory training requirements in the state. Under Mississippi Code § 9-11-4, the MJC prepares and conducts a basic training course, the “Justice Court Judge Training Course,” consisting of 80 hours of instruction. After finishing the basic course, the judge must pass a minimum competency examination that the MJC prepares and the Mississippi Supreme Court approves.2Justia. Mississippi Code 9-11-4 – Basic and Continuing Education Courses for Justice Court Judges
A judge who fails the exam or doesn’t complete it isn’t immediately removed. The statute provides a 24-hour remedial course followed by a second attempt at the exam. Judges who were already sitting on the bench as of July 24, 2008, are exempt from the competency exam requirements entirely.2Justia. Mississippi Code 9-11-4 – Basic and Continuing Education Courses for Justice Court Judges
After certification, every justice court judge must complete 24 hours of continuing education each year through the “Continuing Education Course for Justice Court Judges.” The MJC has full discretion over the content, timing, and location of both the basic and continuing courses.2Justia. Mississippi Code 9-11-4 – Basic and Continuing Education Courses for Justice Court Judges
Continuing Education for Other Judges
Mississippi Supreme Court rules require every judge and justice in the state to complete a minimum of 12 hours of continuing judicial education per year. That baseline covers circuit, chancery, and county court judges as well as appellate justices, and MJC programs are what most judges use to satisfy it. Sessions typically include mandatory instruction on ethics and professionalism.
Municipal court judges operate under a separate statute. Mississippi Code § 21-23-12 requires at least 12 hours of training per year, with some allowance for online or substitute credit once the first year’s requirement is met. The MJC conducts this training as well, covering procedural rules, traffic and misdemeanor law, and courtroom management.
Certification for Circuit Clerks
Circuit clerks have their own mandatory track under Mississippi Code § 9-7-122. Any circuit clerk elected to a full term beginning on or after January 1, 1996, cannot exercise the functions of office or take the oath until they have filed a certificate of completion for the MJC’s basic training course within six months of the start of their term.3Justia. Mississippi Code 9-7-122 – Training and Continuing Education for Circuit Clerks
The basic program, called the “Circuit Clerks Training Course,” runs at least 32 hours. After that, each clerk must complete at least 18 hours of continuing education annually through the “Continuing Education Course for Circuit Clerks.” At least 12 of those 18 hours must come from programs conducted directly by the MJC, though some credit is available for attending circuit court proceedings when the presiding judge certifies attendance.3Justia. Mississippi Code 9-7-122 – Training and Continuing Education for Circuit Clerks
The penalty is direct. A circuit clerk who fails to file the required certificates of completion with the chancery clerk is not entitled to any fee, compensation, or salary from any source for the period the certificate remains unfiled.3Justia. Mississippi Code 9-7-122 – Training and Continuing Education for Circuit Clerks That’s in addition to any other fine or punishment the law provides. Missed paperwork stops the paycheck.
The MJC also provides targeted training for court administrators, court reporters, and other support staff, with an emphasis on case management, record-keeping, and courtroom technology.1Ole Miss. Mississippi Judicial College
Conferences and Specialized Programs
Beyond the required hours, the MJC hosts an annual Judicial Conference where judges across court levels work through emerging issues with peers and outside experts. The format typically includes workshops and seminars in family law, criminal procedure, civil litigation, and other practice areas.4University of Mississippi. Conferences Sessions are limited to state court judges and court personnel.
The college also runs interdisciplinary training for specialized courts. Mississippi’s drug courts, for example, have hosted multi-day conferences bringing in medical, mental health, and law enforcement professionals to cover the opioid epidemic, medication-assisted treatment, and co-occurring disorders.5State of Mississippi Judiciary. State Drug Court Conference Set for Aug. 23-25 in Natchez Drug court judges handle clinical and public health questions ordinary judicial training doesn’t address.
The Online Library and Benchbooks
The MJC maintains an online library of benchbooks, manuals, sample forms, and other publications curated for Mississippi’s courts. The materials are updated on an ongoing basis to give judges and court personnel current, authoritative guidance for their official duties.1Ole Miss. Mississippi Judicial College For a justice court judge working through a landlord-tenant dispute, or a circuit clerk processing an unfamiliar filing, the MJC benchbook is usually the first place to check.
The site organizes these resources for quick navigation, letting users find the relevant statutes, procedural guides, and practice materials without pulling the full Mississippi Code. The library reflects legislative changes as they take effect, which matters in a state where new laws can alter court procedures mid-term.
Training on Mississippi Electronic Courts
Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) is the internet-based document filing and case management system built by the courts for use in the courts. It supports electronic case files and electronic filing.6State of Mississippi Judiciary. Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) – General Information The system now serves the Mississippi Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, all Youth Courts, and chancery and circuit courts across the state’s counties.7State of Mississippi Judiciary. Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC)
MEC speeds document delivery, simplifies case tracking, and reduces physical storage needs for courts and attorneys. MJC training programs increasingly include instruction on using these digital tools, since court clerks and administrative staff run the system day to day.
Who Pays for the Training
For justice court judges, the statute is explicit: all costs for preparing and conducting basic courses, continuing education courses, remedial courses, and competency examinations are paid from funds appropriated by the Legislature.2Justia. Mississippi Code 9-11-4 – Basic and Continuing Education Courses for Justice Court Judges Individual judges don’t pay tuition for the mandatory MJC programs. Travel and lodging for out-of-town sessions are a separate matter and vary by county budget. The same legislative-funding model generally applies to circuit clerk training under § 9-7-122.
The college’s location within the University of Mississippi School of Law gives it access to academic resources and faculty that a standalone training agency wouldn’t have, which is part of why Mississippi has been able to run centralized judicial education from the same institution since 1970.