Five alumni of the University of Mississippi School of Law will be inducted into the 2012 Law Alumni Hall of Fame during Law Alumni Weekend, set for April 20-21 at The Inn at Ole Miss.
Inductees include the late William M. Champion (LLB 61) and the late Thomas R. Ethridge (BA 40, MA 51), both of Oxford; Lawrence J. Franck (BBA 53, LLB 58) of Madison; Frank D. Montague Jr. (JD 75) of Hattiesburg; and Lenore L. Prather (JD 55) of Columbus. The induction is part of weekend-long festivities hosted annually by the Law Alumni Chapter of the Ole Miss Alumni Association.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for students, faculty and alumni to celebrate the accomplishments of these inductees,” said Richard Gershon, dean of the School of Law. “It is important for all of us to thank those who have paved the way to excellence in our profession.”
The weekend kicks off Friday with an invitation-only scholarship and awards day brunch at the Oxford Conference Center and culminates with the induction ceremony Saturday at the Inn at Ole Miss. A 6:30 p.m. reception precedes the 7:30 p.m. dinner and induction ceremony. Tickets range from $30 to $50 apiece, depending on choice of entrees. To register, go to www.olemissalumni.com/events.
All the inductees accomplished much during their extensive careers.
Champion, a 1961 graduate and professor of the law school, was a dedicated faculty member from 1965 until his retirement in 1998. During that time, he was selected as Outstanding Teacher of the Year and served as chairman of the admissions committee, as associate dean and as acting dean. In 1997, Champion was named the Ole Miss Law Alumnus of the Year.
Ethridge was a Mississippi state senator from 1948 to 1954. He served as attorney for the city of Oxford and was the first full-time U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Mississippi. Besides many other positions, Ethridge was commissioner of the Mississippi Bar Association and was the university attorney for UM, where he secured intellectual property protection for the university’s symbols and name. Ethridge was inducted into the UM Alumni Hall of Fame in 2006.
Holding a number of noteworthy positions during his career, Franck practiced with Jackson law firm Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada. He was a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, president of the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association and president of the Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit. As an undergraduate, Franck was selected for the university’s Student Hall of Fame. He has won numerous awards, including the Mississippi Bar Lifetime Achievement Award. His law article “Practice and Procedure in Mississippi: An Ancient Recipe for Modern Reform” helped prompt the adoption of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure.
Montague practiced civil litigation and general civil practice in Hattiesburg with Montague, Pittman & Vernado, where he was president until 2001. He served as city judge of Hattiesburg in 1956-60 and as city attorney in 1986-72. Among numerous other career honors, Montague was selected for inclusion in “The Best Lawyers in America” for 25 consecutive years. As an Ole Miss undergraduate, he was president of the student body and was chosen for the Student Hall of Fame. In 1977, Montague became the third recipient of the Ole Miss Law Alumnus of the Year award.
Prather is a former chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court and a 1955 graduate of the School of Law. She was the first woman in Mississippi to serve as chief justice and as chancery judge for the 14th Chancery District. Prather was a 1986 inductee of the UM Alumni Hall of Fame and was selected in 1995 as the Ole Miss Law Alumna of the Year. In 2009, Gov. Haley Barbour awarded her the Mississippi Medal of Service.
“These inductees represent the best of our profession,” Gershon said. “They serve as role models for our students, and are shining examples of the great things a person can do with a degree from our law school.”
For more information about the inductees, contact Jenny Kate Luster at 662-915-3424. For more information about Law Alumni Weekend’s activities, or to purchase tickets for the induction ceremony, visit www.olemissalumni.com/