by Suad Patton Bey
For six decades, North Mississippi Rural Legal Services (NMRLS) has quietly helped thousands of Mississippians navigate legal challenges they otherwise could not afford to address. Now, as the organization marks its 60th anniversary, community members are gathering to celebrate its legacy while looking toward the future.
On Saturday, August 8, NMRLS will commemorate its 60th anniversary with a gala honoring the organization’s decades-long commitment to providing free civil legal services across North Mississippi. The evening will feature keynote speaker Constance Slaughter-Harvey, whose own career has been dedicated to expanding access to justice.
The gala will be held at the Oxford Conference Center, with proceeds benefiting North Mississippi Rural Legal Services.
Despite the celebratory gala, the organization has humble beginnings. Founded at the University of Mississippi School of Law, NMRLS began as a teaching program created by two law professors who wanted students to gain practical legal experience, said Ben Cole, the executive director of NMRLS.
Throughout its history, NMRLS has played a role in several landmark civil rights efforts, including school desegregation, challenges to unconstitutional jail conditions, and racial discrimination litigation. As federal anti-poverty initiatives expanded during the 1960s and 1970s, the organization also began receiving support through the Legal Services Corporation, allowing it to expand legal services for low-income Mississippians.
One of President Richard Nixon‘s final acts in office was signing the Legal Services Corporation Act into law, creating a permanent source of federal funding for organizations such as NMRLS, Cole said.
Today, NMRLS assists clients with a variety of civil legal matters, including housing disputes, evictions, family law matters such as divorces and name changes, and consumer debt issues.
Keynote speaker Constance Slaughter Harvey has longstanding ties to the organization. In 1976, Harvey became the first Black female judge in Mississippi. While attending the University of Mississippi School of Law, Slaughter-Harvey volunteered and interned with NMRLS before going on to establish a legal services program in her home county of Forrest.
Beyond celebrating the organization’s history, the gala will also raise awareness of NMRLS’s mission and the growing need for financial support.
“For every one person we help, there’s another person we have to turn away,” Cole says.
Looking ahead, Cole hopes to expand the organization’s reach. In addition to serving 39 counties from its Oxford headquarters, NMRLS plans to construct a new office to better serve clients and support its growing staff.
The gala is open to the public and will be held Saturday, August 8, from 6 to 8:30 pm at the Oxford Conference Center. Guests will enjoy a reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, live music by Ms. Effie Burt and the band, dinner, keynote remarks from Constance Slaughter-Harvey, an awards ceremony, and a call to action supporting NMRLS’s mission. Tickets are $100 per person or $600 for a table of six and may be purchased through the organization’s website or Eventbrite. Tickets are SOLD OUT for this event, but donations are still accepted online at nmlrs.com.
“We need to upgrade our facilities, and we’re planning to build a new office here in Oxford,” Cole said.
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