Contact: Sammy McDavid
Chief Justice Edwin L. Pittman
Mississippi State's Pre-Law Society is honoring Edwin Lloyd Pittman, chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, with its 2002 Distinguished Jurist Award.
The Hattiesburg native and veteran of all three branches of state government will accept the honor April 16 at an 11 a.m. public program in the John Grisham Room of the university's Mitchell Memorial Library.
Prior to presentation of the award by society president Eric Eubanks of Ocean Springs, Pittman will deliver an address on an American legal system topic of his choosing.
Also open to the public will be a 2 p.m. question-and-answer session in 115 Bowen Hall in which the University of Mississippi Law School graduate will discuss general legal issues with Pre-Law Society members.
First presented 26 years ago, the MSU student group's annual tribute has included a diverse group of prominent national, state and local judicators. Among them have been Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; John J. Frasier Jr. of Greenwood, retired chief judge of the Mississippi Court of Appeals; Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox; former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Lenore Prather, Pittman's predecessor; and state Chancery Judge Sebe Dale Jr. of Columbia.
Pittman first won election to the state's highest judicial body in 1989 and was re-elected in 1997. Before becoming chief justice, he served three years as presiding judge.
With his election to the high court, Pittman joined a select group of public officials that has served in every branch of state government. An attorney who has practiced in Hattiesburg and Jackson, he served in the Mississippi Senate 1964-72, as secretary of state 1980-84 and as attorney general 1984-88. He also is a 30-year veteran and retired brigadier general of the Mississippi National Guard.
For additional information, telephone Diane Wall at (662) 325-2711/7864.