mconnell@mayomallette.com
TEL: 662.236.0055
FAX: 662.236.0035

     Mary Ann Connell served as University Attorney and Special Assistant Attorney General for the University of Mississippi from 1982 to 2003. She also taught courses in the Law of Higher Education, School Law, Business Law, and Legal Research and Writing. Ms. Connell is a frequent presenter at national, regional, and state conferences on subjects involving higher education law, school law, affirmative action, employment law, athletics, Title IX, ethics, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and First Amendment issues involving faculty and academic administrators.

     Ms. Connell has co-authored with Frederick G. Savage two articles which have been published by the Journal of College and University Law: Releases: Is There Still a Place for Their Use by Colleges and Universities and The Role of Collegiality in Higher Education Tenure, Promotion, and Termination Decisions. She has also written an article published by the Mississippi Law Journal on Mississippi's higher education desegregation case: The Road to United States v. Fordice: What Is the Duty of Public Colleges and Universities to Desegregate.

     Ms. Connell is a past president of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Bar Foundation. She has received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of College and University Attorneys; the Thomas S. Biggs, Jr. Award for leadership, integrity, and service in the legal profession and the higher education community from Stetson University Law School; the NAACP Freedom Award for life-long service in the area of education and civil rights; the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association's Outstanding Woman Lawyer in Mississippi Award; the University of Mississippi Chancellor's Award for outstanding contributions toward increasing diversity; and the Mortar Board Award for outstanding teacher of the year.

     Ms. Connell received the Bachelor of Arts degree in history and English, the Master of Arts in history, the Master of Library Science, and the Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Mississippi. She received the Master of Law degree from Harvard Law School.

Of Counsel

- Mississippi
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Mississippi
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Mississippi
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
- U.S. Tax Court
- U.S. Supreme Court 

- Harvard Law School
  Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1991
       LL.M.

- University of Mississippi School of Law
  Oxford, Mississippi, 1977
       Juris Doctor

- University of Mississippi, 1973
       Master of Library Science

- University of Mississippi, 1971
       Master of Arts
       Major: History

- University of Mississippi, 1959
       Bachelor of Arts
       Major: History
       Major: English 

- In 2010, Ms Connell wrote an article published in the 50th Commemorative
  edition of the Journal of College and University Law on Race and Higher
  Education:  The Tortuous Journey Toward Desegregation.

- She co-authored with Donna Gurley an article published in the Spring 2005
  issue of the Journal of College and University Law on The Right of Colleges
  and Universities to Withhold and Revoke Degrees.

- With Donna Euben, staff attorney for AAUP, Ms. Connell co-authored an
  article published in the Fall of 2004 issue of the Journal of College and
  University Law on The Evolving Law of Same-Sex Sexual Harassment and
  Sexual Orientation.

- Releases: Is There Still a Place for Their Use by Colleges and Universities?
  (Co-Author with Frederick G. Savage), 29 JC&UL 579, Spring, 2003

- Does Collegiality Count? (Co-author with Frederick G. Savage),
  87 ACADEME 37, Nov.-Dec., 2001

- The Role of Collegiality in Higher Education Tenure, Promotion, and
  Termination Decisions, 27 JC&UL 833, Spring, 2001

- Athletics (Co-Author with Kenneth E. Fleischmann) (chapter),
  Legal Deskbook for Administrators of Independent Colleges and
  Universities, 2nd Ed., Annual Supplements 1994-2003, 1993

- The Road to United States v. Fordice: What Is the Duty of Public Colleges
  and Universities to Desegregate?, 62 MISS. L.J. 285, Winter, 1993 

- "Academic Affairs and Faculty Issues: Academic Tenure"
        with Barbara A. Lee, University of Vermont Conference on Legal Issues
        in Higher Education, 2003

- "Title IX: Taking Seriously the Effort to Reform Intercollegiate Athletics"
        with Elsa Kirscher Cole., University of Vermont Conference on
        Legal Issues in Higher Education, 2003

- "Faculty Employment Issues"
        with Barbara A. Lee and Donna Euben, Stetson University School of
        Law Conference on Law and Higher Education, 2003

- "Affirmative Action, Minority Hiring, and Race-Based Preferences in
   Admissions and Financial Aid"
        The University of Georgia 33rd Annual Conference on Higher Education
        and the Law, 2002

- "Legal Issues for Provosts, Academic Deans and Department Chairs:
  A Review of Current Cases and Legal Trends Affecting the Administration
  of Academic Programs"
        with Barbara A. Lee, Diane C. Maleson and Constance J. Neary,
        Stetson University School of Law Conference on Law and
        Higher Education, 2002

- "Staying Out of Trouble: What Academic Administrators Need to Know"
        with Stephen Hirschfeld, University of Vermont Conference on Legal
        Issues in Higher Education, 2001

- "Collision on the Playing Field"
        with William Hoye, University of Vermont Conference on Legal Issues
        in Higher Education, 2001

- "Managing Conflict in Higher Education"
        The University of Georgia Annual Conference on Higher Education
        and the Law, 2001

- "Nobody Said This Was Going to be Easy: Legal and Managerial
   Challenges for Department Chairs and Other Academic Administrators"
        with Ann H. Franke and Barbara A. Lee, Stetson University School
        of Law Conference on Law and Higher Education, 2001

- "Recruitment of Minority Faculty"
        with Jo Ann Gora, University of Vermont Conference on Legal Issues
        in Higher Education, 2000

- "The Role of Civility, Collegial Relationships, and Good Academic
   Citizenship Among Faculty on the College/University Campus"
        with Robert M. O'Neil, University of Vermont Conference on
        Legal Issues in Higher Education, 2000

- "Collegiality as a Factor in Tenure in Promotion Decisions, or
   Just How Nice Does Somebody Have to be to Get Tenure Anyway?!"
        The University of Georgia Annual Conference on Higher Education
        and the Law, 2000

- "Title IX Basics"
        National Collegiate Athletic Association, Title IX Seminar
        Indianapolis, Indiana, 2000

- "Re-evaluating Tenure Criteria: The Increasing Use of Collegiality as
   a Factor in the Tenure and Promotion Process"
        Stetson University School of Law Conference on Law and
        Higher Education, 2000

- "Issues in Higher Education Law"
      University System of Georgia, Academic Administrators Workshop, 2000

- "Title IX Basics"
        National Collegiate Athletic Association, Title IX Workshop
        Chicago, Illinois, 1999

- "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace"
        with Edward N. Stoner, II, Stetson University School of Law Conference
        on Law and Higher Education, 1999

- "Current Legal Issues in College Athletics"
        National Association of College and University Attorneys Workshop
        for Lawyers New to Higher Education
        Tempe, Arizona, 1998

- "The Mississippi Experience: Ayers v. Fordice and Its Aftermath
   in Desegregation and Affirmative Action"
        Texas A&M University System Higher Education Law Symposium II
        College Station, Texas, 1998

- "The Role of Collegiality in Higher Education Employment Decisions"
        with Frederick G. Savage, Stetson University School of Law Conference
        on Law and Higher Education, 1998

- "An Overview of Employment Law"
        Evelyn Gandy Continuing Legal Education Series
        West Point, Mississippi, 1997

- "How to Conduct an NCAA Investigation In-House"
        with Robin J. Green, National Association of College And University
        Attorneys Annual Conference
        Seattle, Washington, 1997

- "Overview of Title IX"
        National Collegiate Athletic Association, Title IX Workshop
        Atlanta, Georgia, 1997

- "Legal Issues in Graduate Education"
        Mississippi Council of Graduate Schools
        University of Mississippi, 1997

- "Sexual Harassment at Work and School"
        The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, 1997

- "Athletic Participation by Students with Disabilities: Physical
   and  Learning."
        Panel on "Legal Issues for the Rest of the Decade", National
        Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators Fall Forum
        Baltimore, Maryland, 1996

- "Students with Learning Disabilities: Legal Issues Facing Community
   College Faculty, Staff and Administrators"
        Northwest Community College
        Southaven, Mississippi, 1996

- "Ethics Issues for the College/University Lawyer"
        Nat'l Assoc. of College and University Attorneys Annual Conference
        San Antonio, Texas, 1996

- "Athletics Opportunities and Financial Aid Under Title IX"
        National Collegiate Athletic Association Workshop
        Boston, Massachusetts, 1996

- "Title IX Workshop"
        National Collegiate Athletic Association Workshop
        Dallas, Texas, 1995

- "Current Issues in Employment Law"
        Nat'l Assoc. of College and University Attorneys--Mid-Year Workshop
        Savannah, Georgia, 1995

- "Gender & Sports: Setting a Course for College Athletics"
        Duke University School of Law
        Durham, North Carolina, 1995

- "Gender Related Issues in Employment"
        University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy Forum for Faculty
        Staff and Students
        University, Mississippi, 1995

- "Legal Issues Affecting Women in Higher Education"
        Mississippi State University Commission on the Status of Women
        Starkville, Mississippi, 1994

- "Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and with Title IX
   (Gender Equity) In Intercollegiate Athletics"
        Second Annual Legal Issues in Higher Education Conference
        Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning
        Jackson, Mississippi, 1993

- "Contemporary Legal Concerns Affecting Faculty, Administrators and
   Staff in Higher Education Institutions"
        Northeast Community College Legal Issues Workshop
        Booneville, Mississippi, 1993

- "An Overview of Contemporary Legal Issues Affecting Higher Education"
        Jones Junior College
        Ellisville, Mississippi, 1993

- "Legal Aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act; Abolition
   of Sovereign Immunity; Current Issues in Sexual Harassment"
        Hinds Community College
        Jackson, Mississippi, 1993

- "What is the Americans with Disabilities Act and How Will It
   Affect My Business?"
        Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce and University
        of Mississippi Small Business Development Center Workshop
        Oxford, Mississippi, 1993

- Program Coordinator for National Conference on Compliance with Title IX
  and Gender Equity, National Association of College and University
  Attorneys Seminar
        Atlanta, Georgia, 1993

- "Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act on the Community
   College Campus"
        Northwest Community College Workshop for Faculty and Staff
        Senatobia, Mississippi

- "Effective Methods of Avoiding Employment Problems and Disputes"
        National Association of College and University Attorneys Employment
        Law Seminar
        Dallas, Texas, 1992

- "Sexual Harassment Since the Hearings"
        University of Mississippi Woman's Awareness Week Symposium
        University, Mississippi, 1992

- "Downsizing: Applying Legal Guidelines and Principles to Program
   Elimination, Program Reduction, Termination of Faculty and Reduction
   in Force of Staff"
        Mississippi-Alabama Association of Liberal Arts Deans
        Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1992

- "Legal Issues Involving Community College Academic Counselors"
        Mississippi Association of Community College Academic Counselors
        Cleveland, Mississippi, 1992

- "An Overview of Legal Issues Pertaining to Higher Education"
        Northwest Community College Academic Faculty Seminar
        Senatobia, Mississippi, 1990

- "Career Opportunities in College and University Law"
        University of Alabama Career Counseling Forum
        Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 1990

- Moderator, "The Ethics of Employment: Employment Law and Ethics
  in Higher Education"
        National Association of College and University Attorneys Continuing
        Legal Education Program, St. Louis, Missouri, 1989

- "Liability for Wrongful Academic Counseling and Advising of Students"
        Memphis State University Conference on Student Services in the 1990s
        Memphis, Tennessee, 1989

- "Open Meetings/Public Records Laws: Their Applicability of Lack Thereof
   to Public College and University Foundations"
        Board of Directors of the University of Mississippi Foundation
        Oxford, Mississippi, 1989

- "Harassment in the Workplace"
        Mississippi Court Reporters Spring Conference
        University of Mississippi, 1989

- "Negligence in Advising and Counseling"
        Legal Seminar for Presidents and Administrators in the University
        System of Georgia
        Atlanta, Georgia, 1989

- "Liability for Academic Counseling and Advising"
        Stetson University College of Law, Tenth Annual Conference on Law
        and Higher Education, 1989

- "Liability Issues of Concern to the High School Teacher and Coach"
        University of Mississippi School Law Seminar
        University, Mississippi, 1988

- "Discharging Employees and Staying Out of Court--Legal Issues"
        College and University Personnel Association Southern Region
        Conference
        Memphis, Tennessee, 1986

- Distinguished Service Award
  National Association of College and University Attorneys, 2002

- Thomas S. Biggs, Jr. Award
  Stetson University Conference on Law and Higher Education, 2000

- Mississippi Women Lawyers' Association
  Outstanding Woman Lawyer of the Year Award, 1996-1997

- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
  Freedom Award, 1996

- Outstanding Staff Member in EEO 1
  University of Mississippi, 1995

- Chancellor's Diversity Award
  University of Mississippi, 1994

-  Fellow--Mississippi Bar Foundation, 1991

- Mortar Board Outstanding Teacher of the Year, 1987

- Chi Omega Professional Woman of the Year in Mississippi Award, 1986

- American Bar Association

- Mississippi Bar Association

- Mississippi Bar Foundation

- National Association of College and University Attorneys

- St. Peter's Episcopal Church

- Mississippi Bar Foundation, 2002-2003
     Board of Trustees

- National Association of College and University Attorneys, 1998-1999
     President 

- The University of Mississippi
       University Attorney, 1982-2003

- Holcomb, Dunbar, Connell, Merkel and Khayat, 1977-1982

- Glendora, California, Junior High School, 1959-1960