A junior high school project sparked Vicksburg native Josh Dixon’s love of law, and this week, the third-year law school student was sworn in for limited practice as a prosecutor in his hometown courtroom.
While in eighth grade, Dixon did a project where he shadowed Vicksburg attorney Blake Teller.
“I had a lot of fun with it,” Dixon said after being sworn in Thursday by Circuit Court Judge M. James Chaney for limited practice in Warren County.
The experience inspired Dixon to go to law school at Ole Miss after gradating from Mississippi State University.
“You get to stand up for people who need to be stood up for or help put the bad guys away,” Dixon said of his continued interest in criminal law.
Last summer Dixon, who is the son of Chris and Glenda Dixon, was a clerk in Chaney’s office. This summer he will be on the other side of the bench as an intern with the Ninth Circuit District Attorney’s office.
“He’s a very promising up and coming attorney, and we look forward to having him in our court,” Chaney said.
The Law Student Limited Practice Act of 1996 allows third-year law students to get limited experience in the courtroom, District Attorney Ricky Smith said.
Dixon will be handling, paperwork, some revocation hearings and sitting in in trials, Smith said.
“We’re excited about getting students in who are interested in criminal practice,” Smith said. “We’re just proud to have Josh here. It’s a great resource for the students to get an idea of the realties of practice.”
Unlike attorneys who practice civil law, criminal law attorneys spend far more time in the courtroom, Smith said.
“You can go to a large civil firm and never see the courtroom for years,” he said.