skip to main content
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
University of Mississippi

Lindsay Klimek Jones – Alumna Spotlight

Lindsey JonesCounty/Youth Court Prosecutor

Hometown: Tunica, MS
BA in Anthropology, minor in Biological Science (2005)
JD in Law (2009)

 

Why did you select anthropology as your major?
I started out majoring in biology because I thought I wanted to go to medical school. After changing my path to law, I realized I could change my major to just about anything.  I knew I enjoyed the anthropology classes I had taken so I figured, why not major in something I enjoy learning about.

What are some significant/favorite memories from your time at UM?
I have fond memories in my smaller sized anthropology/sociology classes. Seeing the same students in many classes made the department feel like family. The professors were always so accessible. Sitting down in Dr. Janet Ford’s office one afternoon talking about the people who inhabited ancient Mississippi is a memory I’ll never forget.

Please describe your educational/career trajectory since graduation from UM.
After law school I moved back to the Mississippi Delta to open my own law practice in Tunica, focusing on family law and Social Security disability. I love the people of the Mississipp Delta and knew I wanted to go back and be an integral part of the community. I was appointed Tunica County Youth Court Prosecutor in 2010. In 2019 I successfully ran for the position of County Prosecutor.

What is the value of studying anthropology in today’s world? 
As County/Youth Court Prosecutor, I deal with a wide variety of people from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds, most of whom are experiencing a crisis at the time I encounter them. Whether its someone facing a DUI or a CPS case involving child abuse or neglect or a teen facing a delinquency charge, I try to approach with passion and understanding; understanding of the differences and similarities between them and myself. My job is to seek justice and justice is always better served if I can understand how best to help the citizens of this State, including the accused.  That’s the value my anthropology studies have brought to my work.