FACULTY NOTES
In
Her Footsteps
Inspired by mother who helped break color barrier,professor chooses to
teach at UM
by Beth Malone
Sometimes Lisa Shaw Roy finds herself gazing at
the framed photograph of her mother, Barbara. Inside her tidy office on
the Law School's fifth floor, the assistant professor may open her desk
drawer and take out her mother's Ole Miss transcript, there for safekeeping,
and reflect on the past. Just six years after The University of Mississippi's
integration, Roy's parents moved to Biloxi from Southern California. Her
father, Robert Shaw, was in the Air Force. Her mother enrolled at the
Keesler Air Force Base campus of Ole Miss during the summer of 1968 to
continue her undergraduate studies in education.
"My mother was one of the first African Americans to attend this
university, and her courage, tenacity, and faith have always been a source
of inspiration for me," says Roy, 32. Even though her mother died
some 14 years ago, she says, "I am very aware that her Ole Miss experience
laid the groundwork for mine."
Born and reared in California, Roy was accustomed to the fast-paced environment
of Los Angeles. As a business litigation associate with the law firm Knapp,
Marsh, Jones and Doran, LLP, she maintained a rigorous schedule. "My
husband and I had the same commute each morning because our offices were
only a couple of blocks apart," she says. "Strangely enough,
our schedules never allowed us to commute together. Only two blocks away,
and we would go all day without seeing each other." But even from
her days as a law student at the University of Southern California, she
felt a tug away from the law-practice track toward academia. When Roy
decided to pursue her interest in teaching, she attended the Association
of American Law Schools recruitment conference in Washington, D.C. There
she met several members of the UM Law School faculty, including the dean.
She was invited to the campus for a visit, and then returned for another
look with her husband, Christopher. She says her initial experiences here
were unforgettable and confirmed her desire to become part of the community.
"I knew it was going to be quite a change from Los Angeles,"
Roy says of Oxford. "I just couldn't resist the friendly people and
quaint atmosphere." So since 2001, Oxford has been home to Roy and
her husband, an attorney in Memphis, where she says they can get their
big-city "fix" whenever they need one.
"We like to drive around and look up at the tall buildings. I occasionally
get homesick, and Memphis takes me back to city life," she says.
Roy says her time teaching ethics, contracts, and now law and religion
has been rewarding in countless ways. Above all, she says she enjoys working
with the students. "I am actually having an impact on the next generation
of lawyers, and that is such a great feeling."
Building a new life away from the bustling metropolis has rewarded her with more time to spend on her church and other interests. "My husband and I enjoy playing tennis, but I've been a beginner for about the past 12 years. Hopefully, now that I'm settled, I can improve."
Beth Malone is a student intern in the Office of Media and Public Relations.