State of Mississippi Judiciary

Supreme Court appoints three to Commission on Continuing Legal Education

August 5, 2022

The Mississippi Supreme Court recently made two new appointments and reappointed one member to the Commission on Mandatory Continuing Legal Education.

New appointees are attorneys Helen Morris of Cleveland and Katherine K. Farese of Ashland. The Supreme Court reappointed attorney Marcus A. McLelland of Petal.

Chief Justice Mike Randolph signed the appointment order on July 27 for the unanimous court. Appointees’ terms began Aug. 1 and continue through July 31, 2025. The nine-member Commission has supervisory authority over the administration of rules regarding continuing legal education requirements for attorneys in the state of Mississippi. The Supreme Court sets the rules for CLE training.

Morris practices law with Morris and Associates in Cleveland. Her practice includes loan closings, title examinations, wills and estates, family law, negligence and medical malpractice. She is a part-time Chancery Court family master, handling child support and involuntary mental health commitments. She serves as board attorney for the Bolivar County Council on Aging, the Bolivar County Community Action Agency and Delta Green Partners. She was board attorney for the City of Mound Bayou for five years, and served for a year as a part-time public defender for Bolivar County. She served as secretary and treasurer of the Bolivar County Bar Association. She was an officer in various PTAs, and was president of the Cleveland Central High and Middle School booster club. She is a graduate of the University of Houston, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1985. She earned a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in 1993. She was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1994.

Farese is an associate attorney at Farese, Farese & Farese, P.A. in Ashland. Her practice includes family law and criminal defense. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, summa cum laude, from the University of Mississippi in 2016, and her Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2019. She served as Executive Editor of the Mississippi Law Journal. She was a member of Moot Court Board, Dean’s Leadership Council, Women’s Law Association and Christian Legal Society. She was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor Society. She was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 2019.

McLelland has served on the Commission since 2019, and served as Commission chairman 2020-2021. He is a partner in the law firm of Holmes & McLelland PLLC in Petal. His practice includes personal injury, criminal defense and family law. He also serves as part-time public defender for juvenile delinquency cases in Lamar County Youth Court. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2000 with a degree in radio and television broadcasting, then worked in broadcasting in Orlando. He worked for an international school in Yokohama and Tokyo, Japan. He earned a law degree from Louisiana State University in 2010, and was admitted to the practice of law that year. He serves as Cubmaster for his children’s Cub Scout Pack.

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