U.S. Navy Ensign Ryan Morris, a Columbia native, took the oath to practice law and the Naval oath of office Wednesday at the Mississippi Supreme Court in Jackson.
He plans to become a JAG officer and will begin training in January at the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island.
Supreme Court Justice Dawn Beam of Sumrall administered the oath to practice law to Morris. He had worked as a legal intern for Beam in 2016 while he was a law student.
Morris’s grandfather, retired U.S. Army Cpl. Tony Morris of Columbia, ceremonially administered the military oath. Tony Morris served with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean War.
LTJG Joe Noel of Memphis presented the Naval commission to Ryan Morris at the Supreme Court. Morris was accompanied by his wife, Madeline, and their young son, Maddox.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. congratulated Morris on his admission to the practice of law and his Naval commission. He gave a bit of advice, quoting former Secretary of State and retired General Colin Powell: “Always do your best. Somebody is watching you.”
The Morrises live in Auburn, N.Y., but will soon move to Newport, where Morris will complete officer training.
Morris, 27, was the valedictorian of the 2009 Columbia Academy class. He earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiotherapy from the University of Southern Mississippi and a law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law.
Pictured Above: Ryan Morris, left, takes the ceremonial Naval oath Wednesday from his grandfather Tony Morris at the Mississippi Supreme Court in Jackson. Ryan Morris, a Columbia Academy graduate, was sworn in as both an attorney and U.S. Navy officer. | Photo courtesy of Administrative Office of Courts
