By Scott Thompson
McCormick (BBA 77, JD 80) was honored as the 2026 Law Alumnus of the Year during the University of Mississippi School of Law alumni luncheon held in conjunction with the Mississippi Bar’s Annual Meeting in Biloxi.
Presented annually by the Law Alumni Chapter of the Ole Miss Alumni Association, the award recognizes a graduate who exemplifies dedication to excellence in legal education through active alumni engagement, significant support and unwavering loyalty to the law school.
McCormick was born at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and grew up in Long Beach before making his home in Pascagoula. During his undergraduate years at Ole Miss, he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, the Omicron Delta Epsilon academic honor society in economics and the Associated Student Body, where he served as deputy attorney general. He continued his education at the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity.
Following graduation, McCormick joined the law firm of Cumbest, Cumbest, Hunter & McCormick as an associate. In 1991, he became managing partner, a position he has held for more than three decades. His legal career has focused primarily on civil litigation representing plaintiffs, particularly in personal injury and asbestos-related cases. He also played a role in one of the most significant legal matters in Mississippi history, assisting Attorney General Mike Moore and others in the landmark tobacco litigation and settlement on behalf of the State of Mississippi. McCormick is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Mississippi, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States.
Throughout his distinguished career, McCormick has remained deeply engaged in the legal profession. He was inducted as a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation in 2007 and recently served on its Board of Trustees from 2021 to 2024. He also served as a commissioner of the Mississippi Bar from 2007 to 2010 and as president of the Jackson County Bar Association.
His dedication to the University of Mississippi has been equally noteworthy. McCormick served as president of the Jackson-George County Ole Miss Alumni Club, president of the UM Law Alumni Chapter from 2003 to 2004 and president of the Ole Miss Alumni Association from 2007 to 2008. He has contributed his leadership and expertise through service on The Inn at Ole Miss Steering Committee, the Momentum Campaign for Ole Miss, the University of Mississippi Foundation Board and most recently the Now and Ever Campaign Committee. In recognition of his outstanding service and commitment to the university, the Ole Miss Alumni Association honored him with its Alumni Service Award in 2019.
McCormick and his wife, Susan Cumbest McCormick (MM 80), are active members of Eastlawn Methodist Church, where he has served as chairman of the Administrative Council, currently serves on the finance committee and leads an adult Sunday School class. Together, they are the proud parents of Sarah Kathryn Ricci (BBA 03, MBA 05) and Caroline Stevens (BAccy 11, MAccy 12) and grandparents to William McCormick Hickman, Eloise Olivia Stevens, and Harper Grace Stevens.