Jackson Free Press

Even from an early age, Tripp Segars knew the direction his life would take. When he was 4, he went on a preschool field trip to the "Mr. Knozit Show," a local children's television program in Columbia, S.C. When Mr. Knozit asked him what he'd like to be when he grew up, Segars replied: "I want to goes [sic] to the office and bes [sic] a lawyer like my daddy."

Segars, 26, continued his family's legacy by attending Clemson University, where his brother, father and grandfather both attended, earning his bachelor's degree in marketing in 2006. He moved to Jackson in June 2007 to attend law school at Mississippi College where he earned his law degree in May.

Growing up around his father's law firm, Segars gained a passion for the law and learned to stand his ground, coining his motto: "It's important to serve others and to stand up for what's right."

During law school, he interned with Justice Jess H. Dickinson of the Mississippi Supreme Court and served as a legislative intern for the Mississippi Association for Justice, whose mission statement, "represent individuals, not corporations," struck a chord with him.

While working with the MAJ, Segars spent much of his time at the Capitol, gaining a first-hand look at how the legislative process works and how it affects individuals' rights in Mississippi.

"Too often you see big business taking advantage of people, and they should be held accountable for their actions," Segars said.

He met Joey Diaz of the Diaz Law Firm in Madison in his first year of law school at a MAJ event and found that they shared the same drive to protect the individual. Diaz invited him to work for his firm as a clerk in 2009. Segars' work with Diaz involves everything from personal injury and criminal cases to pharmaceutical-drug litigation and representing individuals and businesses filing suits against BP.

After more than five months of studying, Segars took the Mississippi Bar exam at the end of July. He is now waiting anxiously until Sept. 16 for his results.

Segars' passion for the city started when he first arrived and hasn't stopped growing.

"Jackson is a big city with a small-town feel," Segars said. "It's a very tight-knit community. I look forward to being in Jackson and in the state of Mississippi for a really long time, practicing law, and volunteering my time to people and organizations I believe in."

Among the things he loves about Jackson are the city's intriguing history, the constant promotion of growth and the people.

"Jackson has been really good to me," Segars said. "I just hope I can repay it many times over."