                                 Exhibit 5.1

                  Opinion of Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C.

                                July 27, 2001

 Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.
 663 Highway 60
 Monett, MO  65708

      Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Jack Henry & Associates,
           Inc.

 Gentleman:

      We have acted as counsel to  Jack Henry & Associates, Inc., a  Delaware
 corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the filing of a Registration
 Statement on Form  S-3 (the "Registration  Statement"), with the  Securities
 and Exchange Commission (the "Commission")  for the purposes of  registering
 under the  Securities  Act  of 1933,  as  amended  (the  "Securities  Act"),
 761,989 of the  Company's common stock  (the "Common Shares") issuable under
 the Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.  401(k)  Employee Stock Ownership Plan and
 Trust (the Plan").

      In  connection  therewith,  we  have  examined  originals,  or   copies
 certified or otherwise identified to  our satisfaction, of those  documents,
 corporate or other  records, certificates and  other papers  that we  deemed
 necessary to examine  for purposes  of this  opinion. We  have also  relied,
 without investigation  as  to the  accuracy  thereof, on  oral  and  written
 communications from and officers of the Company.

      Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications set forth in
 this letter,  we are  of the  opinion  that the  Common Shares  are  validly
 authorized and, when (a) the pertinent provisions of the Securities Act  and
 all relevant  state securities  laws have  been complied  with and  (b)  the
 Common Shares have been delivered  against payment therefor as  contemplated
 by the  Plan, the  Common Shares  will  be legally  issued, fully  paid  and
 non-assessable.

      We hereby  consent to the  filing of this  opinion as an exhibit to the
 Registration Statement, and further consent to the use of our name  wherever
 appearing in the Registration Statement.

                                Very truly yours,


                                SHUGHART THOMSON & KILROY, P.C.

