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William H. Bowen School of Law

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Coordinates: 34°44′09″N 92°15′47″W / 34.73583°N 92.26306°W / 34.73583; -92.26306
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William H. Bowen School of Law
Parent schoolUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock
Established1975
School typePublic[1]
DeanMichael Hunter Schwartz
LocationLittle Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
34°44′09″N 92°15′47″W / 34.73583°N 92.26306°W / 34.73583; -92.26306
Enrollment338 (full-time), 152 (part-time)[1]
Faculty108[1]
USNWR ranking136[1]
Websitewww.law.ualr.edu

The William H. Bowen School of Law is a public law school and part of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). UALR Bowen School of Law is both American Bar Association (ABA) accredited and a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). The school distinctly maintains highly competitive admissions standards.

The school awards the Juris Doctor (JD) degree in its full-time and part-time programs. The school follows a traditional doctrinal curriculum while also blending hands-on practice into the student experience. The first year begins with the Bowen Expert Skills Training (BEST) Program [2] and the Professional Mentor Program where students are matched with a practicing lawyer or judge in the area of law in which they would like to practice.[3] Before graduating, students are required to take skills courses such as Evidence and Lawyering Skills I & II, required to participate in an externship or clinic, and are encouraged to participate in the Bowen Concurrent Bar Preparation Program.[4]

For the sixth time in seven years, the Bowen School of Law was ranked in the top 25 law school writing programs in the U.S. News and World Report and for the last six years as a Best Value Law School by the National Jurist. Bowen's legal writing program was ranked as a tie with the University of Michigan.

History

The first law school established in Arkansas was in Little Rock. However, politics caused the school faculty to reform themselves as a private law school in the 1910s. Subsequently, the state law school in Fayetteville was established. The private law school disbanded in the 1960s. The latest incarnation of the law school started as a part-time program that was an extension of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville School of Law, and by 1975 was given autonomy and became a unit of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

The school resided in various locations, primarily the old Federal Courthouse in downtown Little Rock. The building was adjacent to the Pulaski County Courthouse, which afforded students the chance to see law in action. However, the facility was plagued with poor parking and was insufficient to handle the growing student population.

The law school's current campus is located adjacent to MacArthur Park, near the Arkansas Center for Fine Arts. The historic building was originally built for the medical school of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and was extensively renovated in 1992 for the law school.

The law school is named after William H. Bowen, a former dean, and important figure in the administration of former Arkansas Governor and 43rd President of the United States, Bill Clinton.

The Bowen School of Law offers the following course concentrations:[5]

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Business & Commercial
  • Civil Practice
  • Civil Rights
  • Criminal Law
  • Elder Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Family Law
  • General Practice
  • Government Practice
  • Government Regulation
  • Health Care
  • Intellectual Property
  • International Law
  • Labor and Employment
  • Litigation
  • Real Estate
  • Skills
  • Taxation

Clinics

A law firm inside the law school, the Legal Clinic enables students to work with real clients, the community, and the court system. Below are the Clinics that students can participate in at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law:

  • Consumer Protection Clinic
  • Litigation Clinic
  • Delta Clinic
  • Tax Clinic
  • Mediation Clinic
  • Business Innovation Clinic
  • Special Education Mediation Clinic
  • General Pro-Bono Mediation Clinic
  • Early Intervention Mediation Clinic
  • Arkansas Youth Mediation Program

Judicial clerkships

A judicial clerkship is an externship in which students work for a judge and conduct research and draft orders, memoranda, and court opinions. Clerkships are highly competitive experiences and Bowen offers the opportunities at both the Federal and State levels.

Federal Courts[6]

  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
  • United States Magistrate Judges for the Eastern District of Arkansas
  • United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas

State Courts[7]

  • Arkansas Supreme Court
  • Arkansas Court of Appeals
  • Arkansas Supreme Court, Office of Professional Conduct
  • Circuit Court for the 11th West Judicial Circuit
  • Circuit Courts for the 18th Judicial Circuit East
  • Little Rock District Court

Admissions

  • Enrolled: 154 (full-time 93, part-time 61)
  • GPA (75/25): 3.60/3.03
  • LSAT (75/25): 155/149
  • Acceptance Rate: 25%
  • Bar Passage Rate: 77.23% (2008/2009)

Campus

The law school is located in downtown Little Rock and is the only law school in the area. It is just minutes from Arkansas's largest law firms, corporations, state and federal courts, and the Arkansas State Capitol building. Other attractions include MacArthur Park, Arkansas Center for Fine Arts, Clinton School of Public Service, World Services for the Blind, Heifer International, museums, restaurants, Little Rock River Market District, and the Clinton Presidential Library.

The school is unique in that it is home to the Pulaski County Law Library, making it the only metropolitan law school library that is also the library for a county.

The law school is housed separately from the main campus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and is located at 1201 McMath Avenue.

Ranking

  • Best Value Law School - six years in a row and running[8]
  • Best Law School for Practical Training
  • Top 20 Most Innovative Law Schools[9]
  • Most Influential People in Legal Education[10]
  • Top 10 Lowest Tuition Rates[11]
  • Best Schools for Public Service Careers[12]
  • Best Legal Writing Programs[13]
  • Best Part-Time Programs[14]
  • Best Law School for Public Service Careers[15]
  • Top 5 Regional Law School for Latina/o Students[16]
  • Top 5 Law Schools for Black Students in the Southern Region[17]

Publications

The School of Law publishes three legal journals and a legal guidebook:[18]

  • The Journal Of Appellate Practice and Process
  • UALR Law Review
  • Arkansas Journal of Social Change and Public Service
  • Legal Guide for Arkansas Nonprofit and Volunteer Organizations

Costs

Full-Time Tuition for residents is $14,447 and non-residents is $29,223.[19] Part-Time Tuition for residents is $9,674 and non-residents is $19,032. The law school offers scholarships up to full tuition.[20] The law school is among the lowest tuition and fee rates in the nation, is ranked as one of the 10 lowest alumni debt upon graduation by the USNWR, and ranks as the 6th lowest Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance.[21]

Employment

According to UALR's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 51% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.[22] UALR's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 20.3%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[23]

ABA Employment Summary for 2013 Graduates[24]
Employment Status Percentage
Employed - Bar Passage Required
 
 54.55%
Employed - J.D. Advantage
 
 13.99%
Employed - Professional Position
 
 9.09%
Employed - Non-Professional Position
 
 2.8%
Employed - Undeterminable
 
 0.0%
Pursuing Graduate Degree Full Time
 
 4.2%
Unemployed - Start Date Deferred
 
 1.4%
Unemployed - Not Seeking
 
 2.1%
Unemployed - Seeking
 
 7.69%
Employment Status Unknown
 
 4.19%
Total of 143 Graduates

Student organizations

The law school has over forty five student organizations, most of which are very active on campus and within the community. These organizations include the American Bar Association Law Student Division (ABA/LSD), American Constitution Society, Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers-Law Student Division, Arkansas Bar Association Law Student Division (ABA/LSD), Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA), Black Law Students Association, Bowen Athletic Department, Bowen Lambda, Christian Legal Society, Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity (DTP), Environmental Law Society, Federalist Society, Hispanic Law Students Association (HLSA), Intellectual Property Law Society, International Law Society, Irish American Law Students Society (ILSS), J. Reuben Clark Society, Law Review, Moot Court Board, Out of State Student Association (OSSA), Phi Alpha Delta (PAD), Part-time Student Association (PTSA), Pulaski County Bar Association, Student Division (PCBA), Sports and Entertainment Law Society (SELS), "Street Law" Mentor Program (Street Law), Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF), Student Bar Association (SBA), Young Democrats, and Young Republicans. Additionally, in 2015, The Finch Society, an organization focused on small town law, was created and received attention for its activities regarding the lack of young lawyers in smaller communities and small practices; The Finch Society was named not only the top new student organization, but also the most outstanding organization overall. There are plans to establish new chapters of The Finch Society in other law schools.

Notable faculty

Current

Former

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ a b c d e http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-arkansas-little-rock-bowen-03006
  2. ^ "Skills Preparation". Skills Preparation. UALR Bown School of Law. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Professional Mentor Program". Get A Mentor. UALR Bowen School of Law. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  4. ^ "Bowen Concurrent Bar Prep Program". Bowen Concurrent Bar Prep Program. UALR Bowen School of Law. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Course Concentrations". Course Concentrations. UALR Bowen School of Law. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  6. ^ "Federal Courts". Bowen School of LAW. Bowen School of Law. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  7. ^ "State Courts". Bowen School of Law. Bowen School of Law. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  8. ^ "Best Value Law Schools". National Jurist. National Jurist. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  9. ^ "Top 20 Most Innovative Law Schools". National Jurist. National Jurist. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  10. ^ "Most Influential People in Legal Education". National Jurist. National Jurist. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  11. ^ "ABA Required Discolures". ABA Required Disclosures. American Bar Association.
  12. ^ "Best Schools for Public Service". National Jurist. National Jurist. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Best Legal Writing Programs". US News and World Report. US News and World Report. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  14. ^ "Best Part Time Programs". US News and World Report. US News and World Report.
  15. ^ "Best Law Schools for Public Service Careers". National Jurist. National Jurist.
  16. ^ "Top Law Schools for Latina/o Students". The Latina/o Student’s Guide to Law Schools. 1 (1). 2015.
  17. ^ "Top Law Schools for Black Students" (PDF). On Being a Black Lawyer. On Being a Black Lawyer. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  18. ^ "Publications". Bowen School of Law. Bowen School of Law. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  19. ^ "UALR Bowen School of Law 509 Report". ABA Required Discolures. American Bar Association. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  20. ^ "Scholarships". Scholarships. UALR Bowen School of Law. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  21. ^ "LST Score Reports". LST Score Reports. Law School Transparency. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  22. ^ "Employment Statistics" (PDF).
  23. ^ "University of Arkansas - Little Rock Profile".
  24. ^ "Employment Summary for 2013 Graduates" (PDF).
  25. ^ UALR William H. Bowen School of Law: Paula J. Casey
  26. ^ "Representative Davy Carter's Biography". votesmart.org. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  27. ^ "Michael John Gray". arkansashouse.org. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
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