The announcement was made April 9 at a press conference held on the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock campus as part of $12.75 million in federal funding secured for various programs and research. While in Little Rock, Senator Boozman also visited the law school where he attended a Veterans Legal Clinic class, met with students and faculty, and discussed their work providing legal services to Arkansas veterans. Students also engaged the senator with thoughtful questions about his background, public service, and work on issues affecting veterans, creating a meaningful exchange about the role of legal advocacy in supporting those who have served.

The Veterans Legal Services Clinic serves former servicemembers who have experienced service-related injuries or trauma, offering legal representation in VA disability compensation appeals and discharge upgrade cases. Under the supervision of a VA-accredited attorney, Bowen students in the clinic gain hands-on legal experience while providing meaningful service to veterans in need.

鈥淭his vital investment in Bowen鈥檚 Veterans Legal Services Clinic reflects a powerful truth: public legal education can and must serve the public good,鈥� said Colin Crawford, dean of the law school. 鈥淏y expanding access to legal support for those who served our country鈥攎any of whom face complex bureaucratic and personal hurdles鈥攚e uphold our mission to train ethical, service-oriented lawyers. I am grateful to Senator Boozman for recognizing the importance of this work and ensuring that veterans in Arkansas receive the assistance they deserve.鈥�

As one of only a handful of legal clinics in the nation that offer a pro bono resource center along with their clinic, Bowen is able to assist over 200 veterans a year facing VA and civil legal issues.

鈥淓stablishing a full-service legal clinic for veterans housed at the Bowen School of Law will help ensure Arkansans who have served our nation can access reliable and quality legal support,鈥� said Boozman. 鈥淚鈥檓 pleased to have championed this funding and expand upon the resources Arkansas veterans can depend on through a trusted entity such as 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, and I look forward to seeing its impact unfold in the years to come.鈥�

Senator Boozman serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and has long supported veterans’ issues and public legal services.

Zach Baumgarten, director of the Veterans Legal Services Clinic, expressed appreciation for the expanded support.

鈥淭he Veterans Legal Services Clinic and Pro Bono Center are honored to receive this federal appropriation, and we are grateful to Senator Boozman and his staff for their support,鈥� Baumgarten said. 鈥淭his funding will allow us to expand our statewide program and strengthen outreach so veterans in every Arkansas county know they can turn to Bowen for help with VA disability claims, discharge upgrades and other civil legal needs. It is a meaningful way to give back to those who have served.鈥�

The federal investment supports Bowen Law鈥檚 core mission of advancing access to justice, public service, and professionalism. As part of its nationally respected clinical program, the Veterans Legal Services Clinic reinforces the law school鈥檚 commitment to community-centered legal training and responsive legal education.

About the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law
Located in Arkansas鈥檚 capital city, the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law provides a nationally recognized, practice-ready legal education deeply connected to the state鈥檚 legal system. With a strong emphasis on access to justice, public service, and professionalism, Bowen鈥檚 hands-on approach is grounded in mentorship and real-world experience. Graduates are prepared to lead in courtrooms, boardrooms, and communities across Arkansas and beyond.

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Penn is recognized for her decades of work expanding access to justice for underserved Arkansans through clinical legal education and community advocacy. She directs the Delta Divorce Clinic, which provides free legal assistance to individuals seeking divorces in counties across the Arkansas Delta where access to legal services is limited.

The clinic travels to rural communities to assist individuals who might otherwise be unable to afford legal representation or travel long distances to seek help. Through this work, Penn has helped expand access to critical legal services while addressing barriers faced by individuals in underserved regions.

At the same time, the clinic provides law students with hands-on experience working with real clients and navigating complex legal processes. The program has assisted hundreds of Arkansans facing challenging circumstances鈥攊ncluding individuals experiencing domestic violence or financial hardship鈥攚hile preparing students for client-centered legal practice.

鈥淭his award reflects the work of the many law students who have participated in the Delta Divorce Clinic and the Delta Experience Intersession since 2015,鈥� Penn said. 鈥淭heir dedication has made it possible to serve clients across more than a dozen counties in eastern Arkansas who might otherwise be unable to afford or access legal assistance. The clinic was designed to help people who are often left without options by the system. Together, we are making access to justice a reality.鈥�

Penn was first selected as the Bowen School of Law鈥檚 recipient of the Faculty Excellence Award for Social Justice. She was then chosen as the university-level award winner, the highest honor awarded to faculty at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. She previously won the university-level award for public service in 2017.

The Social Justice Award was sponsored by Scott and Amy Schuh, Katherine Shoulders and an Anonymous Donor.

About the Awards
Established in 1989, the Faculty Excellence Awards have recognized outstanding faculty achievement for 35 years. The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Board of Visitors selected the university-wide winners from a pool of faculty members representing their respective colleges and the William H. Bowen School of Law. Each university-level award recipient will receive a $5,000 prize.

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For Madalyn Dowell, the Veterans Legal Services Clinic has provided a grounded, hands-on view of what legal practice looks like beyond the classroom.

Working directly with veterans navigating lengthy disability claims through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense, she has seen firsthand how complex and time-consuming the process can be. Many clients face delays that stretch for months or longer, often becoming discouraged as their cases move slowly through federal systems.

Through regular client interviews and status updates, Madalyn has learned that effective advocacy begins with clear communication and steady support. While the work often involves detailed paperwork and procedural navigation, she says the most meaningful moments come from the relationships built along the way.

鈥淚t is easy to get lost in the paperwork,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut the difference you make is not always on the page. Clients are grateful to have someone walking alongside them through the process.鈥�

The experience has sharpened her professional skills while reinforcing her sense of purpose. By fostering trust and maintaining open dialogue, she has strengthened a core competency that will serve her across every area of practice.

Her time in the clinic has also clarified the kind of lawyer she hopes to become: one committed to creating positive change in the lives of others.

At Bowen Law, clinics, externships and practicums are the capstone of how we prepare practice-ready lawyers. For Madalyn, that preparation has meant stepping into real advocacy, real responsibility and real impact before graduation.

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Bowen ranked:

• #34 in Legal Writing (tied)
• #48 in Alternative Dispute Resolution (tied)
• #90 in Clinical Training (tied)

“糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock’s Bowen School of Law prides itself on our extensive practical training and experiential and clinical education opportunities,鈥� said Colin Crawford, Dean of the Bowen School of Law. 鈥淭hese rankings are evidence of our commitment and success in these areas. We are proud of the faculty who make this possible – and for our outstanding, dedicated students.鈥�

U.S. News & World Report evaluates graduate programs across the country based on faculty quality, student outcomes, peer assessment, and other academic indicators.

Bowen鈥檚 recognition in Legal Writing and Alternative Dispute Resolution highlights the law school鈥檚 emphasis on practical, hands-on learning and strong communication skills鈥攃ritical tools for successful legal practice. The ranking in Clinical Training acknowledges the school鈥檚 ongoing investment in experiential education, which allows students to work directly with real clients under faculty supervision.

The full list of Bowen’s rankings is available on the .

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The Veterans Legal Services Clinic (VLSC) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law has won a case involving benefits owed from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The client, a United States Army veteran from Arkansas, has been awarded more than $150,000 in VA benefits that they had previously been denied.

Under the leadership of Rebecca Feldmann, licensed and VA-accredited attorney, assistant professor of law, and director of the VLSC at the law school, two students 鈥� Elizabeth Kimble and Jake Mason 鈥� represented the veteran who suffered a military sexual trauma (MST) and was later diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

鈥淥ur purpose is two-fold,鈥� said Feldmann. 鈥淲e represent veterans who have been injured or disabled during their military service, specifically those with PTSD or a traumatic brain injury, but there鈥檚 also an educational purpose to this clinic,鈥� she says. 鈥淪tudents taking the clinic learn the intricacies of veterans law, while developing the tools of advocacy that they will use in any area of practice.鈥�

The Legal Clinic operates as a law firm within the Bowen Law School, giving students practical, hands-on experience in seven different practices of law, and offers legal aid services to Arkansans free of charge. The VLSC is one of the seven programs within Bowen鈥檚 Legal Clinic.

鈥淏efore coming to the VLSC, our client had previously tried to get VA compensation and was denied several times,鈥� Feldmann said. 鈥淲hen she came to us, our students, six in total, under my supervision, were able to help her file an appeal, get her case expedited on the docket, and represent her at the Board of Veterans鈥� Appeals hearing.鈥�

In a recent decision, the Veterans Law Judge ruled that sufficient evidence linked the client鈥檚 PTSD diagnosis to their MST. As a result of the decision, the veteran will receive more than $150,000 in back benefits owed as well as a regular monthly payment for disability compensation moving forward.

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Kim Vu-Dinh, assistant professor of clinical education and the director of the Business Innovations Legal Clinic at the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, has been recognized for the work she and her students do with Arkansas small businesses and non-profit organizations. On Sept. 20, Vu-Dinh was awarded Little Rock Regional Minority Mentor of the Year by the Little Rock Regional Chamber.

Vu-Dinh was also a 2020 finalist for the award.

鈥淚 moved to Little Rock with no previous connections or family ties, so an award like this is incredibly flattering to me.  It makes me feel like that clinic I created and the relationships I鈥檝e made have had a positive impact on Arkansans trying to do something new.  I really couldn鈥檛 believe I got the award, and I am truly appreciative of the recognition.鈥�

The Business Innovations Legal Clinic provides high-quality, free transactional legal counsel to small businesses and non-profits working in economic development, many of which would not be able to obtain legal assistance otherwise.

Law students under Vu-Dinh鈥檚 supervision work closely with start-up businesses and nonprofits throughout Arkansas, either one-on-one or through community legal workshops. Their clients are based in Arkansas and are from the following sectors:  food and farm, affordable housing, health, music and arts, and more. The majority of the clinic鈥檚 clients are minority-owned businesses.

In 2019, Vu-Dinh was appointed as a Fulbright Specialist to the University of Applied Sciences in Ferizaj, Kosovo, where she provided consulting services to create an academic social enterprise that incubates local business while simultaneously giving students hands-on learning opportunities, and generating income for the newly-created academic institution.

This semester she is bringing her Fulbright experience to Bowen students as a co-professor in the course International Law: Self-Determination, Nation-Building, and Economic Development and the Case Study of Kosovo. Part of that course will be a virtual presentation from her Kosovar colleagues, as well as guest lecturers from justices of the Supreme Court of Kosovo, and also Arkansas native General Wesley Clark. Before arriving at Bowen, Vu-Dinh was a Eugene Ludwig/Robert M. Cover Fellow in Law in the Community and Economic Development Clinic at Yale Law School.

Vu-Dinh has studied in Budapest, Hungary and Hanoi, Vietnam, through her alma mater, the University of California at Berkeley, where she focused on economic development in nations transitioning from Soviet economics to free market capitalism.

Before teaching full-time, Vu-Dinh worked extensively in post-Katrina New Orleans with nonprofits and small, local businesses developing affordable housing and community-based commercial projects, first as non-profit staff, and later as a consultant through her firm Community Capacity Consulting.  In addition to her work on Bowen鈥檚 faculty, she is adjunct faculty at the Clinton School of Public Service where she teaches a course on social enterpreneurship.

The award was given during the Minority Business Awards Luncheon, which honors the diversity of the Little Rock regional business community and recognizes minority business leaders that excel in their field. The luncheon was part of the Chamber鈥檚 celebration of .

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The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is partnering with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law to conduct a free intellectual property workshop series for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The series will include interactive workshop webinars, downloadable toolkit materials, and short supplementary videos.

Three workshops in the series remain open for registration:

• Introduction to Trademarks, July 8 at 1 pm;
• Introduction to Copyrights, July 12 at 2 pm; and
• Introduction to Patents and Trade Secrets, July 15 at 1 pm.

These interactive webinars will provide a basic understanding of each topic and focus on issues relevant to small businesses.

鈥淪ince the pandemic, we have been working non-stop to support laid-off or underemployed people who are trying to pivot in this new reality,鈥� said Kim Vu-Dinh, assistant professor and director of the Business Innovations Legal Clinic. 鈥淭he ASBTDC and the Clinic have been partnering for years now, and my students and I are extremely excited to have the time and resources this summer to hunker down and focus on creating materials that get to the heart of the intellectual property issues faced by new, small businesses.鈥�

Housed on the main campus of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center assists all types of for-profit businesses, from home-based to high-tech. Clients receive one-on-one confidential consulting, and market research, all at no charge. ASBTDC also hosts free webinars and live workshops throughout the year.

The Business Innovations Clinic is a legal clinic at the Bowen School of Law at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock that provides high-quality, pro bono transactional legal counsel to small businesses and nonprofits working in economic development. Brett Harris, a third-year law student, will lead the webinars.

鈥淎SBTDC is pleased to partner with Kim and the Business Innovations Legal Clinic to provide training and resources for small businesses on intellectual property,鈥� said Laura Fine, state director of the ASBTDC.  鈥淜im and her students are a valuable resource for small businesses and non-profits, and through this project, more small businesses across the state will have access to their expertise.鈥�

This series is funded by a CARES Act grant focused on supporting small businesses.

The workshops are free and open to the public and anyone . For more information, contact the ASBTDC at 1-800-862-2040.

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Cynthia Aikman plans to practice in Bluffton, Arkansas, where she grew up and her family has lived for eight generations. Aikman owns a home there and spent weekends there during law school. She is active in the community and is working to retain and expand community services.

Aikman graduated from Bowen in 2018 and passed the Arkansas Bar Exam in 2019. During her last semester at Bowen, she volunteered over 200 hours as a Rule XV law clerk for the Center for Arkansas Legal Services. After she passed the baar exam, Aikman interned for 14 months with Robert Tellez at the Tellez Law Firm in North Little Rock, representing the firm鈥檚 clients in court while also representing Yell County clients pro-bono with the firm鈥檚 assistance. During that time, she developed her rural practice plan, gained courtroom experience, and improved the skills that would best benefit her community.

The law is Aikman鈥檚 second career. She retired from the U.S. Army at the rank of Major. After her retirement, she chose to go to law school, in part, because she was frustrated by the lack of services and resources available to her rural community. Her time at Bowen widened her perspective on the critical need for access to justice in her community.

鈥淭he rural, impoverished, and uneducated are discriminated against in nearly every aspect of their lives,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to assist my community, but I also want to educate its members in ways they can help themselves.鈥�

Aikman will focus her practice on the Fourche Valley, a 32-mile area with few amenities, no nearby facilities, no cell service, and no attorneys. The closest law offices are 30-60 miles away.

Aikman will open her own solo practice in Bluffton, and plans to base it on a legal aid model. If clients cannot pay for services, they will receive free or discounted assistance. She also plans to hold free legal clinics in her community. She has already held three such clinics since April 2019.

Abraham 鈥淪am鈥� Keefer plans to practice in Sharp County, Arkansas, focusing primarily on Cave City and Ash Flat. He grew up in Poughkeepsie, Arkansas, where he lives on his family鈥檚 farm.

Cave City does not currently have an attorney to serve its approximately 2,000 residents. Ash Flat has an aging attorney population, and local attorneys have already welcomed Keefer into the community.

鈥淚鈥檝e spoken to local attorneys,鈥� Keefer said. 鈥淭he consensus is that a younger attorney is greatly needed in this area.鈥�

Keefer, who served in the Marine Corps from 2001-2006, graduated from Bowen in 2020 and passed the bar this summer. He鈥檚 not worried about starting a new firm immediately after law school. He sees his experience at Bowen as great training, having spent time clerking for busy firms and gaining mentors in both Little Rock and Independence County.

He also points to his training in law office management, his expected low overhead, and his situation on the family farm as reasons he believes his practice will be successful.

鈥淢y family and I are used to a student income and lifestyle. We鈥檙e committed to spending the next few years working to build a law practice.鈥�

He is excited about working within the incubator program to receive additional training and support from coaches and mentors other than the network he has cultivated.

Keefer is passionate about the Sharp County area and his fellow residents.

鈥淭he citizens of Sharp County need the help,鈥� Keefer said. 鈥�The law is something they generally avoid, not something they feel they can use for their own protection or benefit.鈥�

The Rural Practice Incubator Project is part of Bowen鈥檚 commitment to its core values of access to justice, public service, and professionalism.  According to the ABA鈥檚 most recent Profile of the Legal Profession, Arkansas has a ratio of 2.1 attorneys per 1,000 residents. Citizens in many rural counties have little to no access to legal representation.

鈥淲e are excited to welcome Ms. Aikman and Mr. Keefer into the incubator,鈥� said Theresa Beiner, dean of the law school. 鈥淭hey are passionate about the areas they call home and committed to helping their neighbors and fellow residents. We look forward to helping them achieve their goals.鈥�

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The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is partnering with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law to conduct a free online workshop on Nov. 19 for entrepreneurs who are thinking about starting their first business during the pandemic.

鈥淭he pandemic has caused a job loss of unprecedented heights,鈥� said Kim Vu-Dinh, director of the Business Innovations Clinic at Bowen. 鈥淎t the Business Innovations Legal Clinic, we are getting a lot of calls from recently laid-off workers who are trying to pivot by making a living as a small business owner. A lot of our clients have never been business owners before, and it鈥檚 important that they position themselves to succeed.鈥�

The webinar, 鈥淧ivot! Key Legal Issues to Consider When Starting a Business for the First Time,鈥� will be held from 10-11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19. The webinar will guide participants through the legal steps of starting a new business and the resources available to new business owners to assist with business planning and concept development.

鈥淲e are grateful to the Business Innovations Clinic for helping educate first-time business owners about the legal aspects of starting a business,鈥� said Laura Fine, state director of ASBTDC. 鈥淜im and the law students are offering an important service by showing small businesses how they can avoid legal pitfalls. I鈥檓 proud our university is actively supporting small business owners through ASBTDC and the legal clinic, particularly amid the coronavirus pandemic.鈥�

The Business Innovations Clinic provides high-quality, pro bono transactional legal counsel to small businesses and nonprofits working in economic development. Marquisa Wince and Richard Wolford, law students who work in the clinic, will lead the webinar.

鈥淭he workshop my students will be giving walks the audience members through the major legal traps we see small business owners walk into,鈥� Vu-Dinh said. 鈥淗opefully, we can prevent that and get folks putting their best foot forward on this new path.鈥�

Those who would like to attend the workshop . For more information, call 501-683-7095.

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The Clinic also hosts about a dozen community legal workshops a year throughout the region, and manages the Innov-Eat Caf茅, an incubator space where the Clinic鈥檚 food clients sell catered items on the law school campus.

鈥淎rkansas is filled with a lot of collaborative spirit. I think we are a good example of a how a school can use its many disciplines to serve the community. We get referrals from the business school and the public administration program on main campus, and now we鈥檙e even getting referrals and students from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service鈥檚 Social Enterprise student club.鈥�

Social enterprises, Professor Vu-Dinh explains, are the Clinic鈥檚 fastest growing type of clients. They are organizations that have a double bottom line of producing sustainable revenue while also addressing a community need.

鈥淚鈥檝e always had an interest in social enterprises, and most of my career before academia has been about helping nonprofits create viable sources of income while serving community-based needs. Now, through the Clinic I also get to help for-profit businesses meet the same goals. The experiential education format is perfect for this too; students get to see how their law degree can serves the community while generating revenue.鈥�

Professor Vu-Dinh also recently became an adjunct instructor at the Clinton School of Public Service where she teaches about social enterprises.

So it wasn鈥檛 entirely surprising that she was asked to consult at another university interested in doing the same. What was surprising was that this university was in Kosovo, a small European nation only recently recognized by the US and the European Union in 2008. Once part of the former Yugoslavia during the Soviet era, Albanian Kosovars spent approximately a decade fighting for its independence from Serbia after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. Serbia still considers Kosovo one of its disputed territories, despite having removed the last of its troops in the late 1990s after NATO shelled Kosovo in order to stop the Serbian campaign of ethnic cleansing.

鈥淚 know there were plenty of qualified people who applied for the consulting position, but Kosovars have a strong affinity to Bill Clinton because of his role in persuading NATO to enter Kosovo. My professional experience was relevant, but Kosovo is the only foreign country I鈥檝e ever been to where most people had heard of Arkansas, and I think that helped.鈥�

Professor Vu-Dinh was awarded a Fulbright Specialist scholarship to work with the academic leaders at the University of Applied Sciences at Ferizaj, Kosovo, (糖心Vlog传媒SF) a newly created institution focused on sustainable engineering, architecture, sustainable tourism, and business. (The Fulbright cultural exchange program was founded in the 1940鈥檚 by US Senator William J. Fulbright who hailed from Arkansas.) For three weeks last winter, Professor Vu-Dinh met with 糖心Vlog传媒SF faculty and administration, government leaders, and local entrepreneurs. The experience made a lasting impact on her.

鈥淭he work itself was straightforward and definitely in my wheelhouse, but I still learned so much from the people I met. The stories they told me of life during Serbian occupation were unreal鈥攕ome of them had been freedom fighters before obtaining multiple PhDs overseas. Others actually got refugee status and citizenship in wealthy nations like England and Switzerland and could have lived comfortably as educated professionals over there, but their dedication to their country drove them to return. It was really touching to hear their appreciation for the U.S. Some people over there tear up when they recite speeches given by Bill Clinton and G.W. Bush.; others referred to Arkansas as 鈥榯he land of Bill Clinton鈥欌� just had to bring them to Arkansas to share their experiences with my students and colleagues.鈥�

With the help of the Clinton School of Public Service, she will. In fall 2020, Professor Vu-Dinh will be hosting a panel with a delegation of five educational leaders from Kosovo, to share their stories of surviving war, re-building their nation, and paving a new path for higher education. The panel will be held at the Clinton School of Public Service as part of the Clinton Speakers Series, is free of charge and open to the public.

鈥淚 think their experiences will be really interesting to the students of the law school and the Clinton School. They鈥檒l learn about what it means to dedicate yourself to service, about navigating a new legal system that has the remnants of an old, totalitarian regime; they鈥檒l learn about why it鈥檚 important to generate revenue AND serve a public interest mission. In turn, the Kosovar delegates will get to see how a university can support the local economy and create learning opportunities for students at the same time.鈥�

And of course, they鈥檒l get to see Arkansas, 鈥渢he land of Bill Clinton.鈥�

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