The trip, arranged by the Dominican Bar Association, benefited more than 80 law students from 13 different law schools.

“As an affinity bar association, we recognize the important role we play in creating meaningful and prestigious educational experiences for our students,” the association said in an Instagram post. “As the first Latina and third woman to serve on the [United States] Supreme Court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor serves as a beacon of hope and source of inspiration for our students and general membership.”

Students who attended were welcomed to the United States Supreme Court where they received a distinguished lecture by a staff member, followed by a Q&A session with Justice Sotomayor. Afterwards, the students received a tour of the court’s chambers, and later participated in a discussion with the Supreme Court Justice.

“The biggest thing that I learned from Justice Sotomayor is that you shouldn’t disqualify yourself from anything,” Wallace said. “She was very honest with us, sharing that she didn’t have the expectations or goals of being a supreme court justice when she was in high school or college, but she kept pushing herself and never looked at something and thought she couldn’t do it, and I think that’s an important skill to learn and mental muscle to develop.”

Wallace described the experience as surreal, expressing that she hopes it’s the first of many similar opportunities for Bowen students.

“The experience was almost surreal,” Wallace said. “As a first generation American and a first-generation law student studying in Arkansas, opportunities like this can often feel out of reach. I was the only person who attended who was not from the Tri-State area. In fact, I’m the only person who attended from the Southern region, so it was very important to me to be able to attend and represent not only the south, but Arkansas, and all communities that I’m apart of,” said Wallace. “I hope this is the first of many trips of its kind for Bowen’s students.”

Wallace’s trip was sponsored by two of Arkansas’ largest and most prominent law firms and longtime supporters of Bowen, Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP and Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, PLLC.

“Friday and Mitchell have been longtime, reliable supporters of LALSA,” Wallace said. “With their support, in addition to experiences like this, we’ve been able to send our students to conferences all over the country, participate in mock-trial competitions, and award the highest number of scholarships than any other Bowen student organization each year. We wouldn’t be able to do any of this without their support.”

The post Bowen Law Student Attends Distinguished Lecture and Discussion with Supreme Court Justice appeared first on William H. Bowen School of Law.

The Bowen Law School Pathway Program was recently awarded the American Bar Association (ABA) 2024 Alexander Award for Excellence in Pipeline Diversity.

The Alexander Award, named after the life and legacy of two legal trailblazers, Raymond Pace Alexander and Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, was created to honor an individual or organization that has demonstrated exemplary leadership and success in building educational pipelines to law school and the legal profession for underrepresented students.

“We are honored to receive the ABA’s Alexander Award for Excellence in Pipeline Diversity,” says andré cummings, Associate Dean for Faculty Development and co-founder of the Bowen Law School Center for Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform. “Our pathway program works diligently to ensure that underrepresented Arkansas communities and those that have been historically discriminated against have opportunities that they may not otherwise.”

Through the pathway program students receive expert Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) instruction, experience mock classes, and are offered an opportunity to visit the school, meet the dean, and learn more about the admissions process. Since its inception in 2019, the Bowen Law School Pathway Program has engaged more than 100 students, many of whom have enrolled at Bowen and other law schools throughout the country.

The award was accepted earlier this month by Associate Dean cummings and a former pathway program participant and current first-year law student, Lubna Yunus, at the annual ABA mid-year meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.

“I will never forget meeting Dean cummings for the first time,” Yunus says. “It was the best thing that could have ever happened to me in terms of pursuing my dreams of becoming a lawyer. Today, I am a first-year law student at Bowen, and every day I look forward to the day I will take the bar exam and become a very strong advocate for victims of domestic violence and children with special needs.”

The post Bowen Pathway Program Awarded American Bar Association 2024 Alexander Award for Excellence in Pipeline Diversity appeared first on William H. Bowen School of Law.

On April 12, 2022, the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers–Law Student Division at the recognized pioneering attorney and Bowen alumna Carolyn B. Witherspoon. At a luncheon in her honor, the student chapter awarded Witherspoon the Justice Annabelle Imber Tuck Distinguished Woman of the Year Award.

“AAWL had a profound impact on me as a law student and then as a young female lawyer,” Witherspoon said. “There were very few female lawyers when I started out, and AAWL brought them all together. The organization provided opportunities for newer lawyers to gain mentors and develop leadership skills. I am proud to be a member.”

Witherspoon is one of the founders and directors of , an Arkansas law firm with offices in Little Rock and Fayetteville. She practices employment defense law and provides extensive training for employers. Witherspoon served as the first female President of the Arkansas Bar Association and is former Chair of its Labor and Employment Law Section. She is also a member of the American Bar Association, where she served as Chair of the Commission on Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts and is a member of the Labor and Employment Law Section.

Witherspoon is a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association, the Arkansas Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, Union Internationale des Avocats, Women in Sports Law, and American Employment Law Counsel, and is a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. She is an arbitrator for The Court of Arbitration for Sport and a member of the American Arbitration Association Roster of Employment Arbitrators and Mediators.

In addition to her work for clients, Witherspoon provides legal services to Arkansans in need through VOCALS — the Volunteer Organization Center for Arkansas Legal Services. She was an original founder of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas and has served as its president. Witherspoon is on the Little Rock Sister Cities Commission and the Board of Directors for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. She was recently inducted into the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame.

“AAWL is honored to be able to present Ms. Witherspoon with our Distinguished Woman of the Year Award,” said outgoing student chapter president Caitlyn Brainerd. “Her efforts and contributions do not go unnoticed, and we are appreciative that she has paved the way for future women lawyers in Arkansas.”

The is a service-based organization whose goals include furthering the interests of women lawyers and their service to the legal profession, advancing the administration of justice according to law, and aiding the courts in carrying on the administration of justice. The group encourages collegiality among women lawyers and provides a program of continuing legal education.

The student chapter works to foster collegiality among female students and arranges mentors from the AAWL parent chapter for its members. It also provides a social outlet for women in law school.

The Distinguished Woman of the Year award is named for Justice Annabelle Imber Tuck. A 1977 Bowen graduate, Tuck served as the first female justice elected to the Arkansas Supreme Court.  Now retired from the bench, she serves as a Public Service Fellow and Jurist-in-Residence at Bowen.

The AAWL student chapter presents this award each April to a woman lawyer who has made notable contributions to the Arkansas legal community. Nominations for next year’s recipient will open in February 2023.

The post AAWL student chapter honors Witherspoon as Distinguished Woman of the Year appeared first on William H. Bowen School of Law.

Vanegas, a rising third-year student at Bowen, has been elected to serve as the NLLSA Director of Community Service. Her responsibilities include organizing the community service event at the NLLSA annual conference. Vanegas will serve as a liaison with the host school to research and plan a community service/pro-bono opportunity for conference attendees.

Vanegas is a first-generation college graduate from Sedalia, Missouri, who completed her undergraduate degree at Rockhurst University in 2018 with majors in communication studies, Spanish, and psychology. Prior to law school, she was employed as a paralegal—assisting victims of domestic violence in filing protection orders and working on various other family law matters.

In addition to the NLLSA position, Vanegas serves as the president of Bowen’s Latin American Law Students Association, and a member of Bowen’s National Trial Competition Team, the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers student chapter, and the Phi Alpha Delta Robinson Chapter. She is also on the Hispanic National Bar Association Region XII’s planning committee, helping organize their first Summit this fall. Lastly, she is on the Board of Directors for El Zocalo, Central Arkansas’s largest immigrant resource center. Her legal interests include immigration, employment, family, and criminal law.

Wallace, a rising second-year student at Bowen, has been elected to serve as NLLSA South Atlantic Regional Director. In this position, she will be communicating, advocating, and requesting resources for LALSA chapters from law schools in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Wallace is a first-generation college graduate from San Antonio, Texas. She completed her undergraduate studies at Regis University in Denver in 2020, earning an undergraduate degree in neuroscience. Wallace minored in Spanish and peace and justice, discovering that she was drawn more toward her minor studies rather than her major courses. Her legal interests include social justice advocacy and criminal justice reform.

In addition to the NLLSA position, Wallace is the vice president of Bowen’s Latin American Law Students Association and is serving as a student observer in Court Observation Arkansas, a project of Bowen’s Center for Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform. She is also a member of the Bowen chapter of the Black Law Students Association.

The post Law students named to national executive board appeared first on William H. Bowen School of Law.

Each year, the Student Affairs Office selects a Student Organization of the Year. Selection is based on their community involvement, on-campus engagement, and volunteerism.

The 2021 Student Organization of the Year is OutLaw Legal Society. They also received the award for 2019.

The group’s mission includes promoting diversity, raising awareness of legal issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, and maintaining an open atmosphere of respect, equality and justice for all. It is an affiliate of .

“Each student organization is asked to submit a resume to aid us in selecting the most outstanding group. In these resumes, we are looking for campus engagement, community involvement, and unique ways the groups have stood out over the past year,” said Student Affairs Program Manager Rebecca Nugent. “There is no denying OutLaw was extremely passionate when submitting their resume. Not only was it seven pages, but it also included pictures and great detail. They exceeded my expectations of a resume. I felt as if I was at each of the events listed.”

During 2021, OutLaw Legal Society:

• Partnered with Legal Aid of Arkansas and the Center for Arkansas Legal Services by volunteering at legal clinics to provide pro bono services to low-income individuals who needed assistance with name and gender marker changes.
• Raised awareness regarding Arkansas’s anti-trans legislation, including hosting educational panels with law professors and legislators and participating in a peaceful protest at the state capitol.
• Reached out to prospective, incoming, and current students by participating in panel discussions, hosting a volleyball tournament mixer and stress relief events, as well as conducting a Friendsgiving dinner.
• President Caleb Alexander-McKinzie testified before the Arkansas legislature regarding Arkansas’s housing laws and provided evidence of how housing issues disproportionately affect populations of color and the LGBTQI+ community.
• Led education events regarding health care issues affecting the queer community, including a panel with ĚÇĐÄVlog´ŤĂ˝MS. In cooperation with SAGE, an LGBTQI+ senior advocacy non-profit, OutLaw treasurer Jeramy Ashton presented information about health deficiencies specifically related to LGBTQI+ care.
• Created a scholarship fund for its members and amended its bylaws to expand its organization and executive board.
• Led two successful organizational fundraisers and a Giving Tuesday campaign to increase scholarship funds.
• Led social media awareness campaigns for World AIDS Day, Coming Out Day, and Black History Month (featuring historic Black queer icons).
• Completed community service events including adopting a fire hydrant in the MacArthur Dog Park and conducting a holiday supply drive for Lucie’s Place, a local non-profit organization dedicated to rehousing queer youth who may be unsheltered.
• Conducted a professional development workshop for members to provide interview training that was tailored for a queer dialogue.

In addition, OutLaw is the only student organization with fully trained university safe zone members. Until OutLaw’s action, SafeZone training was not open to students. Two Outlaw members are trained and serve on the university’s SafeZone committee.

OutLaw received recognition at The Bowen Awards on April 1, 2022. The group is one of Bowen’s 22 registered and active law student organizations.

The post OutLaw Legal Society named Student Organization of the Year appeared first on William H. Bowen School of Law.

Caleb Alexander-McKinzie, a third-year student at the ĚÇĐÄVlog´ŤĂ˝ Little Rock William H.  Bowen School of Law, has been recognized by as one of the top ten law students of the year.

Alexander-McKinzie grew up in DeValls Bluff, graduated from high school in Des Arc, and started college at UCA immediately after graduation. But soon after starting, he realized he needed a break. That break turned into a 10-year hiatus.

During that time, he worked in industrial construction and Live Immersive Training for a military contractor. These jobs meant wide travel, good pay, and a few months of down time each year. During his time off, he began volunteering with , a Central Arkansas non-profit that serves the unsheltered community, building relationships and meeting the immediate material needs of people experiencing homelessness. The goal is simple: Meet people where they are with what they need. No questions. No apologies. Just help. As Alexander-McKinzie built relationships, he found a continuing thread through each story – many people were experiencing homelessness due to a bad experience with the legal system in some capacity.

These stories led him to law, and the passion for telling them led him to law school.

“My goal was always law school after I met my friends in the unsheltered community,” Alexander-McKinzie said. “The law has to be punitive sometimes, but it doesn’t need to be debilitative. The law shouldn’t be a catalyst to extreme poverty or a barrier that locks people into a crippling cycle of economic destitution.”

That realization led him back to college at ĚÇĐÄVlog´ŤĂ˝ Little Rock to finish his undergraduate degree and then to Bowen for law school.

“So much of what I want to do is affected by how the constitution is interpreted,” he explains. “Both with the unsheltered community and as a gay man who lives in the south.” Caleb sees the two topics as being elaborately intertwined. The LGBTQ+ community is disproportionately represented among those who lack shelter. For him, they are two parts of a larger issue.

Alexander-McKinzie is a past president of Bowen’s OutLaw Legal Society, having served in this role during his second year of law school.  He decided not to serve a second term because he believes the group is stronger if they can provide leadership growth for first-year and second-year members. “I ran for and was elected secretary, and I’m still very much involved with the organization.”

That involvement has led to one of Alexander-McKinzie’s favorite law school experiences. Due in part to the virtual meeting format required by Covid, OutLaw was able to host a discussion on proposed hate-crime legislation in Arkansas and how, at that time, Arkansas was one of three states that didn’t have any such legislation. Panelists including historians, human rights campaigners, constitutional law scholars, and a bipartisan group of Arkansas legislators. Attendees were able to give input to legislators about the legislation they were drafting.

In addition to his work with OutLaw, Alexander-McKinzie clerked at the Arkansas Municipal League this summer. He served as an inquiry clerk, fielding legal questions from cities/towns in Arkansas and researching answers to those questions. He also helped counsel draft and craft legislation and spoke with all levels of government about the impact of legislation.

“I loved helping the League further their mission of making sure Arkansas municipal bodies have a voice in legislation,” Alexander-McKinzie said. “For me, positive change starts with good policy.” Over the past year, he also helped found and continues to serve on the board of directors of Arkansans for Stronger Communities, a non-profit organization advocating for and helping to craft legislation to change the landlord-tenant laws in Arkansas. The group’s efforts were influential in a piece of legislation that serves as a foundation for change in Arkansas landlord-tenant law. “We are closer now than ever before in joining 49 other states who protect tenants with a functional Warranty of Habitability. If you want to make homelessness brief and rare, you start with affordable and safe housing options. I’ve had people contact me for tents and sleeping bags because the structures they were renting were unsafe and unsound. They had to choose between their health and homelessness. That’s a crushing choice.”

He’s also still heavily involved with The Van. He drives to the unsheltered communities most weekends, taking them clothing, hygiene items, and camping supplies.

“Law students will sometimes see me in the park talking with community members who happen to be unsheltered,” Alexander-McKinzie said, smiling. “They always look worried until I tell them, ‘It’s good. I know that guy. I was just taking him a pair of pants.’”

In addition to his law school studies and his work, he and a panel of friends host a podcast—Southern Fried Geekery.  The group of professionals talk about comics and graphic novels.  It’s a life-long passion.

“My obsession started with superheroes, as most collectors do, but it grew from there, again as most do,” he explains. “Comics are a story-telling medium. It’s not a genre–it encompasses all genres. It’s a different way of telling a story and presenting a theme that may, at times, be easier to understand. That doesn’t make it any less serious as a critique.”

“When I met Roger, I was a Harley-riding, tattooed, construction worker. Now I’m a comic book nerd/law student who talks a lot about bell hooks,” Caleb joked.

Alexander-McKinzie’s post-graduation plan is to stay in Little Rock. His husband has a career here as an RN. They met in 2011 and were married in 2016. In addition to Roger and their three dogs, the people The Van helps are here. The work is here.

“I want to stay local and help those people overcome extreme poverty and homelessness,” he said. “I don’t want to leave LGBTQ kids who can’t leave the state behind. I don’t want to leave folks living outside. Renters need protections in my neighborhood. These are the people who inspired me to get this far, and I owe it to these folks to use the tools I’ve been given here at home.”

“I don’t know if I can make a dent in it, but I’m certainly going to try.”

The post Caleb Alexander-McKinzie recognized as one of the top ten law students of the year appeared first on William H. Bowen School of Law.

“Rose Law Firm is delighted to support this trial competition and congratulates each student participant,” said , member and past president of the Arkansas Bar Association. ‘We hope this experience adds to your Bowen education in meaningful and lasting ways. Participating in such a competition is one of my fondest law school memories. Good luck to all!”

Last year, Bowen’s chapter sent one team. The students, who were all new competitors, finished fourth in regional competition. Three of those team members are returning to compete this year.  They’ve also recruited a second team of more junior students to help ensure this competition becomes a Bowen tradition.

“The members of the Black Law Students Association are extremely grateful for the contribution from Rose Law Firm,” said Ashley Pratt, the chapter’s president. “It was important for us to be able to send students to the competition again this year after doing so well last year, and Rose Law Firm has assisted with making that happen.”

Bobby Forrest, who coached last year’s BLSA team, is returning this year and will coach both teams with assistance from Kendrell Collins, who serves as a federal public defender.

Trial team members include:

Tonisha Cox. Tonisha is a third-year law student from East St. Louis, Illinois. She graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science. Tonisha is also a member of Bowen’s trial team. Throughout her time in law school, she has enjoyed being a member of several organizations as well as clerking at several firms in the Little Rock area.

ZoĂŤ Harris. ZoĂŤ is a third-year law student from Camden, Arkansas. She graduated from ĚÇĐÄVlog´ŤĂ˝ Little Rock and earned her undergraduate degree in criminal justice. ZoĂŤ has clerked at the Pulaski County Prosecutor’s Office and has worked with decARcerate and Abolish Private Prisons. She is currently a fellow for Bowen’s court observation project, a program within the law school’s Center for Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform.

Mykayla Milchling. Mykayla is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated in 3 years from Chestnut Hill College, majoring in global affairs and minoring in both political science and religious studies. Her passion for justice and inclusivity led her to become President of Chestnut Hill’s Black Student Union and intern at an internationally renowned NGO, Global Education Motivators. Mykayla’s most valuable legal experience thus far has been clerking for Arkansas Access to Justice, where she conducted research regarding the controversial criminal eviction statute in Arkansas. She is incredibly excited to learn from her teammates and compete this year.

Ashley Pratt. Ashley is originally from Mississippi, where she participated on her high school mock trial team.  She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in criminal justice from the University of Mississippi. Before coming to law school, Ashley worked at the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Office. She is the current president of Bowen’s BLSA chapter.

Cassius Price. Cassius is a third-year law student from Atlanta, Georgia. While attending Morehouse College, he was a volunteer for the Georgia Innocence Project, where he helped build cases doing everything from interviews to evidence collection. Cassius has clerked for Arkansas Public Defender Commission and the Pulaski County Public Defender’s Office. Cassius is also a member of Bowen’s trial team and received an Advocacy Award in Bowen’s most recent trial competition.

Erin Snelling. Erin is a second-year law student and Little Rock native. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from Mississippi State University. She currently working at the Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and is looking forward to clerking at Friday, Eldredge and Clark during the spring semester. She is excited to learn more about the mock trial experience and to meet other regional competitors.

Tashia Sowell. Tashia is a third-year law student from Glastonbury, Connecticut. While personal experiences inspired her to study law, her desire to become a change-agent in communities led to her interest in criminal law. Tashia has clerked at the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas Probation and Pretrial Services Office, the Office of the Arkansas Attorney General’s Criminal Department and is currently clerking at the Pulaski County Prosecutor’s Office. Tashia is excited to begin working for the New York Law Department after law school.

Lethia Washington. Lethia is a third-year law student from Atlanta, Georgia. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in mass communications from Valdosta State University. Throughout her time in law school, she has enjoyed working in the law school library and clerking at several law firms in the Little Rock area. Lethia is also a member of Bowen’s trial team, a member of ĚÇĐÄVlog´ŤĂ˝ Little Rock Law Review, and serves as a mentor in Bowen’s mentorship program.

“We are excited for these students to represent Bowen in the competition,” said Dean Theresa Beiner. “And we are grateful for Rose Law Firm’s support as our BLSA chapter rebuilds this tradition at Bowen.”

The post BLSA chapter heads to trial competition with help from Rose Law Firm appeared first on William H. Bowen School of Law.

The has created the Center for Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform. The Center recently received approval by both the ĚÇĐÄVlog´ŤĂ˝ System Board of Trustees and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

The Center’s mission is to advance legal equity, access to justice, and fairness in Arkansas and the region. Bowen professors Anastasia Boles and andré douglas pond cummings co-founded the Center and will act as its co-directors.

“The Center will provide educational and professional development opportunities for Bowen law students, empowering them to become the next generation of legal leaders,” said Boles. “Research fellowships, such as the newly created Sam Reeves Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform Fellowship, will provide stipends for student researchers.”

In addition, the Center will focus on specific criminal justice research projects while offering workshops and educational events for the legal community and the community as a whole.

“The Center is enthusiastic about engaging with stakeholders across the state, including the legal and law enforcement communities, academics, students, and community members, in developing research tools and sharing data to improve the lives of all Arkansans,” said cummings.

Another part of the Center’s mission is to increase diversity in law school and the legal profession. The law school recently received a $25,000 grant from the Building Black Communities Fund, coordinated by the Arkansas Community Foundation and the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative, to create and implement a law school pipeline program that will include an LSAT prep course as well as prospective student visits to the law school to sit in on classes and learn how to navigate the law school application process. The course will be part of Bowen’s existing pipeline programs with Arkansas historically Black colleges and universities.

An advisory group of leaders, policymakers, and criminal justice experts from across the state representing a range of perspectives and experiences will support the Center’s work. This will ensure the Center and its initiatives are designed and executed in a way that maximizes collaboration, engagement, efficiency, transparency, and credibility.

“The Center is firmly rooted in Bowen’s core values of access to justice, public service, and professionalism,” said Dean Theresa M. Beiner. “The events over the past year have brought these values to the forefront. Many students choose to attend law school because they seek to improve their communities and to be part of local, regional, and national conversations about the legal system. The Center, through research opportunities and educational programs, will give them the opportunity to achieve those goals.”

The Center will build on other Bowen initiatives, including the Racial Disparities in the Arkansas Criminal Justice System Research Project. That project released a 2015 report analyzing racial disparities in Arkansas criminal sentencing and has worked with the community to examine criminal justice issues. In addition, the Rural Practice Incubator Project trains and supports new attorneys who wish to open law practices in underserved counties in Arkansas. Bowen’s public service externship program also provides students opportunities to work in federal, state, and local court systems, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.

“The Center for Racial Justice and Criminal Justice at the Bowen Law School builds on a long-standing institutional commitment to foster discussion of racial equity issues in our communities,” said ĚÇĐÄVlog´ŤĂ˝ Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale. “Chancellor Joel Anderson made this commitment explicit in 2003 when he implemented the annual Racial Attitudes Survey to promote racial equity through research and dialogue. We are proud to continue this public service tradition through our new center at the Bowen School of Law.”

The post Bowen announces new Center for Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform appeared first on William H. Bowen School of Law.

During the celebration, Bowen will recognize three distinguished alumni. Each was nominated by their peers for their contributions to the legal community, their commitment to legal education, and their leadership within the state.

This year’s honorees are:

The Honorable Joyce Williams Warren (Retired Circuit Judge) graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (ĚÇĐÄVlog´ŤĂ˝LR) with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology in 1971. She started her law studies in 1971, and Warren holds the honor of being the first black female graduate of what is now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Her graduation was the beginning of a career of “firsts” for this trailblazing alumna.

• 1977 – first black law clerk for the Arkansas Supreme Court, serving Associate Justice Darrell Hickman.
• 1983 – first black female judge in Arkansas when she was appointed as a juvenile court judge by county judge Don Venhaus.
• 1986 – first black female appointee and the first black chairperson of the Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners.
• 1990 – first black judge elected to a state-level trial court judgeship in Arkansas.
• 1993 – first black person elected to the Arkansas Judicial Council Board of Directors.
• 2010 – first black president of the Arkansas Judicial Council.
• 2011 – first female Chairperson of the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission.

Warren has served on two separate American Bar Association advisory committees related to juvenile and domestic justice. She has also served on the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Permanency Planning for Children Department Advisory Committee.

In October 2000, the Arkansas Coalition for Juvenile Justice named Warren “Juvenile Judge of the Year.”

She helped create the Pulaski County Safe Babies Court Team in 2009, and presided over Safe Babies Court Team cases until her retirement. In 2014, the National Council of Juvenile Court Judges designated 10th Division Circuit Court, Juvenile Division, over which Judge Warren presided, as an Implementation Sites Court. That Court was also trauma-informed and trauma-responsive.

On December 31, 2020, Judge Warren retired from her position as 10th Division Circuit Judge, having presided over juvenile and domestic relations cases for over 31 years. She is a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the Arkansas Bar Association, the Pulaski County Bar Associations, and the W. Harold Flowers Law Society. She is a board member of the Arkansas Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (JLAP) Foundation and the Arkansas Commission for Parent Counsel.

In June of this year, the Arkansas Bar Association and the Arkansas Bar Foundation chose her as “Outstanding Jurist of the Year.” She is the first black person to receive this award.

She was, and still is, an ardent supporter of appropriate evidence-based programs and services for children and families, and serves as a Judicial Consultant for ZERO TO THREE related to the Infant Toddler Court Program (ITCP).

Sherry Bartley entered law school as a non-traditional law student and earned a Juris Doctor with Honors from what is now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law in 1979. During her time as a student, she served as editor-in-chief of the ĚÇĐÄVlog´ŤĂ˝ Little Rock Law Review.

Upon graduation, she served as law clerk to Arkansas Supreme Court Justice John A. Fogleman. In 1980, she became an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. From 1983 to 1984, she served as Assistant Director of the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute in Washington D.C. where she co-directed the training institute for all assistant U.S. Attorneys in the nation. Bartley was recruited to Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. as a trial lawyer, and in 1986 she was elected a member of the firm.

Throughout her career, Bartley has demonstrated her commitment to her profession and to sharing her legal knowledge. She mentors young attorneys in her firm and was an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at Bowen for over ten years. She has also served as an instructor at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and Arkansas Advocacy Institute.

Bartley has been a consistent supporter of legal aid in Arkansas. She has been both a pro bono attorney and a donor to VOCALS (Volunteer Organization of the Center for Arkansas Legal Services) since 1982 and has represented many low-income clients. Bartley served on the board of directors of the Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS) from 1990 to 1999, and served as board chair from 1994 to 1996.  In addition, Bartley served as the pro bono coordinator for Mitchell Williams from 1997 through 2020.

Bartley served on the Arkansas State Board of Bar Examiners from 1998 to 2004, serving as Chair in 2004. As a member of the Board, she wrote exam questions specific to Arkansas law and her area of practice. She also graded bar exams each time it was administered.

Bartley has been actively involved with the Arkansas Bar Foundation. since she was selected to become a Fellow in 1996 and served as President in 2004-2005. With her leadership and collaboration, she helped acquire the current location for the Arkansas Bar Center on Cottondale Lane.

Bartley served as a Director of the Arkansas Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Foundation from 1998 to 2004. She also has years of service and involvement in the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Arkansas, Chapter serving as President in 2017.

Price Gardner earned his Juris Doctor from what is now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law in 1988. During his time as a student, he served as managing editor of the ĚÇĐÄVlog´ŤĂ˝ Little Rock Law Review. Following graduation from law school, he obtained an LL.M in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Gardner joined Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP, in 1989. In 2019, he was named managing partner. In 2021, the firm received the Olivia Farrell Gender Equity Leadership Award from the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, recognizing the firm’s commitment to the values of equality and equity and its efforts in creating and fostering a gender-equitable business environment. Also in 2021, the firm created the Friday Forward Fellowship with the goal to increase the number of law school students from diverse backgrounds by providing financial aid to attend an LSAT prep course and a mentorship with a firm attorney during their undergraduate and law school careers.

A 1984 graduate of Arkansas State University and four-year letterman in football, Gardner continues to be actively involved with the university.  In 2017, he was appointed to the Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees by Governor Hutchinson. This year Gardner began his term as chairman of the board. During his term, he has overseen completion of the Henderson State University merger into the ASU System and the expansion of the board from five members to seven.

In addition, Gardner and his wife, Sara, have established the Price and Sara Gardner Pre-law Scholarship at Arkansas State University in order to help students who are interested in pursuing a career in law.

Gardner is recognized for his expertise in tax, real estate, and transactional law. Recent projects include the formation of Delta Peanut, LLC in Northeast, Arkansas, a farmer-owned peanut processing and marketing company serving more than 80 family farms in Arkansas, Missouri, and Louisiana, and the acquisition of The Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, LLC (CTEH) by Montrose Environmental in a transaction valued at $280 million.

He is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) and a member of Fifty for the Future, the Arkansas and American Bar Associations, the Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre Board, and the Red Wolves Foundation. He and Sara have two children: Megan Adams, a pharmacist at the Central Arkansas Veterans Hospital; and David Gardner, who will be a first-year law student at Bowen this fall.

The post Bowen to honor three distinguished alumni at anniversary gala appeared first on William H. Bowen School of Law.

The has received a $25,000 grant from the Building Black Communities Fund, coordinated by the Arkansas Community Foundation and the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative.

The law school’s Center for Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform (the Center) will use the grant to fund its law school admissions test (LSAT) prep course as part of the law school’s Minority Student Law School Pipeline Program.

“The legal field needs more diverse attorneys, judges, and leaders,” said Theresa Beiner, dean of the law school. “There are many talented students from underrepresented groups. Many are first-generation college students who want to come to law school but are not sure how to get here. This prep course will provide them with an important tool to start them on that career path.”

Past experience with LSAT prep classes shows students can improve their scores by as much as 20 points with guided practice. This helps students improve their chances of admission to accredited law schools nationwide.

The grant allows the Center to expand on Bowen’s existing partnerships with Arkansas’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Currently, students graduating from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Philander Smith College with at least a 3.5 GPA who score 154 or higher on the LSAT are automatically accepted to and receive a scholarship from Bowen as long as they satisfy character and fitness requirements for admission.

“In 2020, Black students represented 7.79 percent of total incoming law students. Since 2011, the percentage of Black active attorneys in the United States has remained at five percent. This underrepresentation makes the journey for true justice for all a difficult one,” said Tamika Edwards, a member of the Building Black Communities Fund committee and a Bowen alumna. “I’m hopeful that intentional efforts like the Minority Student Law School Pipeline Program at the Bowen School of Law will eliminate these dire statistics. I’m proud that the Building Black Communities Fund is playing a pivotal role in supporting aspiring Black law students and positively impacting the legal profession overall.”

Participants in the program will receive 12 weeks of rigorous exam preparation, sit-in access to Bowen classes, and meetings with admissions staff to help with the admissions process. In addition, Bowen’s student organizations, including its chapters of the Black Law Students Association and the Latin American Law Students Association, will provide participants with mentors.

“This grant is about access to law school and, ultimately, the entire legal industry,” said Professor Anastasia Boles, a law professor at Bowen and the Center’s co-director. “It allows the Center to assist many more students to prepare for and enter law school. Consistent with the Center’s focus, this program will create a generation of Arkansas lawyers to engage in criminal justice system reform and further racial justice.”

The Arkansas Community Foundation is one of 20 community foundations in the U.S. selected to receive funding from Facebook, Inc. to manage grant making to support Black communities and Black-led nonprofits. This commitment is part of Facebook’s broader $1.1 billion investment in Black and diverse suppliers and communities in the U.S.

“Facebook, Inc. provided the funding, the Community Foundation provided the infrastructure to make the grants, and Black leaders in Central Arkansas determined which nonprofits received them,” said Heather Larkin, president and CEO of Arkansas Community Foundation.

The Community Foundation, in partnership with the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative, provided grants of up to $25,000 to support programs and initiatives specifically designed to impact Black people and communities in the Little Rock metropolitan statistical area, which includes Pulaski, Saline, Perry, Grant, Faulkner, and Lonoke Counties.

Grants are awarded to nonprofits serving in small business support and economic development, community improvement, human services and basic needs, civil rights, social action, leadership development and capacity building, education, health, and arts/culture/humanities.

“This significant grant funding will empower Black-led organizations to amplify their voice in the giving space,” said Derek Lewis of the Black Philanthropy Collaborative. “All 40 grant recipients were able to demonstrate established relationships and a good track record of working on activities that impact Black communities.”

The Building Black Communities Fund Advisory Committee members include: Kandice Bell, Office of the Governor Asa Hutchinson; Joyvin Benton, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute; Alyson Bradford, State Farm; Tamika Edwards, Central Arkansas Water; Charlotte Green, Arkansas Imagination Library; Rev. Shantell Hill, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation; Derek Lewis II, Derek Lewis Foundation and Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative; Kendra Pruitt, Office of Mayor Frank Scott; Charles Stewart, Arkansas Black Hall of Fame; Kara Wilkins, Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative; and Darrin Williams, Southern Bancorp.

The post Bowen receives grant to fund LSAT prep course appeared first on William H. Bowen School of Law.