- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

KATV Reporter Uses Law Degree to Advocate for Arkansans

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 17:20:07 +0000

A KATV reporter is using the skills and knowledge she learned at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law to serve as a better advocate for Arkansans.�� Janelle Lilley Cline, a 34-year-old weekend anchor who lives in Little Rock, will graduate with a Juris Doctor during ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s fall commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Jack Stephens Center.�� As a journalist who covers the Arkansas legislature, Cline feared her gap in legal knowledge was impacting her ability to accurately report complex issues to the public.�� “I’d ask different legislators about a bill, and I would get completely different answers about how the law would affect Arkansans,” she said. “As a journalist, you want to fact check what people are telling you, but I couldn’t do that with the law. I wanted to understand the law better and how proposed laws would affect Arkansans.” On Nov. 7, 2014, Cline searched the internet on “how to go to law school” and learned she needed to take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) to apply. She took the test four weeks later and entered Bowen’s part-time law school program, the only program of its kind in the state, on a full ride in August 2015. “Bowen is the only law school I applied to, and they offered me a full scholarship,” Cline recalled. “I love my job, and I didn’t want to leave it. I decided to go to law school even if it meant working and going to school at the same time. It was worth it.” During law school, Cline had some life-changing experiences; she got engaged and married fellow Bowen law student, Jason Cline, a member of the Arkansas National Guard, in January 2017. The birth of their son, Luke, caused Cline to miss a final exam. “I had my son during the first day of exams in April 2018,” Cline said. “I missed my insurance law exam because I was having a baby. I had to call my professor and tell her I wouldn’t make it, but I was able to take the exam the next week. I have a funny picture of me in the hospital studying insurance law in between contractions.” Cline counts Bowen professors Lindsey Gustafson, André Douglas Pond Cummings, and Michael Flannery as her mentors. Gustafson recalls Cline as an active student who made class discussions interesting. “Despite her busy life and the demands on her time, Janelle was always prepared to engage in and raise the level of discussion in class,” Gustafson said. “She is incredibly hard working, curious, and detailed in her learning. Beyond that, she is a kind, generous human being. She was a joy and will do great things in the world, and by that I mean great things for the world.” Cummings described Cline as a gifted law student and talented news anchor who inspired his own son to study broadcast journalism in college. “I fully expect that Janelle will become an important and consequential legal reporter and news anchor that could very well successfully practice entertainment law or First Amendment law if she so chooses,” Cummings said. “When I mentioned to Janelle that my teenage son was interested in a career in broadcast journalism, she immediately set him up with a two-week internship at KATV, which my son completed this summer. My son loved the experience.” At Bowen, Cline was able to gain practical legal knowledge through work opportunities. She served as a law clerk for Steel, Wright, & Collier and completed externships with Chief Judge Rita Gruber in the Arkansas Court of Appeals, Judge Carlton Jones in the Eighth South Judicial Circuit, and the Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. She’s especially grateful for the experience she gained working for Judge Gruber.�� “I will cherish my externship with Judge Rita Gruber for as long as I live,” Cline said. “Judge Gruber is everything I hoped a judge would be. She is thoughtful and serious about her job and was open to my recommendations in the memoranda I would write for her. It was memorable and so rewarding. I learned so much working in the actual court. It’s completely different than covering it as a reporter.”�� Cline says she fell in love with journalism completely by accident while attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. “As an undergrad, I was a double major in political science and communication studies,” Cline said. “I had to do an internship that satisfied the requirements for both, and I thought, ‘What’s better than NPR?’ That’s communication and politics all in one.” On her first day at NPR, Cline hit the ground running. Her new boss handed her a sheet with directions from MapQuest, a press release, and an audio recorder with instruction to complete her first assignment. “I called my mom and cried because I didn’t know how to be a journalist,” she said. “I was never planning on being a journalist. I overreported, but they helped me craft a story. That night, I heard my story on the radio, and I knew I had to do this for the rest of my life. From then on out, it was journalism forever.” As for her goal of being a better journalist, Cline’s legal knowledge has been especially helpful in reporting complex issues including legislation, court cases, and crimes. She recalls broadcasting for 10 hours straight in 2017 when reporting on the eight executions originally scheduled in Arkansas for April 2017, four of which were carried out. “During the executions, you had dozens of court cases making their way through the system with appeal after appeal,” Cline said. “I was able to explain to viewers why each appeal was happening, who was making the decision, and condense the legal arguments for the viewers. I never would have been able to do that without going to law school.” Earlier this year, Cline was part of a group of KATV journalists who won a Mid-America Emmy for their news special, “Arkansas Growing: The Journey from Legalization to Cultivation,” covering Arkansas’s legalization of medical marijuana and its impact on employment law. “I came to Bowen because I saw this deficiency in myself and my reporting, and I’m walking away feeling so much more confident in my ability to understand the law,” Cline said. “Being in law school has made me a better reporter. The questions I ask are sharper, and I know more going into interviews. I’m a little sad to graduate because it was such a good experience. I love learning, and I’ll be sad not to engage in my legal education every day.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen Law School, ��Vlog��ýPB create pipeline program

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 16:02:58 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff have created a 4+3 pipeline program to help undergraduate students earn a law degree. “Both schools have been working for several years to get this program in place,” said Bowen Dean Theresa Beiner. “Many of Bowen’s graduates are also ��Vlog��ýPB alumni. This program honors their paths to law school and paves the way for a long-term relationship with ��Vlog��ýPB and its students.” This new partnership recognizes ��Vlog��ýPB’s commitment to preparing students who aspire to law school and provides guaranteed acceptance to Bowen for ��Vlog��ýPB graduates who meet specific criteria. “Bowen consistently attracts quality applicants,” said Assistant Dean of Admissions Matthew Kerns. “With competition to enter the law school increasing, these programs reinforce our commitment to ��Vlog��ýPB students and the citizens of Arkansas and ensure that highly motivated graduates have spots at the law school.” The signing took place on the ��Vlog��ýPB campus on Dec. 3 and was attended by several students who took time away from their studies to come learn more about the program and to meet Dean Beiner and Dean Kerns.�� “This is going to be something great for our students to aspire to,” said Henry Brooks IV, instructor and program coordinator for the Political Science program at ��Vlog��ýPB. “We already have students who are interested in the Bowen School of Law.”�� Gabrielle Williams, a junior political science major at ��Vlog��ýPB, shared her excitement about the partnership and what it could mean for her legal career. “This is a stepping stone for students like me and the beginning of something great,” Williams said. ��Vlog��ýPB graduates qualify for the 4+3 program if they earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4; scored a 154 or above on the LSAT; and have no character and fitness issues that would disqualify them from being admitted to the bar. Prospective students can apply to the law school through lsac.org. Students must apply to Bowen and satisfactorily complete all admissions requirements. “The 4+3 pipeline program between ��Vlog��ýPB and the Bowen School of Law will allow current ��Vlog��ýPB students pursuing a bachelor’s of science degree in political science to seamlessly pursue a law degree,” said Dr. Robert Carr Jr., provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at ��Vlog��ýPB. “The beauty of this program is that it will set reasonable admissions requirements that students understand from day one. This is great for our students, ��Vlog��ýPB, the Bowen School of Law, and the state of Arkansas.” In addition to this program and other scholarship opportunities, Bowen offers a 25 percent tuition scholarship to accepted students who earned a bachelor’s degree from an historically black college or university in Arkansas. Bowen prepares students for a variety of careers, including roles as attorneys, judges, or other public service leadership positions. In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ýPB Chancellor Laurence Alexander (left) and Bowen Dean Theresa Beiner (right) sign an agreement to create a 4+3 pipeline agreement between the schools. Photo by Richard Redus.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen Law School, court system create Arkansas State Court Fellows Program

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 21:34:53 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and the Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts have announced the creation of the Arkansas State Court Fellows Program.��

The program will educate law students about the profession of court administration and the career opportunities available in the state and federal court systems.

Court administrators are essential components in the administration of justice. As the modern court system has become more complex, professional administrative staff allows judges to more efficiently fulfill their constitutional responsibilities. Court administrators work to provide executive direction and policy development for the court, ensuring efficient and effective judicial operations.

During the January 2020 intersession, Bowen will offer a one-hour credit course entitled “The Administration of the Courts.” The course will be open to all Bowen students who have completed at least their first year of law school but who are not scheduled to graduate in May 2020.

After the completion of that course, students will be eligible to apply to the Arkansas State Court Fellows Program. Two individuals will be selected. State Court Fellows will be invited to attend and observe the annual meeting of the Arkansas Association of Court Management and the Arkansas Trial Court Administrator Conference in May 2020.

During June and August 2020, the Administrative Office of the Courts will enroll the fellows and support their attendance and participation in the national court manager certification program offered through the National Center for State Courts. The program, consisting of six three-day courses usually offered with an enrollment fee of $750 per course, will be provided at no cost to the fellows. At the conclusion, the fellows will be qualified as Certified Court Managers, a national credential recognized by state court systems throughout the country.

In July 2020, each fellow will be placed as a paid intern in the office of a circuit court judge and court administrator so they may observe and participate in the work of a court administrator.

The State Court Partnership, a collaboration between Bowen and the National Center for State Courts, will provide assistance and support to the fellows following their selection and during their service. This will include preparing them for their service as fellows, establishing and managing the details of their internship, and serving as the first point of contact when questions arise from the fellows or from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

“This program offers a great opportunity for Bowen students to both learn about and engage in the profession of court administration,” said James Gingerich, director of the State Court Partnership and former director of the Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts. “At a national level, qualified and experienced court support professionals are in great demand. This partnership between Bowen and the Arkansas courts can serve as a model for other states where the search for highly skilled court employees, especially those with a law degree, is a high priority.”

In addition to the fellowship, the law school’s Career Services Office will actively search, compile, and share job postings in court administration in state and federal courts, particularly those requiring completion of a law degree, and assist interested students in their pursuit of a career in court administration.

“We are excited about this unique collaboration with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the State Court Partnership,” said Bowen Dean Theresa Beiner. “Court administrators are valuable members of public service communities, and they are important in helping courts address access to justice concerns. This program will help educate our students on the role administrators play and provide trained professionals for Arkansas’s court systems. It furthers Bowen’s core values of access to justice and public service.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen Law School, court system create Arkansas State Court Fellows Program

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 14:48:17 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and the Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts have announced the creation of the Arkansas State Court Fellows Program.�� The program will educate law students about the profession of court administration and the career opportunities available in the state and federal court systems.�� Court administrators are essential components in the administration of justice. As the modern court system has become more complex, professional administrative staff allows judges to more efficiently fulfill their constitutional responsibilities. Court administrators work to provide executive direction and policy development for the court, ensuring efficient and effective judicial operations.�� Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Kemp and State Court Administrator Marty Sullivan will be at the law school on Nov. 8 at noon to discuss the program with Bowen students. This will be the first of three one-hour presentations during the fall semester. Each session will focus on the work and role of court administrators in Arkansas.�� During the January 2020 intersession, Bowen will offer a one-hour credit course on the administration of the courts. The course will be open to all Bowen students who have completed their first year of law school but who are not scheduled to graduate in May 2020.�� After the completion of the course, students will be eligible to apply to the Arkansas State Court Fellows Program. Two students will be selected as fellows and invited to attend and observe the annual meeting of the Arkansas Association of Court Management and the Arkansas Trial Court Administrator Conference in May 2020.�� During June and August 2020, the Administrative Office of the Courts will enroll the fellows and support their attendance and participation in the national court manager certification program offered through the National Center for State Courts.�� The program, consisting of six three-day courses usually offered with an enrollment fee of $750 per course, will be provided at no cost to the fellows. At the end of the program, the fellows will be certified court managers, a national credential recognized by state court systems throughout the country. In July 2020, each fellow will be placed as a paid intern in the office of a circuit court judge and court administrator so they may observe and participate in the work of a court administrator.�� The State Court Partnership, a collaboration between Bowen and the National Center for State Courts, will provide assistance and support to the fellows following their selection and during their service. This will include preparing them for their service as fellows, establishing and managing the details of their internship, and serving as the first point of contact when questions arise from the fellows or from the Administrative Office of the Courts.�� “This program offers a great opportunity for Bowen students to both learn about and engage in the profession of court administration,” said James Gingerich, director of the State Court Partnership and former director of the Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts. “At a national level, qualified and experienced court support professionals are in great demand. This partnership between Bowen and the Arkansas courts can serve as a model for other states where the search for highly skilled court employees, especially those with a law degree, is a high priority.” In addition to this fellowship, the law school’s Career Services Office will actively search, compile, and share job postings in court administration in state and federal courts, particularly those requiring completion of a law degree, and assist interested students in their pursuit of a career in court administration.�� “We are excited about this unique collaboration with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the State Court Partnership,” said Bowen Dean Theresa Beiner. “Court administrators are valuable members of public service communities, and they are important in helping courts address access to justice concerns. This program will help educate our students on the role administrators play and provide trained professionals for Arkansas’s court systems. It furthers Bowen’s core values of access to justice and public service.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Philander Smith create pipeline program for minority law students

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 13:45:16 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and Philander Smith College announced the creation of a 4+3 pipeline program. This new partnership recognizes Philander Smith’s commitment to preparing aspiring law students and provides guaranteed acceptance to Bowen for Philander graduates who meet specific criteria. “Bowen consistently attracts quality applicants,” said Assistant Dean of Admissions Matthew Kerns. “With competition to enter the law school increasing, these programs reinforce our commitment to Philander Smith College students and the Little Rock community and ensure that highly motivated graduates have spots at the law school.” Philander Smith College alumni qualify for the 4+3 program if they earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4; scored a 154 or above on the LSAT; and have no character and fitness issues that would disqualify them from being admitted to the bar. Prospective students can apply to the law school through lsac.org. Students must apply to Bowen and satisfactorily complete all admissions requirements. In addition to this program and other scholarship opportunities, Bowen offers a 25 percent tuition scholarship to accepted students who earned a bachelor’s degree from an Arkansas historically black college or university.�� “We are incredibly gratified to be a partner with the Bowen School of Law to expand access to law school for our students,” said Philander Smith College President Roderick Smothers Sr. “As an institution rooted and grounded in social justice, we aim to graduate leaders who are equipped to fight inequality. This opportunity aligns with our mission, ensuring that legal scholars will be well-prepared for the front lines of service.”�� Bowen prepares students for a variety of careers, including roles as attorneys, judges or other public service leadership positions.��

Bowen Law Student uses legal knowledge to serve others with Legal Aid of Arkansas internship

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 12:53:17 +0000

You probably recognize Caleb Conrad, a 25-year-old student at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, as part of a trio of talented Benton natives, aptly named Triple Threat, which made it to the 2015 quarterfinals of “America’s Got Talent.”�� Now the singing sensation is using his talents to help Arkansans in need of a lawyer through a law clerk internship with Legal Aid of Arkansas’s Medical-Legal Partnership. The nonprofit partners with health care providers across the state to achieve lasting positive health outcomes for low-income patients and clients. Since 2011, Legal Aid of Arkansas has partnered with Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Walmart to create the first that integrates a corporate legal department into the service model. The partnership leverages the skills of the health care providers with those of attorneys who can help solve civil legal issues that impact health. Stationed at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Conrad handles cases that involve child and adult custody issues, orders of protection, special education plans, supplemental or income benefits, and health-related legal matters. “I’ve been to court multiple times getting adult guardianships for 18-year-olds with a condition like autism who still need care and supervision for their daily activities. That’s what the family needs,” he said. “A good attorney might charge thousands of dollars up front, and I know many families that cannot afford that much money. We try our best to equip our clients so they can best face their situation. It’s rewarding to meet these people and get that order of protection or that order of guardianship that will positively impact their lives.” Conrad recalls one case that he feels had a huge impact on a woman’s life. “We had an emergency case with a client who had a child being treated at Arkansas Children’s Hospital,” Conrad said. “The mother had a seizure in her child’s room. It was found that she had a massive brain tumor. She didn’t have a living will or power of attorney or guardianship for her children assigned. Sometimes, we do big things. Just being able to step in as a lawyer on that short notice without her having to pay anything was a blessing for her.” Over the course of his internship, Conrad has recognized the void that the nonprofit fills for those who cannot afford a lawyer.

Bowen law student Caleb Conrad is working a summer internship at Arkansas Children’s Hospital with Legal Aid of Arkansas’s Medical-Legal Partnership offering legal aid to patients and their families. Photo by Ben Krain.

“Legal Aid provides direct legal representation to people who can’t afford it,” Conrad said. “These people wouldn’t have a voice in our legal system without the help of Legal Aid. It’s changed the way I look at things. Unfortunately, our system excludes a large portion of our population from getting what they need. We deal with a lot of low-income clients who just really don’t have a fair shake in our judicial system a lot of times. I’ve always wanted to help people. I think it’s important to try to use my legal knowledge to walk people through the system since not everyone understands the law.” Conrad traces his strong desire to help people to the women in his family who served as his role models for public service.�� “My mom is a public school teacher for K-5 students, and she grew up working at Camp Aldersgate and has always had a heart for working with people with physical and mental disabilities,” said Conrad. “Growing up with her students and seeing her having this role of stability and positivity in their lives has been very inspiring to me. My love of public service has evolved from the strong women in my life who have inspired me to take a step in that arena. Even my grandmother is off on mission trips all the time.” When he’s not pursuing justice for others, the law student is lifting up spirits as the director of praise and worship at Asbury United Methodist Church. Set to graduate from Bowen in 2020, Conrad is also spending the summer as a student attorney at Bowen’s Delta Clinic and will travel to the state’s Delta region to provide legal assistance to low-income residents. In the fall, he’ll serve as a law clerk for Friday, Eldredge & Clark in Little Rock. Legal Aid of Arkansas’s Medical-Legal Partnership will also offer an externship to Bowen students in the spring 2020 semester.��

Bowen Law Students Help Provide Legal Services for Rural Arkansans

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 13:41:45 +0000

After spending her spring break providing pro bono legal services to rural Arkansas residents, a recent graduate of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law is more committed than ever to providing legal help for state residents that have restricted access to lawyers.�� Students from the William H. Bowen School of Law spent their spring break providing legal services on the road to rural communities in Arkansas. Abigail Brenneman, Andrew Rogers, Libby Nelson, and Lisa Roam took part in Legal Aid of Arkansas’s Spring Break on the Road to Justice program in March. “This program definitely increased my awareness of the lack of access to legal services in rural areas of Arkansas and reinforced my decision to try to make my services accessible to folks in some of those underserved areas,” said Brenneman, 25, of Hot Springs. In partnership with students from the University of Arkansas School of Law, they provided estate-planning services to elderly residents under the supervision of Legal Aid and volunteer attorneys. “With the Road to Justice Program, we wanted the students to get practical experience as well as understand the importance and the need for pro bono service,” said Greneda Johnson, director of pro bono for Legal Aid. “The students helped ease the burden of 74 individuals by helping them to plan for their future and save their family from having to make difficult decisions in the event that they become incapacitated or after their gone.” While traveling the state, the students volunteered in Flippin, Newport, Jonesboro, and Brockwell. The first day took the group to a wills clinic at Marion County Senior Activity Wellness Center, where they worked with 30 clients to produce 84 documents. Next, the students helped 24 people and drafted 73 documents in Newport and Jonesboro. On the third day, the students served 20 clients and created 50 documents in Brockwell. “The key take away from my experience is that it is not an attorney’s job to tell a client what to do, even if they literally say, ‘Tell me what to do.’ Instead, It is the attorney’s job to explain to them, efficiently and effectively, the consequences and implications of the client’s various options and then allow them to make their choices,” Brenneman said. Access to legal services is a problem for many Arkansans living in rural areas with low income. The Spring Break on the Road to Justice program is one of many initiatives by Legal Aid of Arkansas to address access-to-justice issues in Arkansas, which has the fewest attorneys per capita in the country with approximately one attorney for every 400 residents in the state. Brenneman will take the bar exam in July and eventually wants to open her own law firm in Montgomery County. The skills she learned during her spring break experience has helped prepare her for the future. “I decided to participate in the program because I wanted to gain practical knowledge about estate planning and client interviewing in general,” Brenneman said. “Most memorable to me, were the amazing people at Legal Aid of Arkansas. They were so patient and encouraging.”

Terry named new associate dean for experimental learning and clinical programs at Bowen Law School

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 30 May 2019 16:01:33 +0000

Kelly Terry, Ben J. Altheimer Professor of Law at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, has been named the associate dean for experiential learning and clinical programs at Bowen.�� “This is a new deanship at Bowen,” said Theresa Beiner, dean of the law school. “While our clinical and experiential programs have always been vital to the law school, this new position strengthens Bowen’s commitment to our students, the legal community, and our core values of public service, professionalism, and access to justice.” The legal clinic at Bowen is one of the most visible aspects of the law school’s commitment to access to justice and public service. In addition to the Public Service Externship Program, there are seven legal clinics, two practica courses for part-time students, and the Rural Practice Incubator Project. Experiential learning programs include Professionalism and the Work of Lawyers and the law school’s award-winning lawyering skills program. “Bowen has a rich history of providing its students with rigorous and meaningful learning opportunities to prepare them for the practice of law,” said Terry, who began the new position on May 1.��“I look forward to working with my colleagues to build on that well-established foundation and enhance our existing experiential-learning programs so that our graduates enter the profession ready to serve their clients with the utmost proficiency, skill, and professionalism.” Terry, who previously served as director of the Public Service Externship Program and pro bono opportunities, teaches the Public Service Externship course, which places students to work for a semester with federal, state, and local government agencies and judges, as well as local non-profit organizations.��She also co-teaches Professionalism and the Work of Lawyers, a required class for first-year law students that is designed to develop their skills in a range of areas relating to the day-to-day practice of law. Terry also serves as co-director of the Institute for Law Teaching and Learning, a national organization focused on best practices in law teaching, curriculum design, and assessment. Bowen, along with the law school at Washburn University, sponsors the organization. Her expertise includes legal education, externship pedagogy, assessment, and access to justice.��She is a co-editor of��“Experiential Education in the Law School Curriculum” and has three upcoming publications. Terry has also published articles in the��Clinical Law Review, the��Journal of Legal Education, and the��Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law & Policy. Prior to becoming a law professor, Terry practiced law for 12 years in a variety of settings, including private practice and state and federal government.��She started her legal career as a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. After that, she served as an assistant attorney general in the Criminal and Civil Departments of the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office.��Terry was also a partner in a mid-sized commercial law firm in Little Rock, where she focused on business litigation and supervised associate attorneys. “Throughout her career at Bowen, Dean Terry has been dedicated to training students in what it’s like to be a lawyer and to improving their learning experiences,” Beiner said. “She has been an active member of the faculty and has worked with fellow professors to improve assessment and outcomes for law students as a whole. She will make an excellent associate dean.”

Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers presents scholarships to Bowen students

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 03 May 2019 13:25:13 +0000

The Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers (AAWL) has awarded two female law students from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law bar examination preparation scholarships.�� AAWL celebrated their annual scholarship winners during an April 5 meeting at the Little Rock Club, where Joann Maxey, general counsel of the University of Arkansas System, served as the guest speaker. The 2019 scholarship recipients include Victoria Percifield and Sydney Rasch from Bowen. Aashika Jayanth, Margaret Rushing, and Dakota Thornbury from the University of Arkansas also received the award. Each of the students will receive a $2,000 scholarship that will go toward a bar preparation course to prepare them to take the bar exam later this year. Formed in 1938, AAWL is dedicated to promoting the interests of women in the law. In the upper right photo, the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers awarded bar examination preparation scholarships to five female law students (L to R) Dakota Thornbury, Maggie Rushing, Sydney Rasch, Victoria Percifield, and Asshika Jayanth. Photo courtesy of the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers.

Business Innovations Legal Clinic hosts free course on joint ventures in community development

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 14:01:03 +0000

The Business Innovations Legal Clinic at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law will host a free, two-hour course on community-based real estate development and joint ventures on Thursday, March 28.�� The event will be held from 6-8 p.m. in the student lounge on the second floor of Bowen Law School, 1201 McMath Ave. in Little Rock. The course also serves as the launch of the Business Innovation Legal Clinic’s��“Access to Opportunity Handbook Series”��for lawyers and community members, along with its first manual,��“When David Partners with Goliath: A Joint Venture Manual for Community Developers.” The discussion will feature a panel of four speakers with backgrounds in community-based development throughout the United States. The speakers include:

Barry Mallin,��a New York City attorney with decades of experience representing nonprofits in tax credit transactions. Mallin was the primary author of��“When David Partners with Goliath: A Joint Venture Manual for Community Developers.”
Christopher Jones, an Arkansas native serving as executive director of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub and former executive director of the nationally-recognized Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative in Boston.
Warwick Sabin, senior director of U.S. programs of the Rockefeller Foundation who developed numerous local projects, including the South on Main and Oxford American cluster in Downtown Little Rock and the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub in North Little Rock.
Kim Vu-Dinh,��visiting professor and director of the Business Innovations Legal Clinic at Bowen, whose past experience includes commercial and residential tax-credit based development in New Orleans. Vu-Dinh served as the primary editor of��“When David Partners with Goliath: A Joint Venture Manual for Community Developers.”

All four speakers will discuss the best practices in community-based real estate developments and their firsthand experiences with projects both in and outside of Arkansas. A question-and-answer session will follow, and each��attendee will receive a free copy of “When David Partners with Goliath: A Joint Venture Manual for Community Developers.” This free event is open to all attorneys, students, and members of the public. Attorneys can receive two hours of continuing legal education credit. A complimentary meal will be provided by Ayo Foods, LLC, a worker-owned, new, local, business and client of the Business Innovations Legal Clinic.�� with the number of attendees. The Business Innovations Legal Clinic provides high-quality, pro bono transactional legal counsel to small businesses and nonprofit organizations working in economic development, many of which would not be able to obtain legal assistance otherwise.��This clinic is funded by a generous grant from the state’s Attorney General’s Office.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

KATV Reporter Uses Law Degree to Advocate for Arkansans

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen Law School, ����Vlog��ýPB create pipeline program

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen Law School, court system create Arkansas State Court Fellows Program

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen Law School, court system create Arkansas State Court Fellows Program

����Vlog��ý Little Rock, Philander Smith create pipeline program for minority law students

Bowen Law Student uses legal knowledge to serve others with Legal Aid of Arkansas internship

Bowen Law Students Help Provide Legal Services for Rural Arkansans

Terry named new associate dean for experimental learning and clinical programs at Bowen Law School

Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers presents scholarships to Bowen students

Business Innovations Legal Clinic hosts free course on joint ventures in community development

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen Law School, ��Vlog��ýPB create pipeline program

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen Law School, court system create Arkansas State Court Fellows Program

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen Law School, court system create Arkansas State Court Fellows Program

��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Philander Smith create pipeline program for minority law students