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

Concurrent Law Students Taking on Law Clerkships in Fall Semester

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 13:47:44 +0000

Students from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law who are pursuing concurrent degrees with the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service are taking on clerkships, fellowships, and externships with law firms and judges this fall. Below is a closer look at their work. Mark Cameron is working with , assisting with cases primarily focused on defense litigation and transactional law. Corinne Kwapis is working with the . Kwapis is working directly with the public and cooperatively with surrounding police departments in handling misdemeanor criminal offense. Wes Manus is working with , an Arkansas-based financial services startup catering to the legal cannabis industry in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Manus conducts research on securities, finance, business transactions, regulatory compliance, and public records to enable financial transactions for cultivators, dispensaries, research laboratories, and other businesses serving thousands of patients who benefit from the implementation of marijuana laws. Aisosa Osaretin is working with on researching and writing memos on policies and laws that affect the telecommunications industry, which helps assure the corporation is up to date with new laws and regulations. Osaretin also works to keep in touch with information concerning prosecutions of other members of the telecommunication industry. Alexis Pinkston is working as a law clerk at , which is a defense firm specializing in insurance issues. Pinkston conducts research, prepares lawsuit reports, and attends depositions and trials. Dillon Pitts is working in the Civil Department of the , specifically with the Assistant Attorneys General, researching legal issues, drafting legal memoranda, and reviewing documents for the State of Arkansas, its officers, boards, commissions, and employees.�� Madhav Shroff is working with , assisting in representing plaintiffs and defendants in employment law issues including wage and labor law disputes, FLSA violations, overtime issues, discrimination, sexual harassment, and more. Joseph Stepina is working in the Legal Defense Program, a service offered by the League whereby participating members can pool their resources and provide limited protection of city and employee assets. Members of the defense program are represented by the League in state and federal courts. Connor Thompson is working with the Defense Program as a litigation law clerk working in the Municipal Legal Defense Program in North Little Rock. The organization defends Arkansas municipalities involved in litigation. Thompson’s work consists of assisting the attorneys with legal research and drafting briefs and pleadings.�� Allison Tschiemer is working with the , a full-service firm that focuses on civil defense litigation and business transactions. Some areas of practice at the firm include product liability, malpractice, toxic torts, workers’ compensation, environmental and commercial litigation. This clerkship allows Tschiemer the opportunity to expand her legal research and writing skills in various areas of law.�� Jerome Wilson is working with the as a law clerk in the Complaints Department, where clerks are tasked with the role of taking complaints from the residents of Pulaski County. This clerkship requires interviewing residents regarding incidents of criminal nature and processing the complaints about misdemeanor offenses. Resident complaints usually result in one of the following solutions: no action, the delivery of a warning letter, or an affidavit for the associated offense. All of these resolutions will be completed by the designated law clerk assigned to the case.�� This story was provided by the Clinton School of Public Service.

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.”

Bowen Law graduate continues to demonstrate mastery with highest bar exam score in state

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 14:46:26 +0000

Achievement is no stranger to University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law summa cum laude graduate Cara Tomlinson Butler. Making the highest score among all statewide participants on the Arkansas Bar Examination in July 2019 was just one of her many accomplishments.�� Between 2016 and 2019, Bowen honored Butler with 12 Top Paper awards, including awards in the subjects of constitutional law, contracts, federal income taxation, research writing and analysis, and professionalism and the work of lawyers. Bowen also selected Butler among the top 10 percent of students to serve on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Law Review Editorial Board as notes and comments editor.�� Since graduating from Bowen in May 2019, Butler has been serving in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit as a clerk for Chief Judge Lavenski Smith. The Eighth Circuit has federal appellate jurisdiction over district courts in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.�� “Working as an appellate clerk in the Court of Appeals has been a great learning experience,” Butler said. “Not only have I sharpened my skills, but I now have a good sense of what types of legal cases appeal to me most.” Next fall, Butler hopes to engage in public sector work, possibly civil litigation. “I enjoyed my previous clerkships with the Arkansas Municipal League and state Attorney General’s office,” Butler said. “I look forward to expanding my opportunities to provide legal services for the public good.” Public service was the inspiration that originally drew Butler to the Bowen School of Law. “Bowen has a big push for public service, which was a good fit for me,” Butler said. “Bowen is also a really special school. There are opportunities to clerk in the capital city of Little Rock. Gaining hands-on experience while you are still in law school is a rare opportunity. It’s a really special school, and I’m glad to be a Bowen graduate.” Butler is thankful for her professors at Bowen who helped provide her with opportunities. “Professors George Mader and Josh Silverstein have been very influential in shaping my legal writing, which is so important,” Butler said. “They also helped provide me opportunities by writing letters of recommendation for clerkships, and I served as a research assistant for Silverstein.” Originally from Searcy, Arkansas, Butler graduated in May 2016 from Lyon College with degrees in English and economics before pursuing a law degree at the William H. Bowen School of Law, which she completed in May 2019.

Bowen to host open house Nov. 16 and meeting of pre-law advisors, Nov. 22

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 14:43:34 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law will host an open house 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, for those who are interested in attending law school. Participants will learn about the admissions process, life as a law student, and how to succeed in the legal profession. RSVP . Bowen will host a knowledge-sharing and networking meeting of academic advisors, career counselors, faculty, staff, lawyers, and judges who advise students about attending law school and pursuing legal careers 1-4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22. RSVP here. The second annual pre-law advisors’ meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the legal needs of Arkansas and exchange best practices with a focus on the Digital LSAT, financial planning, and mentorship programs. As the only meeting of its kind in Arkansas, anyone who works with students interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession is invited to attend.�� The Bowen School of Law has been in the forefront of practice-ready and skills-focused learning for over 20 years. As the only law school in Arkansas’s capital city, Bowen students have access to the state’s largest law firms, courts, businesses, government offices, and public service organizations.��

Bowen names classroom in honor of alum Sam Perroni

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 13:53:44 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law has renamed one of its classrooms in honor of alumnus Sam Perroni. Perroni is such a legend in the Little Rock legal community that it’s difficult to believe he wasn’t always here. He grew up in Normal, Illinois, and always wanted to be a lawyer.�� “Don’t ask me where it came from. No one in my family was a lawyer. I didn’t know any lawyers,” Perroni said.�� He first applied to the University of Illinois Law School, but competition was fierce—3,000 applicants vied for 300 spots. Perroni was understandably disappointed when he wasn’t one of the 300.�� “I thought ‘Okay then, that’s it,’ and then my wife’s boss had a talk with me about persistence and encouraged me to apply to schools until I got accepted.”�� He worked for a small corporation for a year and waited for application periods to open. The University of Arkansas Law School was the first to accept him, but Perroni had misgivings.�� “Normal, Illinois, was a college town, and I didn’t want to be in Fayetteville without knowing anyone,” Perroni said. “It’s too difficult to get a job, and I was going to have to work while I was in law school.”�� However, he had the option of going to law school part-time in the Little Rock division of the University of Arkansas School of Law, which is now the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. He took the leap.�� “Best decision I ever made, other than marrying my wife,” he said. Perroni and his family arrived in Little Rock in 1971 and settled in southwest Little Rock. When registration day came, he went to the university’s main campus, but he couldn’t find the law school building. He had to find the address in the phone book. Then he headed downtown to the corner of Third Street and Broadway.�� “I looked everywhere on that corner until I spotted a meager black and white sign on the second floor of Everett’s Glass Shop,” he explains. “And then I thought, ‘what the hell have I done?’”�� Perroni stood in the parking lot for a moment and gave himself a pep talk. He decided it didn’t matter what the school looked like if it gave him a good legal education. He went into the glass shop and upstairs to register. “The student body association president was the first to greet me. He stuck out his hand and said, ‘Welcome to the law school,’” Perroni said. That personal experience continued during his time as a student. The law school and the law library were both housed on the second floor.�� “It was beyond unique. The professors’ doors were always open,” he said. “You could just walk down the hall to ask them questions. We all felt like the professors were interested in us. It was more like a giant family.”�� If Perroni needed any other reinforcement, it came when his friend Harold visited. Harold was one of the 300 accepted to the University of Illinois Law School. Harold was surprised at the access Perroni had to his professors. In contrast, Harold was completely on his own. “It also turned out that Glen Pasvogel, one of my professors, had also been Harold’s legal writing professor,” Perroni said.�� As a night student with a family, Perroni worked during the day as a freelance researcher/law clerk.�� “None of the attorneys could afford a full-time clerk, so I floated between assignments,” he said. “I researched in the law library and hand-wrote my briefs.”�� At some point during law school, Perroni worked for Judge Bill Wilson (who was then in private practice), Jack Holt Jr., Judge Henry Woods (at McMath Letherman & Woods), and Tom Bramhall. He was also taking 15 hours of classes each semester.�� “At that time, the ABA didn’t police the schools as strictly,” Perroni said. “I wasn’t the only student who did it, but it let me graduate in three years instead of four.”�� The summer he was studying for the bar exam, he was a clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s office. He got that position thanks to his determination, persistence, and freelance experiences.�� While his freelance clients couldn’t afford to hire him as an associate, they all wanted to help him succeed. Perroni already had been involved in several high-profile criminal cases, and he liked the work. Everyone told him the best way to be a good criminal defense lawyer was to start as a prosecutor.�� Perroni made an appointment to see U.S. Attorney Sonny Dillahunty, who worked out of the post office. At that time, the U.S. Attorney didn’t have a law clerk, and Perroni didn’t have his license yet.�� “I walked in and told him I’d work for free.”�� A few days later, Dillahunty called him back with an offer of a paying job.�� “For the next three months, I got excellent experience, and, when Sonny got permission to hire an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he found me in the library and offered me the job,” Perroni said. Two years later, Perroni began prosecuting white collar crime cases. Since there was a lot of focus on those cases beginning in 1976, he did little else for the next three years. When he went into private practice, he was the only lawyer who tried to specialize in white collar criminal defense.�� “I liked doing them, and I liked that most of my clients could pay,” he said. Also, because the cases were complex, he didn’t have a heavy caseload. Trials averaged two to four weeks each, so three active cases could mean up to three months in court each year.�� While working as an attorney, Perroni returned to law school at night, this time as an adjunct professor.�� “I felt that teaching in the law school was the highest calling in the profession. You’re molding future lawyers, and you can make good ones or bad based on what you teach them,” Perroni said. “I see my former students and the lawyers they’ve become, and I’m proud to have had a hand in it.”�� Nowadays, Perroni and his wife of 50 years, Patricia, live in northwest Arkansas to be closer to their family. They have a son, daughter, two grandsons, and a granddaughter. He’s continued researching and writing, but now as an author. His first novel, “Kind Eyes,” is a fictional retelling of Abraham Lincoln’s last case as a criminal defense attorney.�� “A lot of people don’t know this, but Lincoln was a very good criminal defense attorney,” Perroni said. “He tried nearly 20 murder cases in his 25-year career in private practice. He really liked it, and he told lots of stories about his cases.”�� Perroni just finished work on his second project, an investigation of actress Natalie Wood’s death.�� “I’ve been investigating it for four years, and I found a lot of new evidence,” he said. When he’s not at the computer, Perroni can be found at Perroni Field, the Little League practice diamond he built for his grandchildren, complete with concessions, an electronic scoreboard, foul poles, and dugouts.�� “Once all the coaches found out, they wanted to use it. Now we have six teams practicing and scrimmaging,” Perroni said. “We have baseball here every night. I work my concession stand when the boys are playing. It’s called Sam’s Shack.”�� When asked about his hope for the future of the legal profession, Perroni is guarded.�� “My practice revolved around the personal relationships I developed,” Perroni said. “Clients look to their attorney to help them make a decision, and that equals personal contact. That interaction is invaluable, and it builds a trust that you can’t forge through text messages and email. The profession is sacrificing those relationships in the name of speed. It’s troubling, and I hope future students are taught the value of building those relationships. I had a great experience as a student at Bowen. The school gave me a great start on my career. It helped me get to where I am today.”��

Public service, law, emerging analytics, and other graduate programs to be featured at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock informational mixer Oct. 3

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 18:40:12 +0000

People who are interested in attending graduate school are invited to explore advanced programs Thursday, Oct. 3, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “Explore Graduate Programs in the Rock!” will offer a daytime mixer from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and an evening mixer from 5-7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Register at .�� Representatives from the , William H. Bowen School of Law, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Online, George W. Donaghey Emerging Analytics Center, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Tech Launch will be onsite, as well as representatives from Financial Aid and Scholarships. The event provides an opportunity for curious participants to chat with professors and career advisors about their interests and to discover avenues for funding graduate education. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock offers graduate certificates in addition to master’s and doctoral degrees. Many of these programs are offered in hybrid formats, such as weekend, evening, and online courses, that allow all students the convenience to pursue higher education.

Bowen Law School to hold pre-law events for prospective law students

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 19:49:03 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students and members of the community who are interested in becoming lawyers can attend two events to get a taste of life at William H. Bowen School of Law on Oct. 1 and Oct. 5-6.

Those interested in attending Bowen’s part-time law school program can experience a full night of real law school classes from 5:30-8:55 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, in classroom 305. Potential law students should be prepared to have reading assignments prior to their classes.

People may RSVP for the Night at the Law School event at this��.

The��Southwest Black Law Students Association will hold a free Pre-Law Symposium so prospective law students can gain invaluable information about the admissions process, the LSAT, and regional law schools. The Pre-Law Symposium will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, and 9-11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 6.

Those interested may register for the Pre-Law Symposium at this��.

Bowen Law School’s annual Altheimer Symposium to focus on school-to-prison pipeline

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 13:06:42 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law will host the 2019 Ben J. Altheimer Symposium, organized by the school’s Law Review, on Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The symposium, organized by the school’s Law Review, will be themed “Blocking the Pathways: Eradicating the School-to-Prison Pipeline.” The “school-to-prison pipeline” describes increasingly strict disciplinary policies that criminalize youth, putting students into contact with law enforcement at a young age. Speakers at the symposium will address how the pipeline disproportionately affects youths from disadvantaged backgrounds. The goal of the symposium is to define the issue and propose solutions for the problems created by the pipeline.�� Speakers from the Intercultural Development Research Association, the National Center for Youth Law, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Texas Appleseed will address topics, including mental health among juveniles, racial disparities in the pipeline, police presence in schools, and creating positive school climates. The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited and registration is required. The symposium will be simulcast at the University of Arkansas Law School in Fayetteville. CLE credit is pending.�� The Ben J. Altheimer Symposium is an annual event at which the ��Vlog��ý Little Law Review and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law welcome prominent scholars and speakers to the law school to explore topics of interest to the legal and scholarly community. Selected symposium presenters also contribute scholarly articles to a special publication of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Law Review that is devoted to the symposium topic. For more information about the 2019 symposium, please contact Amanda Partridge at ajpartridge@ualr.edu. Visit the symposium website to register.

Bowen Law School to honor McDaniel, Gazaway, and Edwards as Distinguished Alumni

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 13:15:21 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law will recognize three notable alumni Monday, Oct. 21, at the law school’s 10th anniversary alumni luncheon. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, 3 Statehouse Plaza, Little Rock. Tickets are $100 each and may be purchased online. Distinguished Alumnus: The Honorable Dustin McDaniel (‘98)�� McDaniel has dedicated his career to law enforcement, public service, and the practice of law. Upon leaving the Attorney General’s office in 2015 due to term limits, he founded the Little Rock law firm of McDaniel, Richardson, and Calhoun, which has become one of the most prominent bipartisan state attorney general practices in the United States. The Arkansas focus of the firm includes administrative and public policy law, as well as complex business litigation. In 2019, McDaniel, Richardson, and Calhoun announced its upcoming merger with the Little Rock firms of Wolff and Ward and Benca and Johnston. Upon completion of their new building adjacent to the State Capitol, the new firm of McDaniel, Wolff, and Benca, will begin in January 2020.

The Honorable Dustin McDaniel

After graduating from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, McDaniel served as a full-time police officer with the Jonesboro Police Department from 1994-1996. He graduated cum laude from Bowen Law School in 1999 and returned to Jonesboro to practice in the law firm of McDaniel & Wells, when he was honored by Bowen Law School as its Outstanding Young Alumnus in 2003. From 2005-2007, McDaniel served in the Arkansas House of Representatives. During his term, he sponsored Act 431 of 2005, which established the only dedicated stream of revenue to Arkansas’s law schools. The act has since generated millions of dollars for the William H. Bowen Law School and the University of Arkansas School of Law. McDaniel served as Arkansas’s attorney general from 2007-2015. During his two terms, he led the historical settlement between the NAAG Tobacco Project and the tobacco industry, oversaw the implementation of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, resolved the Lake View School District case, effectively ended the payday-lending industry in Arkansas, and created the Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Unit to find, capture, and prosecute those exploiting and harming children via the Internet, among many other accomplishments. McDaniel is a dedicated and involved Bowen Law School alumnus. As attorney general, he committed millions of dollars in settlement funds to the school to be used on courtrooms, practice clinics, technology upgrades, and the student wellness center. Since leaving office, he has served on the Dean’s Advisory Council and continues to raise and give money to the school. To date, a library carrel, a student book award, and the student gym are named for McDaniel, and he has a long-term goal to endow a distinguished lecture series for Bowen. Outstanding Alumnus in Public Service: Representative Jimmy Gazaway (’06)��

Representative Jimmy Gazaway

Gazaway practices law with Snellgrove, Langley, Culpepper, Williams, and Mullally in Jonesboro and is serving his second term in the Arkansas House of Representatives. He represents District 57, which includes the cities of Paragould and Oak Grove Heights. Following the 2017-2018 legislative session, Gazaway was named the 2017 Consumer Advocate of the Year by the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association for his legislative contributions in protecting the civil justice system. He also received the Advocate of Justice Award from the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorney’s Association, the Distinguished Legislator Award from the Arkansas Municipal League, and was named a 2018 Legislative Champion by the Arkansas Pharmacists Association. Gazaway serves as co-chairperson of the Joint Performance Review Committee for the 92nd General Assembly. He also serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee. He sponsored HB 1410, the latest effort to give Arkansas tenants the right to a habitable residence. He also introduced HB 1530 to collect data concerning the cost—both financial and in harm to inmates—from use of solitary confinement or segregation in the state’s prisons. He received the First Branch Award from the Arkansas Judicial Council and the Legislative Leadership Award from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. A native of Paragould, Gazaway served as a deputy prosecuting attorney for the Second Judicial District of Arkansas from 2008-2017. He currently serves on the board of directors for Arkansas Right to Life. Gazaway is a 2003 graduate of Arkansas State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science, where he graduated with honors and was recognized as the outstanding graduate in political science for 2003. He earned his J.D. from Bowen Law School in 2006. Emerging Young Alumna: Tamika Edwards (’11)��

Tamika Edwards

Edwards has served as executive director of the Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College since September 2018. She has 20 years of experience in public policy and community development. She has served as director of governmental affairs at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, where she led the development and execution of the organization’s legislative strategy. Edwards has also served as community affairs specialist for U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, where she worked to further community and economic development efforts and served as the senator’s grassroots representative. Edwards was recognized by Arkansas Business in its “40 Under 40” class of 2010. In 2017, she was recognized in Arkansas Business Publishing Group’s inaugural edition of The Arkansas 200 as a leader “who influences the way we live, learn and do business in the state.” In 2019, Edwards served as part of Mayor Frank Scott’s transition team to help plan Little Rock’s future. She chaired subcommittees on mobility and on public safety during his transition. The mobility committee was charged with modernizing Little Rock’s transportation infrastructure. Public safety shaped recommendations for services, entities, and organizations for implementation of Scott’s public safety agenda. Edwards earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a Master of Arts in professional and technical writing from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and a J.D. from Bowen Law School. In addition to serving in numerous community leadership roles, she is a contributor to Talk Business and Politics.

Law students’ elbow grease makes a big impact

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 16:25:06 +0000

Incoming students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law began their first fall semester on Aug. 10 with a day of public service at Booker T. Washington Elementary School on South Main Street in Little Rock.�� After a welcome from law school administration, 161 students converged on Washington’s campus in record-breaking rain. Little Rock received 3.87 inches of rain, beating a record that had stood since 1915. Through it all, the students, their group leaders, and Bowen Law School staff completed projects both inside and outside the elementary school. “We did an ambitious project last year at Rockefeller Elementary,” Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Rejena Grotjohn said. “This year was even larger. Rebecca Nugent, our student affairs program manager, put a lot of time, effort, and energy into ensuring everything ran as smoothly as possible.” Students worked in teams under the supervision and encouragement of upper-level law students. It was a chance to get acquainted, build support networks, and learn Bowen Law School’s core values first-hand. “Bowen’s core values are access to justice, public service, and professionalism,” Bowen Dean Theresa Beiner said. “That’s applicable not only in the legal profession, but in teaching students to see a need in their own neighborhoods and know it’s possible to fill those needs. Today, it’s paint and gravel. In the future, it may be representing a client pro bono, drafting legislation, or lobbying for policy changes.” Once the lightning stopped, students in rain gear went to work reclaiming an existing arboretum, contributed by former principal Katherine Snyder, on the north side of the campus by trimming trees and laying a gravel pathway to allow easier access. In the playground, students planted a tree to honor Snyder, who recently retired after 30 years at the elementary school. The tree was donated by Bemis Tree Farm in Little Rock. In addition, Bowen Law School students created a new seating area. “The school said they had a shaded area under an awning, but nowhere to sit if they wanted to have outdoor activities,”�� Kristen Minton, director of academic support and bar success, said. Using tires donated by Minton’s father and child-safe paint and metal benches donated by Bowen’s Student Bar Association, students created a bright spot for students and staff to enjoy the outdoors. “The new class/reading area under the awning is a big hit,” Assistant Principal Hazel Harris said. “Many students spend their recess time congregating there.” Teams of Bowen Law School students also refreshed the paint on “peace paths” at every entrance to the elementary school. “The peace paths encourage students to take a moment to think before they act, to express their anger and frustrations in a respectable manner using effective language, and to repair harm inflicted, intentionally or unintentionally, on others,” Harris said. “The peace paths correlate with our move toward restorative justice.” Bowen Law School students were just as busy inside the building, and the school’s media center was the hub of activity. This year, incoming law students participated in a book drive conducted by the Student Bar Association. New students were encouraged, through some friendly competition, to bring new books suitable for children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The 161 incoming students collected almost 1,200 books. They stuffed over 400 sacks, one for each elementary student, with a book, eraser, stickers, and a personal note of encouragement from a law school student. Harris said the students will receive their books during a special presentation. “I cannot wait to see their expressions when they open their book bags,” Harris said. “This will be an amazing treat for our students. The handwritten note just makes it even more special.” The remaining books will be available in the Booker T. Washington Elementary School library. On the other side of the media center, law students worked in groups to create colorful origami butterflies that were then used to decorate an encouraging bulletin board in the main entry hall. The message “Until you spread your wings you’ll have no idea how far you can fly” welcomed elementary students back to school. Down another hallway, a group of students worked on their math and art skills by painting a colorful fraction mural to help students visualize measurements. “The fraction wall is not only beautiful, but it provides a bigger than life view of how fractions relate to each other,” Harris said. “On several occasions, I have walked by and noticed students studying the wall.” Some students found ways to assist individual teachers. A group helped teacher Stephany Fields get her classroom ready for students. “It was going to take me most of the day to get this finished,” Fields said. “This group accomplished many of my tasks in under an hour.” “You would be amazed at the impact just a small word of encouragement has on a child,” Harris said. “It may seem small at the time, but the law students’ sacrifice of their time and the wonderful acts of kindness they extended are going to mean the world to our students.” The event made a lasting impression on Bowen Law School students, as well. By the time they sat down for a barbecue lunch, they’d begun bonding with classmates. “None of us got here on our own. We’ve all had people in our lives who valued our education and the opportunities it creates for us,” Charles Case, an incoming law student, said. “I think this was a chance for us to help someone else feel the same way about their education. We got a little wet, but what a great way to get to know some of our new classmates here at Bowen.”

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