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William H. Bowen School of Law

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The UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law is a public law school, part of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA Little Rock). The school is both American Bar Association (ABA) accredited and a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).

UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law
MottoPublic Service, Access to Justice, Professionalism
Parent schoolUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock
Established1975
School typePublic[1]
DeanColin Crawford
LocationLittle Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
34°44′09″N 92°15′47″W / 34.73583°N 92.26306°W / 34.73583; -92.26306
Enrollment293 (full-time), 101 (part-time)[1]
Faculty108[2]
USNWR ranking148th-193rd (bottom 25%)[2]
Bar pass rate80% (2023)
Websiteualr.edu/law

The school awards the Juris Doctor (JD) degree in its full-time and part-time programs. It follows a traditional doctrinal curriculum while also blending hands-on practice into the student experience. The first year begins with the Bowen Student Success Program [3] and the Professional Mentor Program where students are matched with a practicing lawyer or judge.[4] Before graduating, students are required to take skills courses such as Evidence and Lawyering Skills I & II, required to participate in an externship or clinic, and are encouraged to participate in the Bowen Concurrent Bar Preparation Program.[5]

History

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The first law school established in Arkansas was in Little Rock. However, politics caused the school faculty to reform themselves as a private law school in the 1910s. Subsequently, the state law school in Fayetteville was established. The private law school disbanded in the 1960s. The latest incarnation of the law school started as a part-time program that was an extension of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville School of Law, and by 1975 was given autonomy and became a unit of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.[6]

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

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

The law school is named after William H. Bowen, a former dean, and important figure in the administration of former Arkansas Governor and 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton.

Programs

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The School offers the following course concentrations:[7]

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

Clinics

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

  • Family Law Litigation Clinic
  • Delta Divorce Clinic
  • Tax Clinic
  • Mediation Clinic
  • Business Innovations Clinic
  • Veterans Legal Services Clinic

Admissions

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  • Applications: 556
  • Enrolled: 126 (full-time 100, part-time 26)
  • GPA (75/50/25): 3.68/3.39/3.15
  • LSAT (75/50/25): 155/152/149
  • Bar Passage Rate: 80.0% (2023)

Campus

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

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

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

Ranking

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  • Best Value Law School (2011-2018; 2023-2024)[8]
  • Best Public Interest Law School (2018; 2023-2024)[9]
  • Top Tax Law School (2023-2024)
  • Top Law School for Racial Justice (2022-2023)
  • Best Law School for Public Service[10] (2016; 2021-2022; 2023-2024)
  • Most Innovative Law School (2021 - 2022)
  • Top 25 Legal Writing Program (2022)
  • Best Practical Training Law School (2016,2019,2020)[11]
  • Top Business Law School (2018)[12]
  • Top 20 Most Innovative Law Schools[13]
  • Most Influential People in Legal Education[14]
  • Top 10 Law Schools with the Lowest Alumni Debt (2014; 2016-2017)[15]
  • Top 10 Lowest Tuition Rates[16]
  • Best Schools for Public Service Careers[17]
  • Top 12 Best Legal Writing Programs[18]
  • Best Part-Time Programs[19]
  • Best Law School for Public Service Careers[20]
  • Top 5 Regional Law School for Latina/o Students[21]
  • Top 5 Law Schools for Black Students in the Southern Region[22]

Publications

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The School of Law publishes three legal journals and a legal guidebook:[23]

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

Costs

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Full-Time Tuition for residents is $16,041 and non-residents is $31,984.[24] Part-Time Tuition for residents is $10,605 and non-residents is $20.948. The law school offers scholarships up to full tuition.[25] The law school tuition is the lowest in Arkansas and is among the lowest in the nation. Bowen Law is ranked as one of the 10 lowest alumni debt upon graduation by the USNWR, and ranks as the 6th lowest Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance.[26]

Employment

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According to Bowens's official 2015 ABA-required disclosures, 52% of the Class of 2015 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.[27]

ABA Employment Summary for 2015 Graduates[28]
Employment Status Percentage
Employed - Bar Passage Required
 
 54%
Employed - J.D. Advantage
 
 21%
Employed - Professional Position
 
 2%
Employed - Non-Professional Position
 
 6%
Employed - Undeterminable
 
 0.0%
Pursuing Graduate Degree Full Time
 
 3%
Unemployed - Start Date Deferred
 
 0%
Unemployed - Not Seeking
 
 1%
Unemployed - Seeking
 
 12%
Employment Status Unknown
 
 1%
Total of 126 Graduates

Student organizations

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The law school has over forty five student organizations. These include the American Bar Association Law Student Division (ABA/LSD), American Constitution Society, Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers-Law Student Division, Arkansas Bar Association Law Student Division (ABA/LSD), Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA), Black Law Students Association, Bowen Athletic Department, Bowen Lambda, Christian Legal Society, Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity (DTP), Environmental Law Society, Federalist Society, Hispanic Law Students Association (HLSA), Intellectual Property Law Society, International Law Society, Irish American Law Students Society (ILSS), J. Reuben Clark Society, Law Review, Moot Court Board, OutLaw Legal Society, Out of State Student Association (OSSA), Phi Alpha Delta (PAD), Part-time Student Association (PTSA), Pulaski County Bar Association, Student Division (PCBA), Public Interest Law Society (PILS), Sports and Entertainment Law Society (SELS), "Street Law" Mentor Program (Street Law), Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF), Student Bar Association (SBA), Young Democrats, and Young Republicans.[citation needed]

Notable faculty

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Current

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Former

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Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "ABA Standard 509 Report". ABA Standard 509 Report. American Bar Association. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "University of Arkansas--Little Rock (Bowen) | Best Law School | US News". Archived from the original on April 8, 2011.
  3. ^ "Skills Preparation". Skills Preparation. UALR Bown School of Law. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  4. ^ "Professional Mentor Program". Get A Mentor. UALR Bowen School of Law. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  5. ^ "Bowen Concurrent Bar Prep Program". Bowen Concurrent Bar Prep Program. UALR Bowen School of Law. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  6. ^ "Bowen Law Review". Stephens Real Estate. October 6, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  7. ^ "Course Concentrations". Course Concentrations. UALR Bowen School of Law. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  8. ^ "Best Value Law Schools". National Jurist. National Jurist. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  9. ^ "Best Public Interest Law Schools". PreLaw Magazine (Spring 2018).
  10. ^ "preLaw Magazine". PreLaw Magazine. 2016.
  11. ^ "PreLaw Magazine". PreLaw Magazine (2016 & 2019).
  12. ^ "preLaw Magazine". PreLaw Magazine. 2018.
  13. ^ "Top 20 Most Innovative Law Schools". National Jurist. National Jurist. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  14. ^ "Most Influential People in Legal Education". National Jurist. National Jurist. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  15. ^ "USNWR". U.S. News & World Report (2014, 2016, 2017).
  16. ^ "ABA Required Discolures". ABA Required Disclosures. American Bar Association.
  17. ^ "Best Schools for Public Service". National Jurist. National Jurist. December 29, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  18. ^ "Best Legal Writing Programs". U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  19. ^ "Best Part Time Programs". U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report.
  20. ^ "Best Law Schools for Public Service Careers". National Jurist. National Jurist.
  21. ^ "Top Law Schools for Latina/o Students". The Latina/o Student's Guide to Law Schools. 1 (1). 2015.
  22. ^ "Top Law Schools for Black Students" (PDF). On Being a Black Lawyer. On Being a Black Lawyer. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  23. ^ "Publications". Bowen School of Law. Bowen School of Law. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  24. ^ "UALR Bowen School of Law 509 Report". ABA Required Discolures. American Bar Association. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  25. ^ "Scholarships". Scholarships. UALR Bowen School of Law. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  26. ^ "LST Score Reports". LST Score Reports. Law School Transparency. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  27. ^ "Employment Statistics".
  28. ^ "Employment Summary for 2015 Graduates".
  29. ^ UALR William H. Bowen School of Law: Paula J. Casey
  30. ^ "Representative Davy Carter's Biography". votesmart.org. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  31. ^ "Michael John Gray". arkansashouse.org. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
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