University of Arkansas Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law

University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law

1201 McMath Avenue Little Rock, AR 72202-5142

Phone: 501.324.9434; Fax: 501.324.9433

E-mail: lawadm@ualr.edu; Website: www.law.ualr.edu

Introduction

The Bowen School of Law is located in the heart of metropolitan Little Rock, the Arkansas state capital. Little Rock is the seat of the state government as well as the center of the business, technology, financial, and legal communities.

Opportunities for law-related employment are plentiful. The Bowen School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. The small student body provides students an opportunity to learn and simultaneously build a sense of community.

Admission

The Bowen School of Law values diversity and seeks a student body with varied backgrounds, experiences, ideas, goals, and lifestyles because we believe this improves the quality of education. With the goal of admitting diverse, highly qualified students, we structure our admission process so we thoroughly evaluate every application. Approximately 140 students enroll annually with around 20 percent of the students being nonresidents. We encourage students to apply between October and January. Our priority admission deadline is April 15; however, we often have our seats filled by this date.

We would like to encourage your interest in the Bowen School of Law. We schedule Pre-Law Visitation Days approximately once a month, providing prospective students an opportunity to tour the facilities, attend a class, meet with faculty and students, and have their questions answered. Please contact Linda Ahlen at 501.324.9896 or Assistant Dean Wood at rkwood@ualr.edu to register for a Pre-Law Visitation Day.

Clinical Programs

The Bowen School of Law has three legal clinics. These provide students the opportunity to practice law, under supervision, while learning. Additionally, the school and the students are left with the satisfaction of giving back to the community through meeting the legal needs of underserved populations.

Tax Clinic: Students handle cases for real people who are involved in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service. Students conduct client interviews, gather facts, research tax laws, formulate action plans, prepare written protests, negotiate, and litigate. Educational goals include developing familiarity with tax rules and procedures and the ethical considerations in tax practice.

Mediation Clinic: This clinic includes training both in mediation and negotiation skills. The students conduct actual mediation involving special education issues, families in need of services cases, small claims court cases, juvenile delinquency cases, and other types of conflict. The special education mediation is a new project for the clinic. It will educate law students on the intricacies of special education cases as well as provide invaluable aid to special education students, their parents, and school personnel regarding their mutual rights and responsibilities.

Litigation Clinic: Students in this clinic handle a number of cases, which often involves them presenting their cases in Arkansas courts. The specific types of cases handled include divorce, paternity, guardianship, abuse/neglect, and delinquency. Students develop their litigation skills while experiencing and analyzing the law as well as engaging in direct client interaction.

Facilities and Library

The Bowen School of Law has truly one of the finest law school facilities in the nation. Originally constructed in the 1930s to house the state’s medical school, the six-story building was completely renovated in 1992 to create modern law classrooms and courtrooms while preserving the traditional exterior.

The law school recently renovated its technology by adding state-of-the-art equipment, including making its courtrooms and classrooms computerized. Additionally, the entire law school now has wireless Internet access.

The spacious facility contains over 150,000 square feet, which is fully accessible to those with disabilities. Additionally, the Bowen School of Law provides students with a private parking lot. The four-story library is state of the art. It contains two computer labs and wireless Internet access available throughout all four floors. Private study carrels along with plenty of comfortable group study rooms are available for our students.

Our students are provided with mailboxes, lockers, and e-mail accounts. Several indoor and outdoor balconies and lounges provide students ample space for studying and relaxing. One lounge even includes a video game system for that brief escape from law studies.

Academic Program

The Bowen School of Law offers a traditional curriculum that blends theory with practice. As part of this emphasis, Evidence and Lawyering Skills are required upper-level courses. In Lawyering Skills, students interview clients and witnesses, draft pleadings and interrogatories, and try a mock case before a judge and jury. Numerous electives are available for second-and third-year students to explore their particular field of interest, whether that is corporate and partnership taxation, health law, Internet law, legislative externships, or one of many other choices. Currently, there are four joint-degree programs available: JD/MBA, JD/MPA, JD/MPH, and JD/MD. The Bowen School of Law offers both a full-time division and a part-time division. Students in the part-time division usually complete the program in four years.

Externships

Public Service Externship: The Public Service Externship consists of field placement with a government agency, a nonprofit legal service organization, a member of the judiciary, or the Arkansas Legislature under the supervision of the externship director and a field placement supervisor. Students earn academic credit for participation in the externship.

Cost and Financial Aid

Comparatively, the Bowen School of Law provides a great educational value at a relatively low cost. Many nonresidents obtain resident status after six months, and the school offers a service on the UALR Law Review and the Moot Court Board. A number of nonresident scholarships to reduce tuition to the few examples of our many organizations on campus include in-state amount. The Bowen School of Law offers a number of the Student Bar Association, American Bar Association, scholarships both prior to enrollment and after enrollment. The Arkansas Bar Association, Arkansas Association of Women largest number of scholarships are part of the Bowen Scholar Lawyers , ACLU, Black Law Students Association, Christian Program, which provides full tuition and fees. Information Legal Society, Criminal Law Society, Delta Theta Phi, about the various scholarship opportunities can be obtained Environmental Law Society, Federalist Society, Foundation for from the school’s website. The school also participates in the International Legal Affairs, Hispanic Law Students Association, Federal Family Education Loan and Federal College International Law Society, Overton Inn of Court, Part-time Work-Study programs.

Activities

There are numerous opportunities for students at the Bowen School of Law to become involved in activities, includingservice on the UALR Law Review and the Moot Court Board. A few examples of our many organizations on campus include the Student Bar Association, American Bar Association, Arkansas Bar Association, Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers , ACLU, Black Law Students Association, Christian Legal Society, Criminal Law Society, Delta Theta Phi, Environmental Law Society, Federalist Society, Foundation for International Legal Affairs, Hispanic Law Students Association, International Law Society, Overton Inn of Court, Part-time Students Association, Pi Alpha Delta, Overton Inn of Court, Student Animal Defense Fund, Young Democrats, Young Republicans, and others. For students in need of athletic recreation, the Student Bar Association also sponsors softball, kickball, golf tournaments, and flag football teams.

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