University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law
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William H. Bowen School of Law
| Established | 1975 |
|---|---|
| School Type | Public |
| ABA Accredited | Yes |
| Dean | Chuck Goldner |
| Degrees | JD, JD/MBA, JD/MPA, JD/MPH, JD/MD |
| Students | 472 |
| Location | Little Rock, Arkansas, USA |
| Website | www.law.ualr.edu |
The William H. Bowen School of Law is part of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) and was established in 1975. The law school is public and has approximately 472 law students enrolled in full-time and part-time divisions. The annual entering class is about 140 students. UALR School of Law is both American Bar Association (ABA) accredited and a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). The school ranks amongst the most prestigious of the University of Arkansas System.
UALR School of Law awards the Juris Doctor (JD) degree. The school also offers several joint degrees: JD/MBA, JD/MPA, JD/MPH, and JD/MD. The law program follows a traditional curriculum that blends theory and practice. Before graduating, students are required to take courses such as Evidence and Lawyering. Students gain experience with interviewing clients and witnesses, drafting pleadings and interrogatories, and trying a mock trial before a judge and jury.
Three available clinics include the Tax Clinic, Mediation Clinic, and Litigation Clinic. These clinics allow students the opportunity to learn by practicing law while under supervision. An available Public Service Externship offers experience with a government agency, non-profit agency, a member of the judiciary, or the Arkansas Legislature.
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[edit] History
The first law school established in Arkansas was in Little Rock. However, petty politics caused the school faculty to reform themselves as a private law school in the 1910's. Subsequently, the law school in Fayetteville was established. The private law school disbanded in the 1960's. 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.
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 building was originally built for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, which moved to its current campus in the central part of Little Rock in the early 1960's. The current building was extensively renovated in 1992.
The law school is named after William H. Bowen who was a former Dean.
[edit] Admissions
- Enrolled: 472 (full-time 312, part-time 160)
- GPA (75/25): 3.67/3.10
- LSAT (75/25): 157/148
- Acceptance Rate: 22%
- Bar Passage Rate: 77% (2004/2005)
[edit] Location
The law school is located in downtown Little Rock just a few minutes from most of Arkansas's largest law firms and corporations, state and federal courts, and the Arkansas State Capitol building. Other attractions within close proximity to the law school include the Clinton School of Public Service, museums, restaurants, the River Market, and the Clinton Presidential Library.
The school is unique among law schools in that it plays host 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. The school is located at 1201 McMath Avenue (named after former Arkansas Govenor Sid McMath).
