| William H. Bowen School of Law | |
| Parent school | University of Arkansas at Little Rock |
|---|---|
| Established | 1975 |
| School type | Public[1] |
| Dean | John M.A. DiPippa |
| Location | Little Rock, Arkansas, USA |
| Enrollment | 338 (full-time), 152 (part-time)[1] |
| Faculty | 108[1] |
| USNWR ranking | #135[1] |
| Annual tuition | $11,456 (in-state) $23,451 (out-of-state)[1] |
| 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 450 law students enrolled in full-time and part-time divisions. The annual entering class is approximately 155 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 as the second most prestigious of the University of Arkansas System, distinctly maintaining highly competitive admissions.
The school awards the Juris Doctor (JD) degree. 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 Skills. Students gain experience with interviewing clients and witnesses, drafting pleadings and interrogatories, and trying a mock trial before a judge.
For the fourth time in six years, the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law was ranked in the top 25 law school writing programs in the U.S. News and World Report. Bowen’s legal writing program was ranked No. 22 in this year’s report. The ranking was a tie with the University of Michigan, Marquette University, and Duquesne University’s writing programs.
In addition to Bowen’s standing as one of the top legal writing programs in the country, the school’s part-time law school program was ranked No. 38 among part-time programs.
The law school also offers several concurrent degrees: JD/MBA (Masters of Business Administration), JD/MPA (Masters of Public Administration), JD/MPH (Masters of Public Health), JD/MPS (Masters of Public Service), and JD/MD (Medical Doctor).
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.
The law school has over forty five student organizations, most of which are very active on campus and within the community. These organizations 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, Out of State Student Association (OSSA), Phi Alpha Delta (PAD), Part-time Student Association (PTSA), Pulaski County Bar Association, Student Division (PCBA), 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.
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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 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 medical school of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, which moved to its current campus in the central part of Little Rock in 1956. The current building was extensively renovated in 1992.
The law school is named after William H. Bowen, a former dean.
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, Little Rock River Market District, 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, and is located at 1201 McMath Avenue (named after former Arkansas Governor Sid McMath).
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