UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law

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UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law

At the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, students build practice-ready legal careers with purpose, support and momentum.

Through hands-on experience, personal mentorship and access to Arkansas’s legal system, Bowen prepares students to lead.

09/29/2026

Congratulations to Bowen alumna Risie Howard ’10, who was named one of Lawyers of Distinction’s 2026 Most Influential Lawyers.

Howard was featured among the honorees in the Aug. 5 edition of The Washington Post. A Pine Bluff attorney, she has practiced law since 2013, with a focus on civil, criminal and juvenile law.

Howard served as vice president of the Student Bar Association’s part-time division and was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service Award in 2020.

Congratulations to Howard on this recognition and on her continued service to the legal profession and her community.

09/25/2026

Breakfast, coffee and a quick brief before class. Bowen’s Student Bar Association recently brought students together for Briefs and Breakfast, sharing updates on upcoming events, opportunities and announcements while giving students time to connect before the day began.

09/24/2026

Bowen students put their advocacy skills into practice earlier this month during the U.S. Marine Corps JAG Opening Statement Competition.

The competition was part of a two-day campus visit that also included a Lunch & Learn, where students heard from Marine Corps JAG representatives about career opportunities and service in the legal profession.

During the competition, students prepared and delivered 5- to 10-minute opening statements and received live feedback from judges, giving them an opportunity to strengthen their oral advocacy skills through real-time practice.

Congratulations to Rabecca Cisneros, who won the competition, and to Gunnar Bellinger, Collins Brown, Lanyce Hemphill and Jarrett Brown for taking part.

Thank you to the U.S. Marine Corps JAG representatives for sharing their time and experience with our students. We also thank Diana Snyder, assistant dean for career services, for coordinating the visit and creating opportunities for Bowen students to build their professional skills and explore legal career paths.

09/23/2026

Zach Baumgarten, director of Bowen’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic, and Jen Robinson, pro bono program manager for the clinic, recently participated in the Arkansas National Guard’s Boss Lift Day at Camp Robinson.

Hosted by the 77th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade in partnership with Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, the event is designed to give employers of Guard members a firsthand look at their military service. Baumgarten and Robinson learned more about the Aviation Brigade, explored military equipment and experienced a flight aboard a Black Hawk helicopter.

They also had the opportunity to connect with Bowen alumnus Brig. Gen. Jeffrey D. Wood ’03, assistant adjutant general for Joint Force Headquarters in North Little Rock.

Thank you to the Arkansas National Guard, the 77th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade and ESGR for the opportunity to learn more about the service and responsibilities of Arkansas Guard members and the communities that support them.

09/22/2026

Today’s Faculty Speaker event brought a timely conversation about artificial intelligence and the legal profession to Bowen.

J. Cliff McKinney II, managing member of Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC and a longtime Bowen adjunct professor, spoke with faculty about AI and its role in legal practice.

McKinney’s practice focuses on commercial real estate and transactional matters, including land use, and he is a frequent national speaker on artificial intelligence in legal practice. He has also taught Real Estate Finance and Real Estate Transactions at Bowen since 2007.

Conversations like these help keep Bowen connected to the issues, technologies and professional questions shaping the practice of law today.

09/18/2026

Bowen Law recently joined participants in the Jefferson-Lincoln County Circuit Court’s Sixth Division Teen Court program, which gives young people an opportunity to learn about the legal system through direct participation in the court process.

Dean Colin Crawford attended along with MaryScott Timmis, assistant dean for admissions and enrollment management, and Gabriela Wells, director of admissions. The Bowen team met with Teen Court participants and provided an overview of Bowen and the law school admissions process.

Programs like Teen Court give students an early look at the justice system and the many pathways that can lead to a legal education and career in law.

We appreciate the opportunity to connect with these students and support their interest in the legal profession.

09/16/2026

In August, Dean Colin Crawford represented Bowen at the AALS Pathways to Law Teaching Regional Workshop hosted by the University of Houston Law Center.

Crawford joined fellow law school leaders for the panel, “So, You Want to Be a Law Professor: Deans’ Perspective on Hiring Faculty,” sharing insights on faculty hiring and the path to a career in legal education.

Opportunities like this reflect Bowen’s engagement with the broader legal academy and the role our faculty and leadership play in conversations shaping the future of legal education.

09/15/2026

Bowen alumnus Judge Mark Leverett ’95 recently spoke at Little Rock’s Rotary 99 Club about his work with the Oscar Washington Jr. Educational Fund, which helps Arkansas students pursue a college education.

Leverett was joined by part-time Bowen student Ashlyn Billingsley ’29, who shared how the scholarship helped make her own college education possible and supported her path to law school.

Their remarks highlighted the lasting impact that educational opportunity, mentorship and community support can have on a student’s future.

The connection between Leverett’s service and Billingsley’s experience is a meaningful example of how support for students can create opportunities that continue well beyond college.

Learn more about the Oscar Washington Jr. Educational Fund at www.owjscholarship.com.

09/14/2026

Bowen alumnus Dustin McDaniel ’99 continues to work on significant legal and policy issues at the national level.

McDaniel, a former Arkansas attorney general and member of the Bowen Alumni Board, serves as co-chair of the State Attorneys General Practice at Cozen O’Connor. He and his team were a part of the recently negotiated settlement between Meta and 47 state attorneys general that will introduce new youth safety tools across Meta's social media products.

The matter brought together attorneys and state officials from across the country to address youth safety on social media, an issue at the intersection of law, technology and public policy.

Congratulations to McDaniel and the broader team involved in this significant work.

09/13/2026

Dean Colin Crawford and Blake Buchanan, director of development and external relations recently had the opportunity to hear Bowen alumnus Dr. Vic Snyder ’88, speak at an event sponsored by the Arkansas Times.

Snyder, a former member of Congress, shared his perspective during what Buchanan and Crawford described as an engaging and spirited conversation.

We’re always glad to see Bowen alumni continuing to contribute their experience and perspective to conversations across Arkansas.

Address

1201 McMath Avenue
Little Rock, AR
72202

Telephone

+15019163434

Website

http://ualr.edu/law/

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