The UALR William H. Bowen School of Law believes in the value of serving others and has a longstanding commitment to encouraging public service among its students and faculty. The Bowen School of Law takes a broad view of public service, which it defines to include pro bono legal services provided to people of limited means; public service that is law-related; and community service. To encourage and support our students’ individual interests, we provide a multitude of opportunities to engage in both activities that concern individual legal matters and activities that are more policy-oriented and designed to benefit the community as a whole.
Through these opportunities, the Bowen School of Law hopes to serve the community, help its students grow personally and professionally, and cultivate in its students a lifelong commitment to public service. By participating in public service and pro bono projects, you will help people in the real world with real needs, meet and work with local attorneys in the community, and gain invaluable hands-on experience. There is sure to be a service opportunity that suits your specific interests. Descriptions of the available opportunities are listed below. For more specific information, please contact Professor Kelly Terry, Director of Externship Programs and Pro Bono Opportunities, at ksterry@ualr.edu or at 501.324.9946.
The Bowen School of Law’s primary public service endeavor is the Altheimer Public Service Program. Through this program, Bowen students work with students from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service to develop and implement service-learning projects that contribute to the immediate needs of the community and the State of Arkansas. Working under faculty supervision, the students have primary responsibility for choosing, designing, and carrying out the service projects. Besides providing a definite service, the program also sponsors a public program for stakeholders in the project at which students may present recommendations, policy proposals, or other findings related to the project. Students also produce a tangible document or writing that addresses issues related to the project that will be available to the public.
For the Altheimer Program’s inaugural project, the students partnered with Southside Main Street, which is a local nonprofit organization working to revitalize part of the downtown area of Little Rock, Arkansas. The students created and designed a case-study project and a business recruitment project to complement Southside Main Street’s urban and economic redevelopment efforts. After the students completed the projects, they presented the findings of their research at a community symposium, and also sponsored a neighborhood block party and youth basketball tournament to promote community engagement and to highlight Southside Main Street’s work.
Translated from the Latin pro bono publico, “pro bono” means “for the public good.” In the legal profession, “pro bono” generally refers to providing free legal services to those who cannot afford such services and to charitable organizations, nonprofits, and other groups that work for the good of the general public. The Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS) is a nonprofit organization that provides legal services to low-income Arkansans in civil cases. CALS focuses on matters involving family law, housing law (landlord-tenant), domestic relations, consumer law, and public benefits law. While one in five Arkansans is eligible for legal aid, nearly 50% of those who apply for assistance must be turned away due to lack of resources. For more information about CALS, see its website at www.arlegalservices.org.
The Bowen School of Law has formed a partnership with CALS so that Bowen students may volunteer at CALS and engage in pro bono representation under the supervision of CALS attorneys. Students who volunteer at CALS work directly with the attorneys in the office, assisting them in drafting pleadings, performing legal research, interviewing clients, investigating cases, and preparing for trials. Students also may observe courtroom proceedings.
Student volunteers at CALS also have the opportunity to assist in its outreach and community education efforts, by writing and updating factsheets on legal issues, updating the CALS Poverty Law Practice Manual, and assisting in the production of informational videos. Students also may participate in a live internet chat service that CALS provides through its website to help people find information relevant to their legal matters. Projects are available that can be completed both during regular business hours and on nights and weekends, so volunteer opportunities exist for both full-time and part-time students. In addition to the sense of personal satisfaction that comes from providing legal services to those in need, students who volunteer at CALS also gain valuable professional experience and have the opportunity to learn from dedicated and experienced attorneys.
Students also may find service opportunities by consulting the Bowen Volunteer Opportunities Directory. This two-volume reference guide contains information about the work and programs of over 60 local nonprofit organizations that are in need of volunteers. The Directory is arranged by subject-matter categories, and it includes information about volunteer opportunities in many different areas, including legal services, food and housing needs, community development, prevention of domestic violence, and tutoring and mentoring, to name just a few. The Directory is located in the Reference section of the Law Library (call number KF336.A4 V65 2007), and a copy also is available in the reception area of the Legal Clinic.
Time that students contribute to the public service and pro bono activities described above counts toward the Dean’s Certificate of Public Service. A student who completes 100 hours of public service during a 12 month period in which the student is in good standing at the UALR Bowen School of Law will be awarded a Dean’s Certificate of Service, with the award noted on the student’s transcript. A student who completes 300 hours of public service during the period the student is in good standing at the UALR Bowen School of Law will be awarded a Dean’s Certificate of Distinguished Service, which will also be noted on the student’s transcript. For more specific information about the requirements for earning the Dean’s Certificate of Service, please see www.law.ualr.edu/aboutus/deancert.asp.
For more specific information about the types of service activities that qualify for the Dean's Certificate and the process for recording and submitting hours, please contact Patti Bell, Administrative Assistant to the Dean, at plbell@ualr.edu.
The Dean’s Certificate Program is facilitated by the Community Outreach Opportunity League (“COOL”), which is a committee of the Bowen Law School’s Student Bar Association. COOL provides contact information for a variety of service agencies and projects, and it coordinates group volunteer activities in conjunction with other student organizations.
Revised: 9/12/2008