Directory
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville School of Law
University of Arkansas School of Law - Fayetteville
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
William E. Foster
Associate Professor of Law
[email protected]
(479) 575-3059
Category Type
Formal Voluntary Pro Bono Program Characterized by a Referral System with Coordinator
Description of Programs
Service to the community is a core obligation of practicing attorneys and a value the University of Arkansas School of Law seeks to instill in its students. Through our pro bono program, we offer opportunities for service and recognize students who engage in substantial service. Students gain experience while contributing to the community through a variety of pro bono activities, including one-time and ongoing opportunities. Diverse pro bono opportunities are advertised to students via email and other communications and are also accessible through the university’s online volunteer management system. The Director of the program ensures appropriate pro bono opportunities are available to students and can assist students in identifying additional opportunities that fit their particular needs. In 2019, the School of Law initiated a Pro Bono Fellowship Program. Each year, the Dean appoints one or more promising law students to serve as a University of Arkansas School of Law Pro Bono Fellow during their third year of law school. The fellowship recognizes and supports exemplary law students committed to pro bono. It also seeks to further promote pro bono and other forms of service by all of our law students. Pro Bono Fellows are selected based on their: interest in and commitment to pro bono and community service, significant leadership potential, and performance of substantial pro bono work. They serve as student leaders of the law school’s Public Service and Pro Bono Program. Among other things, they attend outreach events with other law students, participate in one-day clinics, assist with recruitment of students for pro bono service, and engage in planning related to the program. More information about the Public Service and Pro Bono Program is available here.
Location of Programs
The Public Service and Pro Bono Program is a standalone program.
Staffing/Management/Oversight
The Public Service and Pro Bono Program is directed by a full-time tenured law faculty member who commits approximately one-third of their time to the program. The faculty members of the Public Service and Pro Bono Committee also provide guidance and support to the program.
Funding
The Pro Bono and Community Engagement Program is funded through the School of Law’s operating budget as well as with the support of the Robert F. Fussell Fund.
The Robert F. Fussell Pro Bono Award is given annually to the student who gives the most hours to pro bono service. The James R. Van Dover Pro Bono scholarship and Eual Dean and Fern Nance Social Justice Endowed scholarship support students with an expressed interest in pro bono and public service.
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
The School of Law tenure policy recognizes service by the faculty, including pro bono. Faculty members regularly engage in community service and pro bono work activities.
Awards/Recognition
Students at the law school are encouraged to engage in pro bono and community service through a variety of means. Students who perform over 50 or 100 hours of pro bono receive formal recognition of their service. They are recognized with a notation on their transcript, in the graduation program, and with a medallion to be worn at graduation. They are also recognized at the School of Law’s annual award ceremony.
The Robert F. Fussell Pro Bono Award is given annually to the student who gives the most hours to pro bono service during their law school career. Service, giving and professional responsibility exemplified by Judge Fussell’s distinguished career in public service and his dedication to pro bono work. During Pro Bono Week, the ten students with the highest number of pro bono hours are invited to an event with the Dean, the director of the Public Service and Pro Bono Program, and other faculty. In 2019, the School of Law initiated a Pro Bono Fellowship Program. Each year, the Dean appoints one or more promising law students to serve as a University of Arkansas School of Law Pro Bono Fellow during their third year of law school. The fellowship recognizes and supports exemplary law students committed to pro bono. It also seeks to further promote pro bono and other forms of service by all of our law students. Pro Bono Fellows are selected based on their: interest in and commitment to pro bono and community service, significant leadership potential, and performance of substantial pro bono work. They serve as student leaders of the law school’s Public Service and Pro Bono Program. Among other things, they attend outreach events with other law students, participate in one-day clinics, assist with recruitment of students for pro bono service, and engage in planning related to the program.
Alternative Winter and Spring Break Projects
Students participate in the Legal Aid of Arkansas Spring Break on the Road to Justice.
Law School Public Interest Programs
Contact Information
William E. Foster
Associate Professor of Law
[email protected]
(479) 575-3059
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
https://law.uark.edu/service/
Public Interest Centers
None.
PI Career Support Center
In partnership with the Public Service and Pro Bono Program, the Office of Career Services provides career assistance to students interested in public interest practice. Opportunities provided to students have included resume reviews by public interest attorneys and networking calls with attorneys working in public interest.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
None.
Fellowships
The University of Arkansas School of Law Summer Public Service Fellowship Program provides paid public service fellowships to promising first and second-year law students interested in public service careers. It offers meaningful employment opportunities to law students and provides free services to nonprofit, non-governmental, and government entities that cannot otherwise afford summer interns. During the summer of 2021, the program will offer fellowships to 10 students. The program is part of the School of Law’s broader effort to fulfill the University's land-grant mission. More information is here. Past Summer Public Service fellows have worked for employers including the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic, U.S. Magistrate Judge David Rush, YWCA Tulsa, Campaign for Youth Justice, Center for Arkansas Legal Services, Arch City Defenders, Shelby County Public Defenders, Oklahoma Innocence Project, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, Federal Public Defender, Arkansas Access to Justice, Washington County Public Defender.
8/2/2023