Robert A. Leflar Law Center
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: 479.575.3102; Fax: 479.575.3937
E-mail: lawadmit@uark.edu; Website: law.uark.edu
The University of Arkansas School of Law, named one of the top 20 Best Values in legal education, is located on the main university campus at Fayetteville, a vibrant college community with the charm of a small town and the amenities of a much larger city. "One of America's Most Livable Cities," Fayetteville is just a few miles away from the corporate headquarters of such companies as Wal-Mart and Tyson Foods.
The School of Law, established in 1924, offers challenging courses taught by nationally recognized faculty, unique service opportunities, and a close-knit community that puts law students first. In addition to its JD program, the School of Law offers the only advanced legal degree program in agricultural and food law in the United States.
Although approximately 75 to 80 percent of the students are Arkansas residents, others are from every part of the United States. Since the school has no undergraduate course prerequisites, the academic backgrounds and nonacademic experiences of the students are varied.
The law library has over 331,000 volumes and volume equivalents. Students are trained in the techniques of computer-assisted legal research as well as in traditional research methods. The law library is a federal and state depository for government documents.
The School of Law offers a full-time, three-year program leading to the JD degree. The degree is conferred upon satisfactory completion of 90 semester hours, including 42 hours of required courses. The first year at the School of Law consists of a rigorous course of study that all 1Ls follow and includes courses such as Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Legal Writing. A broad selection of elective second- and third-year courses is available. Students who have completed the first year of law school may earn up to 12 semester hours of credit in summer school, and graduation can be accelerated by one semester of summer coursework.
In addition to the traditional path to the JD, the School of Law offers a joint JD/MBA program with the university's Sam M. Walton College of Business. In addition, the Department of Political Science offers two dual-degree programs with the law school including an MPA/JD path and a JD/MA in international law and politics.
Each year, the LLM program in agricultural and food law prepares a small number of carefully selected attorneys as specialists in the complex legal issues involving agriculture and our food system.
First-year students are admitted in the fall and only for full-time study. Prior to enrolling in the School of Law, applicants must have completed all requirements for an undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year college. Admission is based on the applicant's LSAT score and undergraduate GPA. In a small percentage of cases, additional criteria such as age; gender; cultural, ethnic, and racial background; geographic origin; socioeconomic background and status; undergraduate major; graduate studies; career objectives; nonacademic work; and other life experiences are considered by a faculty admission committee. Preference is given to Arkansas residents. For the current status of this preference, contact the school. A nonrefundable tuition deposit is required of all admitted candidates.
The law school's application deadline is April 1 of the year in which admission is sought. Applicants must take the LSAT no later than February. Applications completed after April 1 will be considered only on a space-available basis.
Housing for single students is available in campus dormitories. For more information about housing, please contact the Housing Office, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701; Phone: 479.575.3951. Information is also available at housing.uark.edu. A variety of private off-campus housing options are available in Fayetteville and surrounding communities within easy commuting distance of the law school. For more information, please visit offcampushousing.uark.edu.
The University of Arkansas School of Law is home to an exceptionally strong advocacy skills competition program. The school hosts two intramural appellate advocacy competitions that cumulatively lead to the selection of five appellate moot court interscholastic competition teams through the Board of Advocates and a sixth team selected by the Black Law Students Association. While most team members are third-year students, exceptional second-year students have successfully participated in various competitions.
Students may participate in the writing and publishing of three student-run journals: the Arkansas Law Review, the Journal of Food Law and Policy, and the Journal of Islamic Law and Culture.
The Student Bar Association sponsors a variety of academic and social activities. All students are also eligible for membership in the Law Student Division of the Arkansas Bar Association. Three of the largest national legal fraternities, Delta Theta Phi, Phi Alpha Delta, and Phi Delta Phi, maintain active chapters at the school. The Women's Law Student Association was organized to provide an opportunity for women to discuss and work with common professional interests and problems. Members of the Arkansas Chapter of the Black Law Students Association work as a collective body to inform black students of the availability and advantages of a legal education, to promote the academic success of black law students at Arkansas, and to increase the awareness and commitment of the legal profession to the black community. Other organizations include the Christian Legal Society, Lambda, the Federalist Society, the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, and Equal Justice Works.
The law school operates a legal aid clinic providing counseling and representation for university students and indigent persons seeking legal assistance. An Arkansas Supreme Court Rule permits senior law students, upon certification and under supervision, to appear in court on a no-fee basis.
Students are expected to make sufficient financial arrangements for the first year of study without the necessity of seeking employment. All law students are required to be full-time students. All financial aid in the form of Perkins Loans (formerly NDSL), higher education loans, and work-study grants is processed by the University of Arkansas Office of Financial Aid, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701. Merit scholarships are awarded to some entering students. Applications for a limited number of other scholarships are distributed following fall registration in August.
The law school maintains an Office of Career Services with a full-time, highly qualified director and staff to assist and advise students and graduates. Services offered by the office include on-campus interviews for permanent and summer employment; individual career counseling sessions; workshops and handbooks regarding résumé preparation, interviewing skills and techniques, and job searches; panels of lawyers who present programs on a variety of topics; a job bulletin; employment outreach; and hosting networking events with local attorneys and judges. The office also maintains employment and bar passage statistics.