Program Goals
- To make students more aware of community service opportunities and encourage students to make service a part of their professional lives
- To benefit the community
Description of the Program
A student who completes 50 hours of public service during a single academic year in which the student is in good standing at UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law will be awarded a Certificate of Service, with the award noted on the student’s transcript.
A student who completes 100 hours of public service during a single academic year in which the student is in good standing at UA Little Rock William H. 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 UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law will be awarded a Dean’s Certificate of Distinguished Service, which will also be noted on the student’s transcript.
A student who wishes to be considered for either certificate shall submit a fully completed and signed Certification of Service Log along with a brief summary of their experience documenting the student’s service for review by the Dean of the School of Law. The Dean’s office shall keep a written record of a student’s completed hours and shall provide to the School of Law’s Registrar the name of each student earning a certificate.
Service projects may include: Habitat for Humanity, VITA/TCE (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly), pro bono clinics with the Center for Arkansas Legal Services, Race for the Cure, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) training, becoming a Shelter Advocate at Women and Children First, and volunteering at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. In addition, students have many opportunities to volunteer at any time with nonprofit agencies affiliated with the law school. Projects may be submitted to the Dean in advance for approval or may be submitted after the service has been performed. The definition of “service” applied by the Dean will be broad, but shall not include service which is compensated monetarily. Volunteer hours for political campaigns or for student organizations do not qualify unless the student organization is doing volunteer work for an outside non-profit. You also cannot get paid or earn class credit for these hours.
For information on this program, contact the Dean’s Executive Assistant.
Volunteer Opportunities Directory
Students who are seeking service opportunities now have a new resource available for their use: the Bowen Volunteer Opportunities Directory. The Directory is a two-volume reference guide that contains information about the work and programs of over 60 local non-profit 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 food and housing needs, legal services, community development, domestic violence prevention, health education, and tutoring and mentoring, to name just a few. The Directory may be found in the Reference section of the Law Library (call number KF336.A4 V65 2007), and a copy is also available from Larry Rhodes in the reception area of the Legal Clinic.
For additional information about the Directory or specific volunteer opportunities, please contact Professor Kelly Terry, Director of Externship Programs and Pro Bono Opportunities
