The dean of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law will step down in June from the position and return to the faculty.
Since Michael Hunter Schwartz became dean of the William H. Bowen School of Law in 2013, the school has earned numerous accolades, including the distinction of being named a best value law school and being listed among the best law schools for practical training. The law school also was honored as a Top 100 school in the nation in terms of peer reputation, a Top 20 law school for prosecutors and public defenders, and a Top 10 law school for producing government lawyers.
The law school also received the 2016 E. Smythe Gambrell Award for Professionalism Programs in recognition of the school’s comprehensive professionalism curriculum.
Schwartz, who is currently teaching classes, plans to return to the faculty on June 30, 2017.
“I extend my sincere thanks to Dean Schwartz for his hard work and commitment to the law school and am happy he will continue to contribute to the success of the law students we serve,” Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Zulma Toro said in a Nov. 18 university announcement.
National Jurist Magazine named Schwartz one of the 15 most influential people in legal education in 2014 and 2015.
Schwartz also is the author of multiple books and is passionate about teaching law school educators — nationally and abroad.
During Schwartz’s tenure as dean, Harvard University Press published his book, “What the Best Law Teachers Do,” and Carolina Academic Press published his contracts textbook and his book, “Teaching Law by Design,” both in their second editions. Schwartz also authored a law review article and two book chapters.
He also delivered presentations on more than 40 occasions at national conferences and at other US law schools, generating more than $65,000 in contract revenue for the UALR law school.
Since Schwartz was named to the leadership post at Bowen, the law school has:
- Implemented a series of curriculum reforms that included establishing a clinic or externship requirement. Bowen became one of the few law schools in the country with such a requirement. The school also introduced mandatory courses in professionalism and practice-focused legal and factual research.
- Introduced an innovative law clinic serving the state’s Delta region and the law school’s first certificate program in business law.
- Overhauled the school’s admissions and admitted student yield efforts, resulting in yield rates among the Top 10 in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. The fall semester 2016 class had a 23 percent increase in applications and enrollment and improved entrance credentials — making Bowen one of fewer than 20 law schools in the nation with such growth.
- Created and hosted the state’s first Legal Hack-a-Thon — an event that brought together lawyers, computer programmers, law students, and law professors to construct computer apps and websites to solve significant legal problems.
- Launched a required mentoring program for first-year law students through which students work with judges and lawyers based on a match of student interests.
- Envisioned and hosted the first community-engaged research summit hosted by a law school. The event brought together judges, lawyers, and legislators in an effort to develop UALR law school and College of Social Sciences and Communication research collaborations with the community and government leaders.
- Developed strategic, collaborative relationships with law schools in Taiwan, Poland, and Mexico.
- Introduced a student organization designed to promote rural practice. The new organization is unique among law schools in the United States.
