The UALR William H. Bowen School of Law provides a high quality legal education that equips students with the knowledge, skills, and ethical concepts to not only function as competent attorneys, public officials, business persons, and other professionals, but also to think critically about the efficacy of the law and legal institutions and to work for their improvement.
The Course of Study
- During the first year of the full-time program, students take only required courses.
- During the first two years of the part-time program, students take mostly required courses.
- After the first year of the full-time program or the second year of the part-time program, students have finished most of their required courses and can choose from a diverse offering of electives.
- Many students choose elective courses that cover subjects tested on state bar examinations.
- Students may also take a series of courses designed to prepare them for a particular kind of legal practice.
- Students may choose to take externships, where they earn academic credit for working at government agencies or nonprofit organizations.
- Students may also choose from one of several legal clinics where they handle real cases under the supervision of a faculty member.
JD Degree
The UALR School of Law grants the Juris Doctor (JD) degree.
- Full-time students usually graduate in six semesters (three years).
- Part-time students usually graduate in eight semesters (four years).
- All students must complete degree requirements within seven years.
To receive the degree, students must:
- satisfactorily complete all required courses and related requirements;
- satisfactorily complete courses totaling 90 credit hours;
- graduate with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C-) or better on a 4.0 scale.
- At least 75 percent of the course work presented to meet the requirements of the degree must be a “C-” or higher grade.
- No more than 8 credit hours may be in “co-curricular” courses.
- Course credits earned outside the School of Law may not be applied toward the hours required for graduation, except
- as provided for the joint degree programs, or
- as taken at other law schools and pre-approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Full-time and Part-time Divisions
The Law School admits applicants to either the full-time or part-time division. Permanent full-time faculty members teach in both divisions.
- First-year, full-time students attend classes during the day.
- Full-time students take 15 credit hours their first two semesters, and between 13 and 16 hours per semester thereafter.
- Full-time students may not work outside the School of Law during their first year.
- After the first year, full-time students may not work more than 20 hours per week.
- First-year, part-time students attend classes during the evening.
- Part-time students take 10 credit hours their first semester, 11 credit hours their second semester (though they may defer the two-credit Legal Profession course to a later semester), and between 8 to 12 credit hours per semester thereafter.
- Part-time students have no limitation at any time on the number of hours they may work.
- During the first year, students admitted to the full-time division may petition the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for permission to transfer to the part-time division.
- After the first year
- Students enrolled in either division may petition the Associate Dean for permission to transfer to the other division.
- Full-time students may take certain evening courses and part-time students may take certain day courses.
Student Handbook
All incoming students receive the Academic Rules of the School of Law, detailing course loads, course selection, academic dismissal, conduct of examinations, and related topics. Students also receive the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Behavior, which applies to all UALR students, and the Code of Academic Student Conduct , which covers academic misconduct such as cheating and plagiarism, among others, and the academic procedures for discipline at the School of Law.
